Varcarolis Canadian Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing
3rd Edition By Pollard All Chapter 1 - 35
,
,Chapter 01: Mental Health and Mental Illness
Varcarolis’s Canadian Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing, 3rd Edition
MULTIPLE CHOIC
E
1. A staff nurse completes orientation to a psychiatric unit. Which of the following would t
he nurse expect as an advanced practice intervention?
a. Conduct mental health assessments
b. Prescribe psychotropic medication
c. Establish therapeutic relationships
d. Individualize nursing care plans
ANSWER: B
Prescriptive privileges are granted to master’s-
prepared nurse practitioners who have taken special courses on prescribing medication; thu
s it is an advanced-
practice intervention. The nurse prepared at the basic level is permitted to perform mental
health assessments, establish relationships, and provide individualized care planning.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understand (Comprehension)
TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation MSC: Client Needs: Safe Effective Care Environment
2. When a nursing student expresses concerns about how mental health nurses “lose all th
eir nursing skills,” which of the following is the best response by the mental health nurs
e?
a. “Psychiatric nurses practise in safer environments than other specialties.
Nurse-to-
patient ratios must be better because of the nature of the patients’
problems.”
.
b. “Psychiatric nurses use complex communication skills as well as critical thinking
to solve multidimensional problems. I am challenged by those situations.”
c. “That’s a misconception. Psychiatric nurses frequently use high-
technology monitoring equipment and manage complex intravenous therapi
es.”
d. “Psychiatric nurses do not have to deal with as much pain and suffering
as medical–surgical nurses do. That appeals to me.”
ANSWER: B
The practice of psychiatric nursing requires a different set of skills from medical–
surgical nursing, though there is substantial overlap. Two domains relate specifically to psy
chiatric nursing: behavioural, including communication, coping, and education; and safety, c
overing crisis and risk management. Basic psychosocial nursing concepts are central to psyc
hiatric nursing practice and increase your competency as a practitioner in all clinical setting
s.
Whatever setting you choose to work in, you will have the opportunity to improve the lives
of people who are experiencing mental illness as an additional challenge to their health.
Your experience in the mental health nursing rotation can help you gain insight into yoursel
f and greatly increase your insight into the experiences of others. This part of nursing educa
tion can provide guidelines for and the opportunity to learn new skills for dealing with a var
iety of challenging behaviours. Psychosocial pain and suffering are as real as physical pain an
d suffering.
, DIF: Cognitive Level: Apply (Application)
TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation MSC: Client Needs: Safe Effective Care Environment
3. When a new bill introduced in Parliament reduces funding for care of people with mental i
llness, a group of people with mild mental illness write letters to their elected representative
s in opposition to the legislation for all people with mental illness. Which role does this acti
on portray?
a. Recovery
b. Self-care
c. Advocacy
d. Social action
ANSWER: C
An advocate defends or asserts another’s cause, particularly when the other person lacks th
e ability to do that for himself or herself. On a community scale, advocacy includes politic
al activity, public speaking, and publication in the interest of improving the human conditio
n. Since funding is necessary to deliver quality programming for people with mental illness,
the letter-writing campaign advocates for the cause for all people with mental illness.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understand (Comprehension)
TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation MSC: Client Needs: Safe Effective Care Environment
4. Which of the following has been identified as a significant trend that will affect the future
of psychiatric mental health nursing in Canada?
a. Decrease in the aging population
b. Increase in cultural diversity
c. Role of the advanced-practice nurse
d. Shortage of physicians in rural and urban areas
ANSWER: B
Four significant trends havT
eEbeSeT
nBidAeN
ntK
ifiSeE
dAL
thL
atEwRil.l C
afOfeMct the future of psychiatric mental
health nursing in Canada; these include an aging population, an increase in cultural diversit
y,
expanding technology, and an increased awareness of the impact of the determinants of heal
th on mental illness.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understand (Comprehension)
TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment MSC: Client Needs: Safe Effective Care Environment
5. Which assessment finding most clearly indicates that a patient may be experiencing a ment
al illness?
a. The patient reports occasional sleeplessness and anxiety.
b. The patient reports a consistently sad, discouraged, and hopeless mood.
c. The patient is able to describe the difference between “as if” and “for real.”
d. The patient perceives difficulty makingAa decision about whether to change jobs.
ANSWER: B
The correct response describes a mood alteration, which reflects mental illness. Alterations i
n cognition, mood, or behaviour that are coupled with significant distress and impaired func
tioning characterize mental illness. The distracters describe behaviours that are mentally heal
thy or within the usual scope of human experience.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Apply (Application)
TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment MSC: Client Needs: Psychosocial Integrity
6. Which findingAbest indicates that the goal “Demonstrates mentally healthy behaviour” was achie
ved?