Psych HESI Questions and Answers |
Latest Version | 2025/2026 | Correct &
Verified
A client with major depression states, “I don’t have the energy to live anymore.” What is the
nurse’s priority intervention?
A. Suggest the client try exercise.
✔✔B. Assess the client’s suicide risk.
C. Encourage the client to get more sleep.
D. Recommend journaling.
A client on haloperidol develops a high fever, severe muscle rigidity, and confusion. What
condition should the nurse suspect?
A. Serotonin syndrome
✔✔B. Neuroleptic malignant syndrome
C. Alcohol withdrawal
D. Catatonia
A client diagnosed with schizophrenia refuses to eat, saying the food is poisoned. What is the
nurse’s best action?
1
,A. Insist the client eat the food.
✔✔B. Offer pre-packaged or sealed foods.
C. Ask family members to bring food.
D. Withhold meals until the client eats.
A nurse observes a client pacing and clenching fists. What is the priority nursing action?
A. Ask the client to sit quietly.
✔✔B. Ensure the safety of the environment.
C. Begin teaching relaxation skills.
D. Offer a snack.
A client taking lithium reports diarrhea, tremors, and blurred vision. What should the nurse
suspect?
A. Normal side effects of lithium
✔✔B. Lithium toxicity
C. Alcohol withdrawal
D. Extrapyramidal symptoms
2
,A client states, “The television is sending me secret messages.” How should the nurse respond?
A. “You are imagining things.”
✔✔B. “It must feel frightening to think that.”
C. “Ignore the television and it will stop.”
D. “Why do you believe that’s happening?”
A client with PTSD complains of frequent nightmares. Which intervention should the nurse
recommend?
A. Drink caffeine before bed.
✔✔B. Practice relaxation techniques before bedtime.
C. Avoid sleeping during the night.
D. Sleep with all the lights on.
A client experiencing a panic attack begins to hyperventilate and tremble. What is the nurse’s
best action?
A. Leave the client alone.
✔✔B. Stay with the client and speak calmly.
C. Ask the client to explain feelings in detail.
3
, D. Encourage the client to attend group therapy.
A nurse is teaching a client about sertraline. Which statement indicates understanding?
A. “I will feel better within one day.”
✔✔B. “It may take several weeks to work.”
C. “I can stop it whenever I want.”
D. “I should take double doses if I forget one.”
A client with anorexia nervosa is found with a heart rate of 42 bpm. What is the priority nursing
action?
A. Document and recheck in an hour.
✔✔B. Notify the healthcare provider immediately.
C. Encourage exercise to improve heart rate.
D. Offer a high-protein snack.
A client taking clozapine reports fever and sore throat. What is the nurse’s priority intervention?
A. Provide fluids and rest.
✔✔B. Obtain a white blood cell count.
4
Latest Version | 2025/2026 | Correct &
Verified
A client with major depression states, “I don’t have the energy to live anymore.” What is the
nurse’s priority intervention?
A. Suggest the client try exercise.
✔✔B. Assess the client’s suicide risk.
C. Encourage the client to get more sleep.
D. Recommend journaling.
A client on haloperidol develops a high fever, severe muscle rigidity, and confusion. What
condition should the nurse suspect?
A. Serotonin syndrome
✔✔B. Neuroleptic malignant syndrome
C. Alcohol withdrawal
D. Catatonia
A client diagnosed with schizophrenia refuses to eat, saying the food is poisoned. What is the
nurse’s best action?
1
,A. Insist the client eat the food.
✔✔B. Offer pre-packaged or sealed foods.
C. Ask family members to bring food.
D. Withhold meals until the client eats.
A nurse observes a client pacing and clenching fists. What is the priority nursing action?
A. Ask the client to sit quietly.
✔✔B. Ensure the safety of the environment.
C. Begin teaching relaxation skills.
D. Offer a snack.
A client taking lithium reports diarrhea, tremors, and blurred vision. What should the nurse
suspect?
A. Normal side effects of lithium
✔✔B. Lithium toxicity
C. Alcohol withdrawal
D. Extrapyramidal symptoms
2
,A client states, “The television is sending me secret messages.” How should the nurse respond?
A. “You are imagining things.”
✔✔B. “It must feel frightening to think that.”
C. “Ignore the television and it will stop.”
D. “Why do you believe that’s happening?”
A client with PTSD complains of frequent nightmares. Which intervention should the nurse
recommend?
A. Drink caffeine before bed.
✔✔B. Practice relaxation techniques before bedtime.
C. Avoid sleeping during the night.
D. Sleep with all the lights on.
A client experiencing a panic attack begins to hyperventilate and tremble. What is the nurse’s
best action?
A. Leave the client alone.
✔✔B. Stay with the client and speak calmly.
C. Ask the client to explain feelings in detail.
3
, D. Encourage the client to attend group therapy.
A nurse is teaching a client about sertraline. Which statement indicates understanding?
A. “I will feel better within one day.”
✔✔B. “It may take several weeks to work.”
C. “I can stop it whenever I want.”
D. “I should take double doses if I forget one.”
A client with anorexia nervosa is found with a heart rate of 42 bpm. What is the priority nursing
action?
A. Document and recheck in an hour.
✔✔B. Notify the healthcare provider immediately.
C. Encourage exercise to improve heart rate.
D. Offer a high-protein snack.
A client taking clozapine reports fever and sore throat. What is the nurse’s priority intervention?
A. Provide fluids and rest.
✔✔B. Obtain a white blood cell count.
4
