Halter Chapter 1: Mental Health and Mental
Illness TESTBANK Questions Already Passed
A staff nurse completes orientation to a psychiatric unit. This nurse may expect an advanced practice
nurse to perform which additional intervention?
a. Conduct mental health assessments.
b. Prescribe psychotropic medication.
c. Establish therapeutic relationships.
d. Individualize nursing care plans. - Answer B
In most states, prescriptive privileges are granted to master's-prepared nurse practitioners and clinical
nurse specialists who have taken special courses on prescribing medication. The nurse prepared at the
basic level is permitted to perform mental health assessments, establish relationships, and provide
individualized care planning.
A nursing student expresses concerns that mental health nurses "lose all their clinical nursing skills."
Select the best response by the mental health nurse.
a. "Psychiatric nurses practice 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 therapies."
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 than medical-surgical nursing, though
there is substantial overlap. Psychiatric nurses must be able to help patients with medical as well as
mental health problems, reflecting the holistic perspective these nurses must have. Nurse-patient ratios
and workloads in psychiatric settings have increased, just like other specialties. Psychiatric nursing
involves clinical practice, not just documentation. Psychosocial pain and suffering are as real as physical
pain and suffering.
When a new bill introduced in Congress reduces funding for care of persons diagnosed with mental
illness, a group of nurses write letters to their elected representatives in opposition to the legislation.
Which role have the nurses fulfilled?
, a. Recovery
b. Attending
c. Advocacy
d. Evidence-based practice - Answer C
An advocate defends or asserts another's cause, particularly when the other person lacks the ability to
do that for self. Examples of individual advocacy include helping patients understand their rights or
make decisions. On a community scale, advocacy includes political activity, public speaking, and
publication in the interest of improving the human condition. Since funding is necessary to deliver
quality programming for persons with mental illness, the letter-writing campaign advocates for that
cause on behalf of patients who are unable to articulate their own needs.
A family has a long history of conflicted relationships among the members. Which family member's
comment best reflects a mentally healthy perspective?
a. "I've made mistakes but everyone else in this family has also."
b. "I remember joy and mutual respect from our early years together."
c. "I will make some changes in my behavior for the good of the family."
d. "It's best for me to move away from my family. Things will never change." - Answer C
The correct response demonstrates the best evidence of a healthy recognition of the importance of
relationships. Mental health includes rational thinking, communication skills, learning, emotional
growth, resilience, and self-esteem. Recalling joy from earlier in life may be healthy, but the correct
response shows a higher level of mental health. The other incorrect responses show blaming and
avoidance.
Which assessment finding most clearly indicates that a patient may be experiencing a mental illness?
The patient
a. reports occasional sleeplessness and anxiety.
b. reports a consistently sad, discouraged, and hopeless mood.
c. is able to describe the difference between "as if" and "for real."
d. perceives difficulty making a decision about whether to change jobs. - Answer B
The correct response describes a mood alteration, which reflects mental illness. The distracters describe
behaviors that are mentally healthy or within the usual scope of human experience.
Illness TESTBANK Questions Already Passed
A staff nurse completes orientation to a psychiatric unit. This nurse may expect an advanced practice
nurse to perform which additional intervention?
a. Conduct mental health assessments.
b. Prescribe psychotropic medication.
c. Establish therapeutic relationships.
d. Individualize nursing care plans. - Answer B
In most states, prescriptive privileges are granted to master's-prepared nurse practitioners and clinical
nurse specialists who have taken special courses on prescribing medication. The nurse prepared at the
basic level is permitted to perform mental health assessments, establish relationships, and provide
individualized care planning.
A nursing student expresses concerns that mental health nurses "lose all their clinical nursing skills."
Select the best response by the mental health nurse.
a. "Psychiatric nurses practice 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 therapies."
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 than medical-surgical nursing, though
there is substantial overlap. Psychiatric nurses must be able to help patients with medical as well as
mental health problems, reflecting the holistic perspective these nurses must have. Nurse-patient ratios
and workloads in psychiatric settings have increased, just like other specialties. Psychiatric nursing
involves clinical practice, not just documentation. Psychosocial pain and suffering are as real as physical
pain and suffering.
When a new bill introduced in Congress reduces funding for care of persons diagnosed with mental
illness, a group of nurses write letters to their elected representatives in opposition to the legislation.
Which role have the nurses fulfilled?
, a. Recovery
b. Attending
c. Advocacy
d. Evidence-based practice - Answer C
An advocate defends or asserts another's cause, particularly when the other person lacks the ability to
do that for self. Examples of individual advocacy include helping patients understand their rights or
make decisions. On a community scale, advocacy includes political activity, public speaking, and
publication in the interest of improving the human condition. Since funding is necessary to deliver
quality programming for persons with mental illness, the letter-writing campaign advocates for that
cause on behalf of patients who are unable to articulate their own needs.
A family has a long history of conflicted relationships among the members. Which family member's
comment best reflects a mentally healthy perspective?
a. "I've made mistakes but everyone else in this family has also."
b. "I remember joy and mutual respect from our early years together."
c. "I will make some changes in my behavior for the good of the family."
d. "It's best for me to move away from my family. Things will never change." - Answer C
The correct response demonstrates the best evidence of a healthy recognition of the importance of
relationships. Mental health includes rational thinking, communication skills, learning, emotional
growth, resilience, and self-esteem. Recalling joy from earlier in life may be healthy, but the correct
response shows a higher level of mental health. The other incorrect responses show blaming and
avoidance.
Which assessment finding most clearly indicates that a patient may be experiencing a mental illness?
The patient
a. reports occasional sleeplessness and anxiety.
b. reports a consistently sad, discouraged, and hopeless mood.
c. is able to describe the difference between "as if" and "for real."
d. perceives difficulty making a decision about whether to change jobs. - Answer B
The correct response describes a mood alteration, which reflects mental illness. The distracters describe
behaviors that are mentally healthy or within the usual scope of human experience.
