NUR 350 FINAL REVIEW QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Mental health metal illness continuum - Answers :This is conceptual line
Represents levels of mental health and mental illness that vary from person to person.
Can vary for a particular person over time.
DSM 5
What is it and what is it used for? - Answers :The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
(DSM) is a publication of the American Psychiatric Association (APA). It is the official
guideline for diagnosing psychiatric disorders and provides criteria for psychiatric
disorders.
Define defense mechanisms - Answers :Usually unconscious intrapsychic processes
used to ward off anxiety by preventing conscious awareness of threatening feelings, can
be healthy or not healthy.
What are the types of defense mechanisms? - Answers :repression, projection,
sublimation, denial, and regression
Characteristics the nurse can observe in a patient when they are using unhealthy
defense mechanisms. - Answers :The nurse will observe the patient dealing with their
emotions and feelings in an unhealthy manner. They often will direct their feelings
towards multiple sources however will ignore the primary source that caused the
feelings to begin with.
What is the main defense mechanism used by patients? This is seen in many of the
psychiatric disorders. - Answers :Denial
Involves escaping unpleasant, anxiety-causing thoughts, feelings, wishes, or needs by
ignoring their existence - Answers :Denial
The unconscious transformation of anxiety into a physical symptom with no organic
cause - Answers :Conversion
The transference of emotions associated with a particular person, object, or situation to
another nonthreatening person, object, or situation. The person may feel this is safer for
them - Answers :Displacement
A disruption in consciousness, memory, identity, or perception of the environment that
results in compartmentalizing uncomfortable or unpleasant aspects of one's self -
Answers :Dissociation
The unconscious rejection of emotionally unacceptable features and attributing them to
others - Answers :Projection
,It is an unconscious exclusion of unpleasant or unwanted experiences, emotions, or
ideas from conscious awareness. - Answers :Repression
The inability to integrate the positive and negative qualities of oneself or others into a
cohesive image. - Answers :Splitting
Justifying illogical or unreasonable ideas, actions, or feelings by developing acceptable
explanations that satisfy the teller as well as the listener - Answers :Rationalization
Reverting to an earlier, more primitive and childlike pattern of behavior that may or may
not have been previously exhibited. - Answers :Regression
Unacceptable feelings or behaviors are controlled and kept out of awareness by
developing the opposite behavior or emotion. - Answers :Reaction formation
The conscious denial of a disturbing situation or feeling. For example, Jessica has been
studying for the state board examination for a week solid. She says, "I won't worry about
paying my rent until after my exam tomorrow." - Answers :Suppression
These are irrational and thoughts a person has that can lead to false assumptions and
misinterpretations. For example, if a person interprets all experiences in terms of
whether he or she is competent and adequate, thinking may be dominated by the
cognitive distortion, "Unless I do everything perfectly, I'm a failure." It is important to
teach the patient to replace their negative thoughts with positive thoughts. This type of
teaching is called DBT or CBT - Answers :Cognitive Distortions
Name the levels of anxiety - Answers :Mild
Moderate
Severe
Panic
This first level of anxiety occurs in the normal experience of everyday living and allows
people to perceive reality in sharp focus. Patient is able to learn and problem solve with
this level. - Answers :mild anxiety
What are signs of mild anxiety? - Answers :Mild discomfort, restlessness, irritability, mild
tension behaviors such as nail biting, foot or finger tapping
This second level of anxiety results in selective inattention and some diminished
thinking, although learning and problem solving can still occur. - Answers :Moderate
anxiety
What are signs and symptoms of moderate anxiety? - Answers :tension, pounding
heart, increased pulse and respiration rate, perspiration, gastric discomfort, headache,
urinary urgency, voice tremors, and shaking
, This third level of anxiety is debilitating and causes a person to focus on one particular
detail or many scattered details. Learning cannot occur, and other aspects of the
environment go unnoticed, even when another points them out - Answers :severe
anxiety
What are the signs of severe anxiety? - Answers :Perceptual field is greatly reduced
Can only focus on one thing at a time
Hard to notice what is going on around them even if pointed out to them
Person can be confused and dazed
Can experience hyperventilation, sense of impending doom or dread
The fourth and most extreme level of anxiety and results in markedly disturbed
behavior, patient is unable to process what is going on in the environment and may lose
touch with reality. - Answers :panic level of anxiety
What are the signs of severe anxiety? - Answers :Not able to process what is going on
around them
Can lose touch with reality
Person will pace, run, shout, scream, or withdrawal
Hallucinations can occur
Behavior becomes erratic and impulsive
As a person's anxiety increase, their perceptual field does what? - Answers :the
perceptual field narrows and some the person is not able to observe all the details of
their environment and situation.
Before the nurse begins to teach any concept to a patient, what must the nurse assess
in the patient? - Answers :Level of anxiety
What is conversion disorder? - Answers :is the alteration or loss of a physical function
that cannot be explained by any known pathophysiological mechanism. It is thought to
be an expression of a psychological need or conflict. In this situation, the client
witnessed an accident that was so psychologically painful that the client became blind.
What is somatization disorder? - Answers :Patient has experienced emotional turmoil
and is exhibiting signs and symptoms that usually result from a loss of physical
functioning, although no such loss can be confirmed medically.
What is dissociative disorder? - Answers :It is a disturbance or alteration in the normally
integrative functions of identity, memory, or consciousness.
Losing track of several minutes when highly anxious is not an indication of a
dissociative disorder.
What is fugue state - Answers :The patient relocates and lacks recall of his life before
the fugue began. Often fugue states follow traumatic experiences and sometimes
involve assuming a new identity. Such persons at some point find themselves in their
Mental health metal illness continuum - Answers :This is conceptual line
Represents levels of mental health and mental illness that vary from person to person.
Can vary for a particular person over time.
DSM 5
What is it and what is it used for? - Answers :The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
(DSM) is a publication of the American Psychiatric Association (APA). It is the official
guideline for diagnosing psychiatric disorders and provides criteria for psychiatric
disorders.
Define defense mechanisms - Answers :Usually unconscious intrapsychic processes
used to ward off anxiety by preventing conscious awareness of threatening feelings, can
be healthy or not healthy.
What are the types of defense mechanisms? - Answers :repression, projection,
sublimation, denial, and regression
Characteristics the nurse can observe in a patient when they are using unhealthy
defense mechanisms. - Answers :The nurse will observe the patient dealing with their
emotions and feelings in an unhealthy manner. They often will direct their feelings
towards multiple sources however will ignore the primary source that caused the
feelings to begin with.
What is the main defense mechanism used by patients? This is seen in many of the
psychiatric disorders. - Answers :Denial
Involves escaping unpleasant, anxiety-causing thoughts, feelings, wishes, or needs by
ignoring their existence - Answers :Denial
The unconscious transformation of anxiety into a physical symptom with no organic
cause - Answers :Conversion
The transference of emotions associated with a particular person, object, or situation to
another nonthreatening person, object, or situation. The person may feel this is safer for
them - Answers :Displacement
A disruption in consciousness, memory, identity, or perception of the environment that
results in compartmentalizing uncomfortable or unpleasant aspects of one's self -
Answers :Dissociation
The unconscious rejection of emotionally unacceptable features and attributing them to
others - Answers :Projection
,It is an unconscious exclusion of unpleasant or unwanted experiences, emotions, or
ideas from conscious awareness. - Answers :Repression
The inability to integrate the positive and negative qualities of oneself or others into a
cohesive image. - Answers :Splitting
Justifying illogical or unreasonable ideas, actions, or feelings by developing acceptable
explanations that satisfy the teller as well as the listener - Answers :Rationalization
Reverting to an earlier, more primitive and childlike pattern of behavior that may or may
not have been previously exhibited. - Answers :Regression
Unacceptable feelings or behaviors are controlled and kept out of awareness by
developing the opposite behavior or emotion. - Answers :Reaction formation
The conscious denial of a disturbing situation or feeling. For example, Jessica has been
studying for the state board examination for a week solid. She says, "I won't worry about
paying my rent until after my exam tomorrow." - Answers :Suppression
These are irrational and thoughts a person has that can lead to false assumptions and
misinterpretations. For example, if a person interprets all experiences in terms of
whether he or she is competent and adequate, thinking may be dominated by the
cognitive distortion, "Unless I do everything perfectly, I'm a failure." It is important to
teach the patient to replace their negative thoughts with positive thoughts. This type of
teaching is called DBT or CBT - Answers :Cognitive Distortions
Name the levels of anxiety - Answers :Mild
Moderate
Severe
Panic
This first level of anxiety occurs in the normal experience of everyday living and allows
people to perceive reality in sharp focus. Patient is able to learn and problem solve with
this level. - Answers :mild anxiety
What are signs of mild anxiety? - Answers :Mild discomfort, restlessness, irritability, mild
tension behaviors such as nail biting, foot or finger tapping
This second level of anxiety results in selective inattention and some diminished
thinking, although learning and problem solving can still occur. - Answers :Moderate
anxiety
What are signs and symptoms of moderate anxiety? - Answers :tension, pounding
heart, increased pulse and respiration rate, perspiration, gastric discomfort, headache,
urinary urgency, voice tremors, and shaking
, This third level of anxiety is debilitating and causes a person to focus on one particular
detail or many scattered details. Learning cannot occur, and other aspects of the
environment go unnoticed, even when another points them out - Answers :severe
anxiety
What are the signs of severe anxiety? - Answers :Perceptual field is greatly reduced
Can only focus on one thing at a time
Hard to notice what is going on around them even if pointed out to them
Person can be confused and dazed
Can experience hyperventilation, sense of impending doom or dread
The fourth and most extreme level of anxiety and results in markedly disturbed
behavior, patient is unable to process what is going on in the environment and may lose
touch with reality. - Answers :panic level of anxiety
What are the signs of severe anxiety? - Answers :Not able to process what is going on
around them
Can lose touch with reality
Person will pace, run, shout, scream, or withdrawal
Hallucinations can occur
Behavior becomes erratic and impulsive
As a person's anxiety increase, their perceptual field does what? - Answers :the
perceptual field narrows and some the person is not able to observe all the details of
their environment and situation.
Before the nurse begins to teach any concept to a patient, what must the nurse assess
in the patient? - Answers :Level of anxiety
What is conversion disorder? - Answers :is the alteration or loss of a physical function
that cannot be explained by any known pathophysiological mechanism. It is thought to
be an expression of a psychological need or conflict. In this situation, the client
witnessed an accident that was so psychologically painful that the client became blind.
What is somatization disorder? - Answers :Patient has experienced emotional turmoil
and is exhibiting signs and symptoms that usually result from a loss of physical
functioning, although no such loss can be confirmed medically.
What is dissociative disorder? - Answers :It is a disturbance or alteration in the normally
integrative functions of identity, memory, or consciousness.
Losing track of several minutes when highly anxious is not an indication of a
dissociative disorder.
What is fugue state - Answers :The patient relocates and lacks recall of his life before
the fugue began. Often fugue states follow traumatic experiences and sometimes
involve assuming a new identity. Such persons at some point find themselves in their
