CORRECTLY ANSWERED; LATEST
UPDATED 2025-2026
Domain 1: Scientific Foundation (40 questions with rationales)
AsiaiPMHNP,iyouiareiawareiofiantipsychoticimedicationisideieffects.iWhich
iofitheifollowingisideieffectsiofiantipsychoticimedicationsihasianiinsidious,id
elayed-ionsetitypicallyi1itoi2iyearsiafteriinitiationiofitheimedication?
a. Dry mouth
b. Tardive dyskinesia
c. Sedation
d. Weight gain - B
Inievaluatingiai4-year-
old,ioneiwouldiexpectiwhichiofitheifollowingidelaysiiniAsperger'siDisorder?
a. Languageidevelopment
b. Cognitiveidevelopment
c. Motoriskillsicoordination
d. Social skills development - D
Which area of the brain has been implicated to modulate pain and can help
explain how transcranial magnetic stimulation can help decrease pain?
a. Prefrontal cortex
b. Insula cortex
c. Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
d. Anterior cingulate cortex - A
Whichiofitheifollowingiantidepressantsiisiassociatediwithidose-
relatedicardiovasculariadverseieffectsiwhichirequireiadherenceitoimaximumire
commendedidosing,iunlessihigheridosesiareideemediappropriateidespiteirisks
?
a. Citalopram (Celexa)
b. Venlafaxine (Effexor)
c. Mirtazapine (Remeron)
d. Sertraline (Zoloft) - A
,Whichiofitheifollowingifindingsiwouldiraiseiconcerniinianiannualisportsiexa
miforiai15-year-oldigirl?
a. Scaritissueifromihymenaliteariati11io'clocki(reportedibikingiinjury)
b. Bloodipressurei86/56
c. Height 67 inches, weight 102 pounds
d. Pulse 60, respirations 26 - C
A week after raising the dose of risperidone (Risperdal), a patient treated for
schizophrenia presents to the clinic with reports of an acute change in mental
status, fever, and rigidity. As the treating PMHNP, you know these symptoms
are consistent with which of the following?
a. Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS)
b. Anticholinergic withdrawal syndrome
c. Extrapyramidal side effects
d. Serotonin syndrome - A
Which of the following statements regarding disulfiram (Antabuse is correct?
a. Disulfiram should not be taken for at least 6 hours after drinking alcohol.
b. Avoid anything containing alcohol (i.e., vinegar, mouthwash, aftershave,
cough medication) while using disulfiram and for 2 weeks after
discontinuing.
c. A disulfiram-alcohol reaction can occur up to 1 week after
discontinuing disulfiram.
d. Disulfiram can lower liver function tests so monitoring is necessary. - B
Whichimoodistabilizeriisimostiassociatediwithiaipotentiallyilife-
threateningirash?
a. Divalproexi(Depakote)
b. Lamotriginei(Lamictal)
c. Lithiumi(Eskalith)
d. Carbamazepine (Tegretol) - B
Which of the following statements most accurately reflects the predominant
risk factors of antisocial personality disorders?
a. Gang affiliation and early substance abuse
b. Genetic predisposition of first-degree family member
c. Childhood abuse and trauma from domestic violence
d. Lower socioeconomic status from single-parent families - B
,Ai37-year-
oldipatientiwithischizophreniaiisistartedioniaihighidoseiofichlorpromazinei(T
horazine).iTheinextiday,iheicomplainsiofilightheadednessiafteristandingiup.iV
italisignichangesireflectiaisignificantidecreaseiinibloodipressureiandianiincrea
seiiniheartirate.iYouisuspectithisiisisecondaryitoitheialphai1-
adrenergiciblockadeiwhichiisicausing
a. Orthostatic hypotension
b. Dry mouth
c. Respiratory depression
d. Decreased sweating - A
A 74-year-old female presents for an evaluation. The psychiatric nurse
practitioner has the patient complete the mini mental status examination and
clock drawing.
The patient is unable to correctly draw the face of the clock. Which area of the
brain is likely to have a compromised functioning?
a. Wernicke's Area
b. Corpus Callosum
c. Left Hemisphere
d. Right hemisphere - D
Youripatienticomesiintoitheiofficeiforiherimiddleiofitheiyeariappointment.iSh
eiisidiagnosediwithiBipolariIidisorder.iSheihasibeenimaintainediwelliforithei
pasti3iyearsioniOxcarbazepinei(Trileptal)i900imgipoiQHS.iHerilabsiareinor
maliexceptiforiaibloodisugariofi114iandiherihemoglobiniA1Ciisi5.6.iSheihasiai
normalienergyileveliandistatesithatiherimoodiisistableibuticomplainsiofiexces
siveiurinationiandithirst.iYouisuspect:
a. PossibleiDiabetesi2
b. Possibleihyponatremia
c. Possibleipolydipsia
d. Side effects of oxcarbazepine - D
What is a rare but serious side effect of trazodone (Desyrel)?
a. Confusion
b. Priapism
c. Rash
d. Tremor - B
, When studying pharmacodynamics involving receptors, you know that an
inverse agonist produces the following effect:
a. Does not fully activate the receptor and causes only limited actions
b. Causes the opposite effect of agonist, and causes the receptor to close
the ion channel
c. Blocksitheiagonistifromiopeningitheichannel,iandidoesinotiactivateiaibiolo
gicaliresponse
d. Activatesiaibiologicaliresponse,iandiopensitheiionichannel.i-iB
Mr.iSmithiisiai56-year-
oldiwhiteimaleiwhoihasibeenisuccessfullyitreatedioniSelegilineiforioveri4iyear
s.iMr.iSmithiisigoingiiniforianielectiveisurgicaliprocedure.iWhichimedication
iisistrictlyicontraindicatediwithiSelegiline?
a. Non-steroidalianti-inflammatoryidrugsi(NSAIDs)
b. Meperidine
c. Codeine
d. Morphine - B
Patty is a 62-year-old white female with Bipolar I Disorder and has been stable
for 2 years on valproate and risperidone. She was recently diagnosed with
shingles, and her primary care nurse practitioner started her on
corticosteroids. As the PMHNP treating Patty, you are concerned that the
addition of the corticosteroids may cause
a. Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome
b. A hypertensive crisis
c. A manic episode
d. Stevens-Johnson syndrome - C
Which serotonin receptor antagonism makes an antipsychotic "atypical"?
a. 5HT4A
b. 5HT1A
c. 5HT3A
d. 5HT2A - D