CA PT Board Exam Review - Psychiatric Nursing Questions with Correct Answers

CA PT Board Exam Review -
Psychiatric Nursing Questions with
Correct Answers
The Psychiatric Technician can best assist an individual of a different culture adjust to
life in a new community by:

a. Encouraging the detachment from family and friends.
b. Becoming familiar with the client's communication patterns.
c. Describing the new customs in the community.
d. Immersing the individual in the dominant culture. - ANSWERSb. Becoming familiar
with the client's communication patterns.

A fifteen year old patient in a psychiatric facility says, "I going to be a Psych Tech." This
is an example of:

a. identification
b. regression
c. reaction formation
d. displacement - ANSWERSa. identification

In order to determine the client's perception of the reason for admission to the
psychiatric facility, it will be most appropriate for the psychiatric technician to say:

a. "Did the police bring you here?"
b. "Tell me about your life."
c. "Why did you come here?"
d. "I guess you are pretty confused about all this. - ANSWERSc. "Why did you come
here?"

In establishing a therapeutic relationship with a client, it is imperative that the
Psychiatric Technician demonstrate the ability to:

a. see the client's world from client's perspective.
b. recognize that the client is bound to the past.
c. focus on content rather than feelings.
d. tell the client that all problems have solutions. - ANSWERSa. see the client's world
from client's perspective.

The client awakens one day and is uncommunicative. There is no response to staff or
peers. The most appropriate approach is to:

,a. insist that the client participate in activities.
b. recognize that the behavior is attention seeking and ignore it.
c. sit with the client periodically throughout the shift.
d. encourage verbal responses by telling the patient to ventilate. - ANSWERSc. sit with
the client periodically throughout the shift.

Appropriate intervention strategies when working with families include:

a. conveying warmth and acceptance of all members.
b. developing an alliance with the identified patient.
c. advising the family in ways to identify problems and solutions.
d. assisting the family in disengaging as a group. - ANSWERSa. conveying warmth and
acceptance of all members.

Which of the following is characteristic of the initial phase of group development when
developing a functioning group?

a. Most members are comfortable and at ease in the group.
b. Many members will compete for the group leadership role.
c. Feelings of intimacy and closeness are readily apparent.
d. Testing behaviors are not unusual. - ANSWERSd. Testing behaviors are not unusual.

The client is observed talking to an imaginary person. The client is most likely
responding to:

a. environmental stimuli.
b. delusional material.
c. hallucinations.
d. ideas of reference. - ANSWERSc. hallucinations.

Which of the following will be most useful in assisting the client cope with a stressful
situation?

a. Practicing active listening.
b. Being skillful in the assessment process.
c. Advising the client of effective problem solving techniques.
d. Telling the client that everything will be all right. - ANSWERSa. Practicing active
listening.

Which of the following is most important when caring for the client in the first phase of
alcohol withdrawal?

a. correction of vitamin deficiencies.
b. assist the client in recognition of alcoholism as a problem.
c. provide the care and administer medications which minimize the effects of delirium
tremens.

,d. keep the client in a quiet, dark room and discourage contact with other clients. -
ANSWERSc. provide the care and administer medications which minimize the effects of
delirium tremens.

The doctor has ordered the drug naloxone (narcan) to be given stat. The Psychiatric
Technician knows that this preparation will act to:

a. decrease the respiratory rate.
b. enhance the effect of the narcotic analgesic preparations.
c. slow the heart rate.
d. prevent or reverse the effects of opioids. - ANSWERSd. prevent or reverse the
effects of opioids.

Which of the following statements is an indication that the dying client is in the
bargaining stage?

a. "I'll never complain about dying if I can just complete this year of school."
b. "I'd be very grateful if you could get me some decent food in this place."
c. "I'd make it back to work if I could only get rid of this nausea."
d. "I'd buy a larger house, but I know I won't live long enough to enjoy it." -
ANSWERSa. "I'll never complain about dying if I can just complete this year of school."

The family sobs and screams, "Why her?, It can't be!" after being told that death is
imminent. This statement may indicate that the family is in which of the following stages
in the dying process?

a. denial
b. depression
c. anger
d. detachment - ANSWERSa. denial

In assisting the geriatric client build feelings self-esteem, the most useful action on the
part of the Psychiatric Technician would be to:

a. give the client tasks in which success is likely to occur.
b. provide at least one new learning experience daily.
c. praising the client liberally for all activities.
d. allow the client to choose a familiar activity to engage in. - ANSWERSd. allow the
client to choose a familiar activity to engage in.

The client reports that the recent dismissal from college was due to the fact that nausea
and vomiting occurred before every examination. The defense mechanism is use was
most likely:

a. projection
b. conversion

, c. displacement
d. compensation - ANSWERSb. conversion

The client is very flattering and asks the psychiatric technician for a date as soon the
client is discharged. The appropriate response by the Psychiatric Technician is to:

a. explain that an indicator of progress is be able to function without the involvement of
the Psychiatric Technician.
b. tell the client that it is wrong to date clients.
c. ignore the request and move on to another subject.
d. explain counter-transference to the client. - ANSWERSa. explain that an indicator of
progress is be able to function without the involvement of the Psychiatric Technician.

The client has accepted electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) as a treatment for resistant
depression. The Psychiatric Technician will instruct the client in which of the following
before the procedure?

a. remain on bedrest until the procedure is completed.
b. take plenty of fluids just prior to the therapy.
c. take nothing by mouth the morning of the treatment.
d. do not shower the morning of the procedure. - ANSWERSc. take nothing by mouth
the morning of the treatment.

Which of the following is the most appropriate response to the client who states, "I feel
like I'm so inadequate. I can't do anything right." The Psychiatric Technician will reply:

a. "You are not inadequate. You do a lot of things right."
b. "You are telling that you feel inadequate?"
c. "We all feel that way from time to time."
d. "You would feel better if you kept busy." - ANSWERSb. "You are telling that you feel
inadequate?"

The client says, "My, I love babies. They're so little, like dolls. Did you see Carol
Channing sing "Hello Dolly! I guess blondes do have more fun. The Psychiatric
Technician will document this as:

a. rambling
b. word salad
c. flight of ideas
d. circumstantiality - ANSWERSc. flight of ideas

The client has the persistent idea that the CIA has placed him in the witness protection
program because of the connection to the President of the United States. This is best
described as:

a. delusions of nihilism