ATI PN Mental Health Proctored Exam / PN Mental
Health / ATI Proctored Exam 2026 Version 1.
ATI PN Mental Health Proctored Exam: Version 1 (2026/2027)
Question 1
A charge nurse is discussing mental status exams with a newly licensed nurse.
Which of the following statements by the newly licensed nurse indicates an
understanding of the teaching? (Select all that apply.)
A. "To assess cognitive ability, I should ask the client to count backward by
sevens."
B. "To assess affect, I should observe the client's facial expression."
C. "To assess language ability, I should instruct the client to write a sentence."
D. "To assess remote memory, I should have the client repeat a list of words."
E. "To assess the client's abstract thinking, I should ask the client to identify our
most recent presidents."
Correct Answer: A, B, C
Rationale:
• A is correct. Asking a client to count backward by sevens (serial sevens) is a
standard assessment of cognitive function and concentration .
• B is correct. Affect refers to the observable expression of emotion, which is
assessed by noting the client's facial expressions, tone of voice, and body
movements .
• C is correct. The ability to write a sentence is a test of language ability.
, • D is incorrect. Having a client repeat a list of words tests recent
memory (or immediate recall), not remote memory .
• E is incorrect. Identifying recent presidents tests remote memory (long-
term memory), not abstract thinking. Abstract thinking is often tested by
asking the client to interpret a proverb (e.g., "People who live in glass
houses shouldn't throw stones") .
Question 2
A nurse is planning care for a client who has a mental health disorder. Which of
the following actions should the nurse include as a psychobiological intervention?
A. Assist the client with systematic desensitization therapy.
B. Teach the client appropriate coping mechanisms.
C. Assess the client for comorbid health conditions.
D. Monitor the client for adverse effects of medications.
Correct Answer: D. Monitor the client for adverse effects of medications.
Rationale: Psychobiological interventions are actions that address the biological
and physiological aspects of mental health disorders, primarily through
medication and its management. Monitoring for adverse effects is a direct nursing
responsibility related to pharmacotherapy .
• A and B are incorrect. Systematic desensitization (A) is a behavioral therapy
technique. Teaching coping mechanisms (B) is a psychological or behavioral
intervention.
• C is incorrect. Assessing for comorbid conditions is a critical part of the
overall assessment but is not specifically a "psychobiological intervention"
aimed at treating the disorder.
Question 3
A nurse in an outpatient mental health clinic is preparing to conduct an initial
,client interview. When conducting the interview, which of the following actions
should the nurse identify as the priority?
A. Coordinate holistic care with social services.
B. Identify the client's perception of her mental health status.
C. Include the client's family in the interview.
D. Teach the client about her current mental health disorder.
Correct Answer: B. Identify the client's perception of her mental health status.
Rationale: During an initial interview, the priority is to establish a therapeutic
relationship and gather data. Understanding the client's own perception of her
problem is the priority because it provides insight into her reality, concerns, and
motivation for treatment, which guides the entire nursing process. This aligns
with the ATI focus on client-centered care and assessment as the first step of the
nursing process .
Question 4
A nurse is told during change of shift report that a client is stuporous. When
assessing the client, which of the following findings should the nurse expect?
A. The client arouses briefly in response to a sternal rub.
B. The client has a Glasgow Coma Scale score less than 7.
C. The client exhibits decorticate rigidity.
D. The client is alert but disoriented to time and place.
Correct Answer: A. The client arouses briefly in response to a sternal rub.
Rationale: Stupor is a state in which the client is unconscious most of the time but
can be briefly aroused with vigorous, repeated, or painful stimuli (like a sternal
rub) .
• B is incorrect. A GCS less than 7 is indicative of a coma, a deeper level of
unconsciousness than stupor.
, • C is incorrect. Decorticate rigidity is a specific posturing response to pain,
not a definition of stupor.
• D is incorrect. This describes a client who is alert (conscious) but
disoriented.
Question 5
A nurse is caring for a client who smokes and has lung cancer. The client reports,
"I'm coughing because I have that cold that everyone has been getting." The
nurse should identify that the client is using which of the following defense
mechanisms?
A. Reaction formation
B. Denial
C. Displacement
D. Sublimation
Correct Answer: B. Denial
Rationale: Denial is the refusal to accept reality or fact, acting as if a painful
event, thought, or feeling did not exist. The client is denying the seriousness of his
cough by attributing it to a common cold, thereby avoiding the anxiety associated
with his lung cancer diagnosis .
Question 6
A client is admitted with suspected heroin intoxication. The nurse should
prioritize assessment for which condition?
A. Hypertension
B. Respiratory depression
C. Hyperthermia
D. Diarrhea
Correct Answer: B. Respiratory depression
Health / ATI Proctored Exam 2026 Version 1.
ATI PN Mental Health Proctored Exam: Version 1 (2026/2027)
Question 1
A charge nurse is discussing mental status exams with a newly licensed nurse.
Which of the following statements by the newly licensed nurse indicates an
understanding of the teaching? (Select all that apply.)
A. "To assess cognitive ability, I should ask the client to count backward by
sevens."
B. "To assess affect, I should observe the client's facial expression."
C. "To assess language ability, I should instruct the client to write a sentence."
D. "To assess remote memory, I should have the client repeat a list of words."
E. "To assess the client's abstract thinking, I should ask the client to identify our
most recent presidents."
Correct Answer: A, B, C
Rationale:
• A is correct. Asking a client to count backward by sevens (serial sevens) is a
standard assessment of cognitive function and concentration .
• B is correct. Affect refers to the observable expression of emotion, which is
assessed by noting the client's facial expressions, tone of voice, and body
movements .
• C is correct. The ability to write a sentence is a test of language ability.
, • D is incorrect. Having a client repeat a list of words tests recent
memory (or immediate recall), not remote memory .
• E is incorrect. Identifying recent presidents tests remote memory (long-
term memory), not abstract thinking. Abstract thinking is often tested by
asking the client to interpret a proverb (e.g., "People who live in glass
houses shouldn't throw stones") .
Question 2
A nurse is planning care for a client who has a mental health disorder. Which of
the following actions should the nurse include as a psychobiological intervention?
A. Assist the client with systematic desensitization therapy.
B. Teach the client appropriate coping mechanisms.
C. Assess the client for comorbid health conditions.
D. Monitor the client for adverse effects of medications.
Correct Answer: D. Monitor the client for adverse effects of medications.
Rationale: Psychobiological interventions are actions that address the biological
and physiological aspects of mental health disorders, primarily through
medication and its management. Monitoring for adverse effects is a direct nursing
responsibility related to pharmacotherapy .
• A and B are incorrect. Systematic desensitization (A) is a behavioral therapy
technique. Teaching coping mechanisms (B) is a psychological or behavioral
intervention.
• C is incorrect. Assessing for comorbid conditions is a critical part of the
overall assessment but is not specifically a "psychobiological intervention"
aimed at treating the disorder.
Question 3
A nurse in an outpatient mental health clinic is preparing to conduct an initial
,client interview. When conducting the interview, which of the following actions
should the nurse identify as the priority?
A. Coordinate holistic care with social services.
B. Identify the client's perception of her mental health status.
C. Include the client's family in the interview.
D. Teach the client about her current mental health disorder.
Correct Answer: B. Identify the client's perception of her mental health status.
Rationale: During an initial interview, the priority is to establish a therapeutic
relationship and gather data. Understanding the client's own perception of her
problem is the priority because it provides insight into her reality, concerns, and
motivation for treatment, which guides the entire nursing process. This aligns
with the ATI focus on client-centered care and assessment as the first step of the
nursing process .
Question 4
A nurse is told during change of shift report that a client is stuporous. When
assessing the client, which of the following findings should the nurse expect?
A. The client arouses briefly in response to a sternal rub.
B. The client has a Glasgow Coma Scale score less than 7.
C. The client exhibits decorticate rigidity.
D. The client is alert but disoriented to time and place.
Correct Answer: A. The client arouses briefly in response to a sternal rub.
Rationale: Stupor is a state in which the client is unconscious most of the time but
can be briefly aroused with vigorous, repeated, or painful stimuli (like a sternal
rub) .
• B is incorrect. A GCS less than 7 is indicative of a coma, a deeper level of
unconsciousness than stupor.
, • C is incorrect. Decorticate rigidity is a specific posturing response to pain,
not a definition of stupor.
• D is incorrect. This describes a client who is alert (conscious) but
disoriented.
Question 5
A nurse is caring for a client who smokes and has lung cancer. The client reports,
"I'm coughing because I have that cold that everyone has been getting." The
nurse should identify that the client is using which of the following defense
mechanisms?
A. Reaction formation
B. Denial
C. Displacement
D. Sublimation
Correct Answer: B. Denial
Rationale: Denial is the refusal to accept reality or fact, acting as if a painful
event, thought, or feeling did not exist. The client is denying the seriousness of his
cough by attributing it to a common cold, thereby avoiding the anxiety associated
with his lung cancer diagnosis .
Question 6
A client is admitted with suspected heroin intoxication. The nurse should
prioritize assessment for which condition?
A. Hypertension
B. Respiratory depression
C. Hyperthermia
D. Diarrhea
Correct Answer: B. Respiratory depression
