NUR 212 FINALS FINAL EXAM PAPER 2026
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED
SOLUTIONS
⩥ A patient diagnosed with major depressive disorder repeatedly tells
staff members, I have cancer. Its my punishment for being a bad person.
Diagnostic tests reveal no cancer. Select the priority nursing diagnosis.
a. Powerlessness
b. Risk for suicide
c. Stress overload
d. Spiritual distress. Answer: b. Risk for suicide
A patient with depression who feels so worthless as to believe cancer is
deserved is at risk for suicide. Safety concerns take priority over the
other diagnoses listed.
⩥ A patient was started on escitalopram (Lexapro) 5 days ago and now
says, This medicine isn't working. The nurses best intervention would be
to:
a. discuss with the health care provider the need to change medications.
b. reassure the patient that the medication will be effective soon.
C. explain the time lag before antidepressants relieve symptoms.
,D. critically assess the patient for symptom relief. Answer: C. explain
the time lag before antidepressants relieve symptoms.
Escitalopram is an SSRI antidepressant. Between 1 and 3 weeks of
treatment are usually necessary before a relief of symptoms occurs. This
information is important to share with patients.
⩥ The admission note indicates a patient diagnosed with major
depressive disorder has anergia and anhedonia. For which measures
should the nurse plan? Select all that apply.
a. Channeling excessive energy
b. Reducing guilty ruminations
c. Instilling a sense of hopefulness
d. Assisting with self-care activities
e. Accommodating psychomotor retardation Answer: C,D,E
Anhedonia refers to the inability to find pleasure or meaning in life; thus
planning should include measures to accommodate psychomotor
retardation, assist with activities of daily living, and instill hopefulness.
Anergia is the lack of energy, not excessive energy. Anhedonia does not
necessarily imply the presence of guilty ruminations.
⩥ A patient has been prescribed a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
(SSRI) antidepressant. After taking the new medication, the patient
,states, This medication isn't working. I don't feel any different. What is
the best response by the nurse?
a.
I will call your care provider. Perhaps you need a different medication.
b.
Don't worry. You can try taking it at a different time of day to help it
work better.
c.
It usually takes a few weeks for you to notice improvement from this
medication.
d.
Your life is much better now. You will feel better soon. Answer: c.
It usually takes a few weeks for you to notice improvement from this
medication
Seeing a response to antidepressants takes 3 to 6 weeks. No change in
medications is indicated at this point of treatment because there is no
report of adverse effects from the medication. If nausea is present, taking
the medication with food may help, but this is not reported by the
patient, so a change in administration time is not needed. Telling a
depressed patient that their life is better does not acknowledge their
feelings.
, ⩥ A patient is hospitalized for major depressive disorder. Of the
medications listed, a nurse can expect to provide the patient with
teaching about:
a. chlordiazepoxide (Librium).
b. fluoxetine (Prozac).
C. clozapine (Clozaril).
D. tacrine (Cognex). Answer: b. fluoxetine (Prozac).
Fluoxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), an
antidepressant that blocks the reuptake of serotonin with few
anticholinergic and sedating side effects; clozapine (Clozaril) is an
antipsychotic medication; chlordiazepoxide (Librium) is an anxiolytic
drug; and tacrine (Cognex) is used to treat Alzheimer disease.
⩥ A nurse caring for a patient taking a serotonin reuptake inhibitor
(SSRI) will develop outcome criteria related to:
a. mood improvement.
b. logical thought processes.
C. reduced levels of motor activity.
D. decreased extrapyramidal symptoms. Answer: a. mood improvement.
SSRIs affect mood, relieving depression in many patients. SSRIs do not
act to reduce thought disorders. SSRIs reduce depression but have little
effect on motor hyperactivity. SSRIs do not produce extrapyramidal
symptoms.
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED
SOLUTIONS
⩥ A patient diagnosed with major depressive disorder repeatedly tells
staff members, I have cancer. Its my punishment for being a bad person.
Diagnostic tests reveal no cancer. Select the priority nursing diagnosis.
a. Powerlessness
b. Risk for suicide
c. Stress overload
d. Spiritual distress. Answer: b. Risk for suicide
A patient with depression who feels so worthless as to believe cancer is
deserved is at risk for suicide. Safety concerns take priority over the
other diagnoses listed.
⩥ A patient was started on escitalopram (Lexapro) 5 days ago and now
says, This medicine isn't working. The nurses best intervention would be
to:
a. discuss with the health care provider the need to change medications.
b. reassure the patient that the medication will be effective soon.
C. explain the time lag before antidepressants relieve symptoms.
,D. critically assess the patient for symptom relief. Answer: C. explain
the time lag before antidepressants relieve symptoms.
Escitalopram is an SSRI antidepressant. Between 1 and 3 weeks of
treatment are usually necessary before a relief of symptoms occurs. This
information is important to share with patients.
⩥ The admission note indicates a patient diagnosed with major
depressive disorder has anergia and anhedonia. For which measures
should the nurse plan? Select all that apply.
a. Channeling excessive energy
b. Reducing guilty ruminations
c. Instilling a sense of hopefulness
d. Assisting with self-care activities
e. Accommodating psychomotor retardation Answer: C,D,E
Anhedonia refers to the inability to find pleasure or meaning in life; thus
planning should include measures to accommodate psychomotor
retardation, assist with activities of daily living, and instill hopefulness.
Anergia is the lack of energy, not excessive energy. Anhedonia does not
necessarily imply the presence of guilty ruminations.
⩥ A patient has been prescribed a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
(SSRI) antidepressant. After taking the new medication, the patient
,states, This medication isn't working. I don't feel any different. What is
the best response by the nurse?
a.
I will call your care provider. Perhaps you need a different medication.
b.
Don't worry. You can try taking it at a different time of day to help it
work better.
c.
It usually takes a few weeks for you to notice improvement from this
medication.
d.
Your life is much better now. You will feel better soon. Answer: c.
It usually takes a few weeks for you to notice improvement from this
medication
Seeing a response to antidepressants takes 3 to 6 weeks. No change in
medications is indicated at this point of treatment because there is no
report of adverse effects from the medication. If nausea is present, taking
the medication with food may help, but this is not reported by the
patient, so a change in administration time is not needed. Telling a
depressed patient that their life is better does not acknowledge their
feelings.
, ⩥ A patient is hospitalized for major depressive disorder. Of the
medications listed, a nurse can expect to provide the patient with
teaching about:
a. chlordiazepoxide (Librium).
b. fluoxetine (Prozac).
C. clozapine (Clozaril).
D. tacrine (Cognex). Answer: b. fluoxetine (Prozac).
Fluoxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), an
antidepressant that blocks the reuptake of serotonin with few
anticholinergic and sedating side effects; clozapine (Clozaril) is an
antipsychotic medication; chlordiazepoxide (Librium) is an anxiolytic
drug; and tacrine (Cognex) is used to treat Alzheimer disease.
⩥ A nurse caring for a patient taking a serotonin reuptake inhibitor
(SSRI) will develop outcome criteria related to:
a. mood improvement.
b. logical thought processes.
C. reduced levels of motor activity.
D. decreased extrapyramidal symptoms. Answer: a. mood improvement.
SSRIs affect mood, relieving depression in many patients. SSRIs do not
act to reduce thought disorders. SSRIs reduce depression but have little
effect on motor hyperactivity. SSRIs do not produce extrapyramidal
symptoms.
