PN MENTAL HEALTH ONLINE PRACTICE 2026 A NEWEST
ACTUAL EXAM 2025-2026 WITH 50 QUESTIONS
DETAILED ANSWERS WITH RATIONALES
GRADED A
A nurse is reinforcing teaching with a client whose provider has prescribed
electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Which of the following information should the
nurse include?
a. The client will receive continuous oxygen during the electrical stimulation
intervals. Incorrect
(The client will receive oxygen throughout the procedure. However, the oxygen
will be removed during the brief electrical stimulation intervals.)
b. A benzodiazepine will be administered prior to the procedure. Incorrect (A
benzodiazepine should not be administered because it interferes with the
seizure process. A short-acting anesthetic, such as propofol, will be
administered.)
c. ECT is an option for clients after medication has been unsuccessful.
d. Confusion is expected for the first 2 days after treatment. (Clients who receive
ECT can have confusion and disorientation for several hours after treatment.) -
ANSWER>>C. ECT is an option for clients after medication has been
unsuccessful.
(Medication is the first-line of treatment for depression. ECT is prescribed when
medication has been unsuccessful.)
,A nurse is assisting with discharge planning for a client who needs to attend a day
treatment center ad has limited community and financial support. Which of the
following referrals should the nurse recommend including in the client's discharge
plan?
A. Social worker
B. Recreational therapist(Although recreational therapists can promote
therapies, such as art and music, to help enhance and preserve mental health,
they do not usually address issues regarding financial support and community
resources.)
C. Psychologist (Although psychologists can provide individual or family therapy
for clients, they do not usually address issues regarding financial support and
community resources.)
D. Pharmacist (Pharmacists prepare prescribed medications and dispense
medications in acute care and community settings. They coordinate with the
provider and nurses regarding the client's medication regime. However, they
do not address iss - ANSWER>>A. Social worker (Social workers can assist
clients with building a support structure to help promote and preserve mental
health, including contacting day treatment centers and arranging for financial
and other community resources.)
A nurse is developing countertransference toward a client during the working
phase of the nurse-client relationship. To correct the situation, which of the
following actions should the nurse take?
A. Tell the client how to change their behaviors. (This action places
responsibility on the client to correct the situation. When dealing with
,countertransference, it is the nurse's responsibility to find an appropriate
solution.)
B. Talk to the client about the developing feelings. (The nurse should avoid
disclosing personal feelings because these feelings can interfere with the nurse-
client relationship. When dealing with countertransference, it is the nurse's
responsibility to find an appropriate solution, not the client's.) C. Ask to be
reassigned to a different client. (In order to achieve personal and professional
growth, the nurse should work through the issue of countertransference by
caring for this client, rather - ANSWER>>D. identify personal response to the
client.
(Countertransference is an emotional response toward the client by the nurse.
This response might be related to the nurse's past unresolved feelings or
relationships. These feelings can interfere with the nurse-client therapeutic
relationship. In order to correct the situation of countertransference, the nurse
must recognize personal reactions to the client in an attempt to work through
these feelings.)
A nurse is collecting data from a client who has bipolar and a history of mania.
Which of the following findings should the nurse identify as an indication that the
client is relapsing?
A. Weight gain (Weight loss, rather than weight gain, can indicate relapse in a
client who has a history of mania.)
B. Pressured speech
C. Ritualistic behavior (Ritualistic behavior is an indication of
obsessivecompulsive disorder, not mania.)
, D. Anhedonia (Anhedonia is a negative symptom of schizophrenia.
Anhedonia is defined as a loss of interest in daily activities and the inability or lack
of capacity to experience pleasure in general. This is not an indication of relapse
in a client who has a history of mania.) -
ANSWER>>B. Pressured speech (The nurse should identify that rapid or pressured
speech, provocative behavior, and insomnia are indications of potential relapse in
a client who has bipolar disorder and a history of mania.)
History and Physical
Subjective: Client states, "My stomach hurts."; "I feel sadder and more alone
every day."
Client's adult child stated to the nurse upon dropping the client off today, "I've
been meaning to tell you, I started giving my dad St. John's wort several weeks
ago to improve his mood."
Objective: Episodes of speech incoherency, rapid mood swings, 3 episodes of
vomiting in the past 40 min Moderate Alzheimer's disease.
Provider Prescriptions
Fluoxetine 20 mg PO daily
Trazodone 50 mg PO daily at bedtime
Omeprazole 20 mg PO daily
Diagnostic Results
Blood pressure 172/94 mm Hg
Temperature 38.2° C (100.8° F)
ACTUAL EXAM 2025-2026 WITH 50 QUESTIONS
DETAILED ANSWERS WITH RATIONALES
GRADED A
A nurse is reinforcing teaching with a client whose provider has prescribed
electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Which of the following information should the
nurse include?
a. The client will receive continuous oxygen during the electrical stimulation
intervals. Incorrect
(The client will receive oxygen throughout the procedure. However, the oxygen
will be removed during the brief electrical stimulation intervals.)
b. A benzodiazepine will be administered prior to the procedure. Incorrect (A
benzodiazepine should not be administered because it interferes with the
seizure process. A short-acting anesthetic, such as propofol, will be
administered.)
c. ECT is an option for clients after medication has been unsuccessful.
d. Confusion is expected for the first 2 days after treatment. (Clients who receive
ECT can have confusion and disorientation for several hours after treatment.) -
ANSWER>>C. ECT is an option for clients after medication has been
unsuccessful.
(Medication is the first-line of treatment for depression. ECT is prescribed when
medication has been unsuccessful.)
,A nurse is assisting with discharge planning for a client who needs to attend a day
treatment center ad has limited community and financial support. Which of the
following referrals should the nurse recommend including in the client's discharge
plan?
A. Social worker
B. Recreational therapist(Although recreational therapists can promote
therapies, such as art and music, to help enhance and preserve mental health,
they do not usually address issues regarding financial support and community
resources.)
C. Psychologist (Although psychologists can provide individual or family therapy
for clients, they do not usually address issues regarding financial support and
community resources.)
D. Pharmacist (Pharmacists prepare prescribed medications and dispense
medications in acute care and community settings. They coordinate with the
provider and nurses regarding the client's medication regime. However, they
do not address iss - ANSWER>>A. Social worker (Social workers can assist
clients with building a support structure to help promote and preserve mental
health, including contacting day treatment centers and arranging for financial
and other community resources.)
A nurse is developing countertransference toward a client during the working
phase of the nurse-client relationship. To correct the situation, which of the
following actions should the nurse take?
A. Tell the client how to change their behaviors. (This action places
responsibility on the client to correct the situation. When dealing with
,countertransference, it is the nurse's responsibility to find an appropriate
solution.)
B. Talk to the client about the developing feelings. (The nurse should avoid
disclosing personal feelings because these feelings can interfere with the nurse-
client relationship. When dealing with countertransference, it is the nurse's
responsibility to find an appropriate solution, not the client's.) C. Ask to be
reassigned to a different client. (In order to achieve personal and professional
growth, the nurse should work through the issue of countertransference by
caring for this client, rather - ANSWER>>D. identify personal response to the
client.
(Countertransference is an emotional response toward the client by the nurse.
This response might be related to the nurse's past unresolved feelings or
relationships. These feelings can interfere with the nurse-client therapeutic
relationship. In order to correct the situation of countertransference, the nurse
must recognize personal reactions to the client in an attempt to work through
these feelings.)
A nurse is collecting data from a client who has bipolar and a history of mania.
Which of the following findings should the nurse identify as an indication that the
client is relapsing?
A. Weight gain (Weight loss, rather than weight gain, can indicate relapse in a
client who has a history of mania.)
B. Pressured speech
C. Ritualistic behavior (Ritualistic behavior is an indication of
obsessivecompulsive disorder, not mania.)
, D. Anhedonia (Anhedonia is a negative symptom of schizophrenia.
Anhedonia is defined as a loss of interest in daily activities and the inability or lack
of capacity to experience pleasure in general. This is not an indication of relapse
in a client who has a history of mania.) -
ANSWER>>B. Pressured speech (The nurse should identify that rapid or pressured
speech, provocative behavior, and insomnia are indications of potential relapse in
a client who has bipolar disorder and a history of mania.)
History and Physical
Subjective: Client states, "My stomach hurts."; "I feel sadder and more alone
every day."
Client's adult child stated to the nurse upon dropping the client off today, "I've
been meaning to tell you, I started giving my dad St. John's wort several weeks
ago to improve his mood."
Objective: Episodes of speech incoherency, rapid mood swings, 3 episodes of
vomiting in the past 40 min Moderate Alzheimer's disease.
Provider Prescriptions
Fluoxetine 20 mg PO daily
Trazodone 50 mg PO daily at bedtime
Omeprazole 20 mg PO daily
Diagnostic Results
Blood pressure 172/94 mm Hg
Temperature 38.2° C (100.8° F)
