NR 548 Psychiatric Assessment for PMHNP | Exam 2 (Weeks 3–4 Covered) | Verified Questions & Correct Answers | Latest Update 2025/2026 | A+ Graded

NR 548 Psychiatric Assessment for

Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Exam 2 Week 3-4 Covered latest update 2025/2026




1. Psychiatric interview: the process by which psychiatric assessment is conduct- ed

-primary tasks

• building a therapeutic alliance between the PMHNP & client

• obtaining a database of psychiatric info about the client

• establishing a dx

• negotiating a tx plan

2. Therapeutic Alliance: a feeling that you should create over the course of the

diagnostic interview, a sense of rapport, trust, and warmth

-most important goal of the interview process

,-the cooperative working relationship between the therapist and client
B B B B B B B B




• begins during the initial or opening phase of the interview
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-fundamental component of successful therapy B B B B




• Without trust, adherence to treatment recommendations may be compromised
B B B B B B B B




• interview may not elicit the information needed to formulate an appropriate dx & plan
B B B B B B B B B B B B B




B of care without rapport & trust
B B B B B




3. Creating rapport: tips: -Be Yourself B B B B




-Be Warm, Courteous, and Emotionally Sensitive
B B B B B




-Actively Defuse the Strangeness of the Clinical Situation
B B B B B B B




-Give Your Patient the Opening Word
B B B B B




-Gain Your Patient's Trust by Projecting Competence
B B B B B B




4. How to approach threatening topics (sensitive/embarrassing material): -
B B B B B B B




-Normalization

-Symptom Expectation B




-Symptom Exaggeration B




-Reduction of Guilt B B




-Use Familiar Language When Asking about Behaviors
B B B B B B




5. Normalization: Introducing Q with some type of normalizing statement B B B B B B B B

,-two principal ways to do this:
B B B B B




1. start the question by implying that the behavior is a normal or understandable
B B B B B B B B B B B B




B response to a mood or situation
B B B B B




• ex: Sometimes when people are very depressed, they think of hurting themselves. Has this
B B B B B B B B B B B B B




B been true for you?
B B B




2. Begin by describing another patient (or patients) who has engaged in the behavior, showing
B B B B B B B B B B B B B




B your patient that she is not alone
B B B B B B




• ex: I've talked to several patients who've said that their depression causes them to have
B B B B B B B B B B B B B B




strange experiences, like hearing voices or thinking that strangers are laughing at them. Has
B B B B B B B B B B B B B B




B that been happening to you?
B B B B

, 6. Symptom Expectation: communicate that a behavior is in some way normal or expected
B B B B B B B B B B B B




-Phrase your Q's to imply that you already assume the patient has engaged in some behavior
B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B




B and that you will not be offended by a positive response
B B B B B B B B B B




-high index of suspicion of some self-destructive activity
B B B B B B B




-Ex: patient is profoundly depressed and has expressed feelings of hopelessness. You
B B B B B B B B B B B




B suspect suicidality, but you sense that the patient may be too ashamed to admit it. Rather than
B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B B




B gingerly asking "Have you had any thoughts that you'd be better off dead?" you might
B B B B B B B B B B B B B B




B decide to use symptom expectation. "What kinds of ways to hurt yourself have you though
B B B B B B B B B B B B B B




B about?"


*reserve this technique for situations in which it seems appropriate
B B B B B B B B B




7. Symptom Exaggeration: suggesting a frequency of a problematic behavior that is higher
B B B B B B B B B B B




B than your expectation, so that the patient feels that their actual, lower frequency of the
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B behavior will not be perceived by you as being "bad."
B B B B B B B B B




-helpful in clarifying the severity of symptoms
B B B B B B




*reserve this technique for situations in which it seems appropriate
B B B B B B B B B




8. Reduction of guilt: seeks to directly reduce a patient's guilt about a specific behavior
B B B B B B B B B B B B B




B in order to discover what they have been doing
B B B B B B B B