ATI RN MENTAL HEALTH 2025/2026 WITH NGN
100% PASS WITH RATIONALES LATEST UPDATES
QUESTION & ANSWERS
WITH RATIONALES
A nurse is caring for a group of patients. For which of the following situations should the nurse
complete an incident report? - ANS - A client was administered one-half of the prescribed dose of
medication
Rationale: An incident report is a recording of any occurrence that does not meet the standard of
care. The nurse should report medication errors using the facility's incident or occurrence form.
A nurse is caring for a group of patients. Which of the following findings is the nurse required to
report? - ANS - A client who has borderline personality disorder threatened to harm their
roommate
Rationale: Signs and symptoms of BPD include interpersonal relationships accompanied by threats
and other-directed violence. While it is important for the nurse to maintain the patients
confidentiality, when another individual might be in danger, the nurse is required by law to report
it to authorities.
A nurse is caring for a patient who has borderline personality disorder. Which of the following
goals is the priority when planning care for this patient?
a. The patient will take the prescribed medications as scheduled b. The patient will express feelings
of frustration
c. The patient will refrain from self-mutilation
d. The patient will participate in group therapy - ANS - c. The client will refrain from self-
mutilation
Rationale: The greatest risk to the patient is injury to self and others. Therefore, the priority goal is
for the patient to refrain from self-mutilation
a. Taking prescribed medications as scheduled to maintain therapeutic blood levels is an
important goal. However, this is not the priority goal
b. Expressing feelings of frustration to acknowledge these feelings is an important goal.
However, this is not the priority goal
d. Participating in group therapy as part of the treatment plan is an important goal. However, this is
not the priority goal
,A nurse is discussing the home care of a patient who has advanced Alzheimer's disease. The
patient's caregiver is planning to go out of town for several days. Which of the following resources
should the nurse recommended to the caregiver?
a. Respite care
b. Partial hospitalization c. Adult day care program
d. Geropsychiatric unit - ANS - a. Respite care
Rationale: Respite care programs allow the patient to stay in a nursing facility for a set number of
days, allowing the caregivers to go on vacation or have some time to themselves
b. Partial hospitalization provides services for several hours during the day, but they are not
designed to offer 24-hr care. A patient with advanced Alzheimer's disease is unable to safely
remain at home unattended
c. Adult day care programs can provide services throughout the day to patient's with
Alzheimer's disease, allowing the caregiver the ability to work or have a break. The patient's return
home in the evening. A patient who has advanced Alzheimer's disease is unable to safely remain at
home unattended.
d. A geropsychiatric unit provides care for patients requiring acute psychiatric services due to
sudden mental status changes, psychosis, or other mental health services. These services are ideal
for patients who are at risk of harming themselves or others
A nurse is caring for an older adult patient who has dementia and has wandered into the day room
looking for their deceased partner. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?
a. Move the patient to a room near the nurses' station
b. Limit visitors until the patient is oriented to the environment c. Tell the patient their partner
is deceased
d. Talk with the patient about activities they enjoyed with their partner - ANS - Talk with the
patient about activities they enjoyed with their partner
Rationale:
Talking about positive experiences can help distract the patient from their disorientation
a. When caring for a patient with dementia, avoid placing them in unfamiliar settings when
possible.
b. Family members should be encouraged to interact with the patient regardless of the
patient's state of dementia
c. Confrontation should not be used for a disoriented patient
A nurse is admitting a patient with schizophrenia to an acute care setting. When the nurse
questions the patient regarding their admission, the client states, "I'm red, in the head, and I'm
,going to bed!" The nurse should document the client's speech pattern as which of the following?
a. Clang association b. Word salad
c. Neologism
d. Echolalia - ANS - a. Clang association
Rationale: dThe dnurse dshould ddocument dthat dthe dpatients dspeech duses dclang dassociations
dwhich doften drhyme dor dcontain da dstring dof dwords dthat dcan dhave da dsimilar dsound
b. In dword dsalad, dwords dare dcompletely dmeaningless dand ddisorganized. dc. dNeologism
dconsists dof dwords dthat dare dmade dup dby dthe dpatient
d. dIn decholalia, dthe dpatient drepeats dthe dwords dof danother dperson
A dnurse dis dassessing da dpatient dwho dhas dschizophrenia. dWhich dof dthe dfollowing dfindings
dshould dthe dnurse ddocument das da dnegative dsymptom dof dthis ddisorder?
a. dDelusions db. dNeologisms dc. dAnhedonia
d. dEchopraxia d- dANS d- dAnhedonia
Rationale:
Positive dsymptoms dof dschizophrenia dusually dappear dsuddenly dand dare dalteration din dbehavior,
dperception, dspeech, dand dthought. dDelusions, dinability dto dthink dabstractly, dneologisms d(made
dup dwords), decholalia d(repeating dof dsomeone delse's dwords, dmotor dagitation, dand dechopraxia
d(mimicking dsomeone delse's dmovements) dare dall dpositive dsymptoms dof dschizophrenia.
Negative dsymptoms dof dschizophrenia daffect da dperson's dability dto dinteract dwith dothers dand
dare dless ddominant dthan dpositive dsymptoms. dNegative dsymptoms ddevelop dover dtime.
Examples dof dnegative dsymptoms dinclude dflat daffect, danergia d(lack dof denergy), danhedonia
d(inability dto denjoy dotherwise dpleasurable dactivities), dand dthought dblocking d(inability dto
dthink, dspeak, dor dmove din dresponse dto doutside dstimuli)
A dnurse dis ddelegating dpatient dcare dtasks dto da dlicensed dpractical dnurse d(LPN) dand dan
dassistive dpersonnel. dWhich dof dthe dfollowing dtasks dshould dthe dnurse dassign dto dthe dLPN? d-
dANS d- dChange dthe d ddressing dof da dclient dwho dhas dborderline dpersonality ddisorder dand
dsuperficial dself-inflicted dwounds
Rationale: dA dpatient dwho dhas dborderline dpersonality ddisorder dis dat drisk dfor dself-mutilation
dsuch das dcutting, dself-inflicted dwounds, dscratching dor dpicking dat dwounds. dIt dis dwithin dthe
dLPNs dscope dof dpractice dto dchange dthe ddressing, dcleanse dthe dwound, dand dcollect ddata
dregarding dthe dhealing dof dthe dwound.
A dnurse dis dassessing da dschool-age dchild dwho dhas dconduct ddisorder. dWhich dof dthe dfollowing
dcharacteristics dshould dthe dnurse dexpect dthe dchild dto ddemonstrate?
, a. Feelings dof dremorse
b. Extended dperiods dof ddepression
c. Deficits din dintellectual dfunctioning
d. Aggression dtowards danimals d- dANS d- dd. dAggression dtoward danimals
Rationale: dThe dnurse dshould didentify dthat daggression dtoward dpeople dand danimals dis dan
dexpected dcharacteristic dof da dchild dwho dhas dconduct ddisorder
a. The dnurse dshould didentify dthat dlack dof dremorse dis dan dexpected dcharacteristic dof da
dchild dwho dhas dconduct ddisorder
b. The dnurse dshould didentify dthat da dchild dwho dhas dbipolar ddisorder dis dlikely dto dhave
dextended dperiods dof ddepression. dThis dis dnot dan dexpected dcharacteristic dof da dchild dwho dhas
dconduct ddisorder dc. dThe dnurse dshould didentify dthat da dchild dwho dhas dintellectual ddeficit
ddisorder dexhibits ddeficits din dintellectual dfunctioning, dsuch das dreasoning, dabstract dthinking,
dand dacademic dability. dA ddeficit din dintellectual dfunctioning dis dnot dan dexpected dcharacteristic
dof da dchild dwho dhas dconduct ddisorder
A dnurse din da dmental dhealth dclinic dis dplanning dcare dfor da dclient dwho dhas da dnew dprescription
dfor dOlanzapine. dWhich dof dthe dfollowing dinterventions dshould dthe dnurse didentify das dthe
dpriority? d- dANS d- dInstruct dthe dclient dto davoid ddriving dduring dinitial dtherapy
Rationale: dThe dgreatest drisk dto dthe dpatient dis dinjury dresulting dfrom ddrowsiness dor ddizziness.
dTherefore, dthe dnurse's dpriority dintervention dis dto dinstruct dthe dpatient dto davoid dactivities dthat
drequire dmental dalertness dduring dinitial dmedication dtherapy
A dnurse dis dcaring dfor da dpatient dwho dhas da dhistory dof dsubstance duse ddisorder dand dwas
dinvoluntarily dadmitted dto da dmental dhealth dfacility. dWhen dthe dnurse dattempts dto dadminister
doral dLorazepam, dthe dpatient drefuses dto dtake dthe dmedication dand dbecomes dphysically
daggressive. dWhich dof dthe dfollowing dactions dshould dthe dnurse dtake?
a. Do dnot dadminister dthe dLorazepam
b. Request da dprescription dfor dIV dlorazepam
c. Request dthat danother dnurse dattempt dto dadminister dthe dlorazepam
d. Place dthe dlorazepam din dthe dpatient's dfood d- dANS d- da. dDo dnot dadminister dthe dLorazepam
Rationale: dPatients dwho dare din da dfacility ddue dto dan dinvoluntary dadmission dretain dthe dright dto
drefuse dtreatment. dTherefore, dthe dnurse dshould dhold dthe dmedication dand ddocument dthe
dpatient's drefusal
b. dRequesting da dprescription dfor dand dadministering dIV dlorazepam dviolates dthe dpatient's dright
dto drefuse dtreatment
b. dRequesting dthat danother dnurse dadminister dthe dlorazepam dviolates dthe dpatient's dright dto
drefuse dtreatment
100% PASS WITH RATIONALES LATEST UPDATES
QUESTION & ANSWERS
WITH RATIONALES
A nurse is caring for a group of patients. For which of the following situations should the nurse
complete an incident report? - ANS - A client was administered one-half of the prescribed dose of
medication
Rationale: An incident report is a recording of any occurrence that does not meet the standard of
care. The nurse should report medication errors using the facility's incident or occurrence form.
A nurse is caring for a group of patients. Which of the following findings is the nurse required to
report? - ANS - A client who has borderline personality disorder threatened to harm their
roommate
Rationale: Signs and symptoms of BPD include interpersonal relationships accompanied by threats
and other-directed violence. While it is important for the nurse to maintain the patients
confidentiality, when another individual might be in danger, the nurse is required by law to report
it to authorities.
A nurse is caring for a patient who has borderline personality disorder. Which of the following
goals is the priority when planning care for this patient?
a. The patient will take the prescribed medications as scheduled b. The patient will express feelings
of frustration
c. The patient will refrain from self-mutilation
d. The patient will participate in group therapy - ANS - c. The client will refrain from self-
mutilation
Rationale: The greatest risk to the patient is injury to self and others. Therefore, the priority goal is
for the patient to refrain from self-mutilation
a. Taking prescribed medications as scheduled to maintain therapeutic blood levels is an
important goal. However, this is not the priority goal
b. Expressing feelings of frustration to acknowledge these feelings is an important goal.
However, this is not the priority goal
d. Participating in group therapy as part of the treatment plan is an important goal. However, this is
not the priority goal
,A nurse is discussing the home care of a patient who has advanced Alzheimer's disease. The
patient's caregiver is planning to go out of town for several days. Which of the following resources
should the nurse recommended to the caregiver?
a. Respite care
b. Partial hospitalization c. Adult day care program
d. Geropsychiatric unit - ANS - a. Respite care
Rationale: Respite care programs allow the patient to stay in a nursing facility for a set number of
days, allowing the caregivers to go on vacation or have some time to themselves
b. Partial hospitalization provides services for several hours during the day, but they are not
designed to offer 24-hr care. A patient with advanced Alzheimer's disease is unable to safely
remain at home unattended
c. Adult day care programs can provide services throughout the day to patient's with
Alzheimer's disease, allowing the caregiver the ability to work or have a break. The patient's return
home in the evening. A patient who has advanced Alzheimer's disease is unable to safely remain at
home unattended.
d. A geropsychiatric unit provides care for patients requiring acute psychiatric services due to
sudden mental status changes, psychosis, or other mental health services. These services are ideal
for patients who are at risk of harming themselves or others
A nurse is caring for an older adult patient who has dementia and has wandered into the day room
looking for their deceased partner. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?
a. Move the patient to a room near the nurses' station
b. Limit visitors until the patient is oriented to the environment c. Tell the patient their partner
is deceased
d. Talk with the patient about activities they enjoyed with their partner - ANS - Talk with the
patient about activities they enjoyed with their partner
Rationale:
Talking about positive experiences can help distract the patient from their disorientation
a. When caring for a patient with dementia, avoid placing them in unfamiliar settings when
possible.
b. Family members should be encouraged to interact with the patient regardless of the
patient's state of dementia
c. Confrontation should not be used for a disoriented patient
A nurse is admitting a patient with schizophrenia to an acute care setting. When the nurse
questions the patient regarding their admission, the client states, "I'm red, in the head, and I'm
,going to bed!" The nurse should document the client's speech pattern as which of the following?
a. Clang association b. Word salad
c. Neologism
d. Echolalia - ANS - a. Clang association
Rationale: dThe dnurse dshould ddocument dthat dthe dpatients dspeech duses dclang dassociations
dwhich doften drhyme dor dcontain da dstring dof dwords dthat dcan dhave da dsimilar dsound
b. In dword dsalad, dwords dare dcompletely dmeaningless dand ddisorganized. dc. dNeologism
dconsists dof dwords dthat dare dmade dup dby dthe dpatient
d. dIn decholalia, dthe dpatient drepeats dthe dwords dof danother dperson
A dnurse dis dassessing da dpatient dwho dhas dschizophrenia. dWhich dof dthe dfollowing dfindings
dshould dthe dnurse ddocument das da dnegative dsymptom dof dthis ddisorder?
a. dDelusions db. dNeologisms dc. dAnhedonia
d. dEchopraxia d- dANS d- dAnhedonia
Rationale:
Positive dsymptoms dof dschizophrenia dusually dappear dsuddenly dand dare dalteration din dbehavior,
dperception, dspeech, dand dthought. dDelusions, dinability dto dthink dabstractly, dneologisms d(made
dup dwords), decholalia d(repeating dof dsomeone delse's dwords, dmotor dagitation, dand dechopraxia
d(mimicking dsomeone delse's dmovements) dare dall dpositive dsymptoms dof dschizophrenia.
Negative dsymptoms dof dschizophrenia daffect da dperson's dability dto dinteract dwith dothers dand
dare dless ddominant dthan dpositive dsymptoms. dNegative dsymptoms ddevelop dover dtime.
Examples dof dnegative dsymptoms dinclude dflat daffect, danergia d(lack dof denergy), danhedonia
d(inability dto denjoy dotherwise dpleasurable dactivities), dand dthought dblocking d(inability dto
dthink, dspeak, dor dmove din dresponse dto doutside dstimuli)
A dnurse dis ddelegating dpatient dcare dtasks dto da dlicensed dpractical dnurse d(LPN) dand dan
dassistive dpersonnel. dWhich dof dthe dfollowing dtasks dshould dthe dnurse dassign dto dthe dLPN? d-
dANS d- dChange dthe d ddressing dof da dclient dwho dhas dborderline dpersonality ddisorder dand
dsuperficial dself-inflicted dwounds
Rationale: dA dpatient dwho dhas dborderline dpersonality ddisorder dis dat drisk dfor dself-mutilation
dsuch das dcutting, dself-inflicted dwounds, dscratching dor dpicking dat dwounds. dIt dis dwithin dthe
dLPNs dscope dof dpractice dto dchange dthe ddressing, dcleanse dthe dwound, dand dcollect ddata
dregarding dthe dhealing dof dthe dwound.
A dnurse dis dassessing da dschool-age dchild dwho dhas dconduct ddisorder. dWhich dof dthe dfollowing
dcharacteristics dshould dthe dnurse dexpect dthe dchild dto ddemonstrate?
, a. Feelings dof dremorse
b. Extended dperiods dof ddepression
c. Deficits din dintellectual dfunctioning
d. Aggression dtowards danimals d- dANS d- dd. dAggression dtoward danimals
Rationale: dThe dnurse dshould didentify dthat daggression dtoward dpeople dand danimals dis dan
dexpected dcharacteristic dof da dchild dwho dhas dconduct ddisorder
a. The dnurse dshould didentify dthat dlack dof dremorse dis dan dexpected dcharacteristic dof da
dchild dwho dhas dconduct ddisorder
b. The dnurse dshould didentify dthat da dchild dwho dhas dbipolar ddisorder dis dlikely dto dhave
dextended dperiods dof ddepression. dThis dis dnot dan dexpected dcharacteristic dof da dchild dwho dhas
dconduct ddisorder dc. dThe dnurse dshould didentify dthat da dchild dwho dhas dintellectual ddeficit
ddisorder dexhibits ddeficits din dintellectual dfunctioning, dsuch das dreasoning, dabstract dthinking,
dand dacademic dability. dA ddeficit din dintellectual dfunctioning dis dnot dan dexpected dcharacteristic
dof da dchild dwho dhas dconduct ddisorder
A dnurse din da dmental dhealth dclinic dis dplanning dcare dfor da dclient dwho dhas da dnew dprescription
dfor dOlanzapine. dWhich dof dthe dfollowing dinterventions dshould dthe dnurse didentify das dthe
dpriority? d- dANS d- dInstruct dthe dclient dto davoid ddriving dduring dinitial dtherapy
Rationale: dThe dgreatest drisk dto dthe dpatient dis dinjury dresulting dfrom ddrowsiness dor ddizziness.
dTherefore, dthe dnurse's dpriority dintervention dis dto dinstruct dthe dpatient dto davoid dactivities dthat
drequire dmental dalertness dduring dinitial dmedication dtherapy
A dnurse dis dcaring dfor da dpatient dwho dhas da dhistory dof dsubstance duse ddisorder dand dwas
dinvoluntarily dadmitted dto da dmental dhealth dfacility. dWhen dthe dnurse dattempts dto dadminister
doral dLorazepam, dthe dpatient drefuses dto dtake dthe dmedication dand dbecomes dphysically
daggressive. dWhich dof dthe dfollowing dactions dshould dthe dnurse dtake?
a. Do dnot dadminister dthe dLorazepam
b. Request da dprescription dfor dIV dlorazepam
c. Request dthat danother dnurse dattempt dto dadminister dthe dlorazepam
d. Place dthe dlorazepam din dthe dpatient's dfood d- dANS d- da. dDo dnot dadminister dthe dLorazepam
Rationale: dPatients dwho dare din da dfacility ddue dto dan dinvoluntary dadmission dretain dthe dright dto
drefuse dtreatment. dTherefore, dthe dnurse dshould dhold dthe dmedication dand ddocument dthe
dpatient's drefusal
b. dRequesting da dprescription dfor dand dadministering dIV dlorazepam dviolates dthe dpatient's dright
dto drefuse dtreatment
b. dRequesting dthat danother dnurse dadminister dthe dlorazepam dviolates dthe dpatient's dright dto
drefuse dtreatment
