HESI Mental Health Test Bank
Exam Study Guide – Practice
Questions with Answers.
GRADED A+. Latest 2026/2027
Update.
A client with depression remains in bed most of the day, and declines activities.
Which nursing
problem has the greatest priority for this client?
A. Loss of interest in diversional activity.
B. Social isolation.
C. Refusal to address nutritional needs.
D. Low self-esteem - Ans✔✔-C
The RN is preparing medications for a client with bipolar disorder and notices
that the client
discontinued antipsychotic medication for several days. Which medication
should also be
discontinued?
,a. Lithium. (Lithotabs)
b. Benzotropine (Cogentin).
c. Alprazolam (Xanax).
d. Magnesium (Milk of Magnesia) - Ans✔✔-B
The RN is teaching a client about the initiation of the prescribed abstinence
therapy using
disulfiram (Antabuse). What information should the client acknowledge
understanding?
A. Completely abstain from heroin or cocaine use.
B. Remain alcohol free for 12 hours prior to the first dose.
C. Attend monthly meetings of alcoholics anonymous.
D. Admit to others that he is a substance user. - Ans✔✔-B
A male client with schizophrenia is admitted to the mental health unit after
abruptly stopping his
prescription for ziprasidone (Geodon) one month ago. Which question is most
important for the
RN to ask the client?
A. Have you lost interest in the things that you used to enjoy?
B. Is your ability to think or concentrate decreased?
C. How many continuous hours do you sleep at night?
D. Do you hear sounds or voices that others do not hear? - Ans✔✔-D
A female client requests that her husband be allowed to stay in the room
during the admission
,assessment. When interviewing the client, the RN notes a discrepancy between
the client's
verbal and nonverbal communication. What action does the RN take?
A. Pay close attention and document the nonverbal messages.
B. Ask the client's husband to interpret the discrepancy.
C. Ignore the nonverbal behavior and focus on the client's verbal messages.
D. Integrate the verbal and nonverbal messages and interpret them as one. -
Ans✔✔-A
A male client approaches the RN with an angry expression on his face and
raises his voice,
saying "My roommate is the most selfish, self-centered, angry person I have
ever met. If he
loses his temper one more time with me, I am going to punch him out!" The RN
recognizes that
the client is using which defense mechanism?
A. Denial.
B. Projection.
C. Rationalization.
D. Splitting. - Ans✔✔-D
A mental health worker is caring for a client with escalating aggressive
behavior. Which action
by the MHW warrant immediate intervention by the RN?
A. Is attempting to physically restrain the patient.
B. Tells the client to go to the quiet area of the unit.
C. Is using a loid voice to talk to the client.
, D. Remains at a distance of 4 feet from the client. - Ans✔✔-A
A client on the mental health unit is becoming more agitated, shouting at the
staff, and pacing in
the hallway. When the PRN medication is offered, the client refuses the
medication and defiantly
sits on the floor in the middle of the unit hallway. What nursing intervention
should the RN
implement first?
A. Transport of the client to the seclusion room.
B. Quietly approach the client with additional staff members.
C. Take other clients in the area to the client lounge.
D. Administer medication to chemically restrain the patient. - Ans✔✔-C
A male client with bipolar disorder who began taking lithium carbonate five
days ago is
complaining of excessive thirst, and the RN finds him attempting to drink water
from the
bathroom sink faucet. Which intervention should the RN implement?
A. Report the client's serum lithium level to the HCP.
B. Encourage the client to suck on hard candy to relieve the symptoms.
C. No action is needed since polydipsia is a common side effect.
D. Tell the client that drinking from the faucet is not allowed. - Ans✔✔-A
During an annual physical by the occupational RN working in a corporate clinic,
a male
Exam Study Guide – Practice
Questions with Answers.
GRADED A+. Latest 2026/2027
Update.
A client with depression remains in bed most of the day, and declines activities.
Which nursing
problem has the greatest priority for this client?
A. Loss of interest in diversional activity.
B. Social isolation.
C. Refusal to address nutritional needs.
D. Low self-esteem - Ans✔✔-C
The RN is preparing medications for a client with bipolar disorder and notices
that the client
discontinued antipsychotic medication for several days. Which medication
should also be
discontinued?
,a. Lithium. (Lithotabs)
b. Benzotropine (Cogentin).
c. Alprazolam (Xanax).
d. Magnesium (Milk of Magnesia) - Ans✔✔-B
The RN is teaching a client about the initiation of the prescribed abstinence
therapy using
disulfiram (Antabuse). What information should the client acknowledge
understanding?
A. Completely abstain from heroin or cocaine use.
B. Remain alcohol free for 12 hours prior to the first dose.
C. Attend monthly meetings of alcoholics anonymous.
D. Admit to others that he is a substance user. - Ans✔✔-B
A male client with schizophrenia is admitted to the mental health unit after
abruptly stopping his
prescription for ziprasidone (Geodon) one month ago. Which question is most
important for the
RN to ask the client?
A. Have you lost interest in the things that you used to enjoy?
B. Is your ability to think or concentrate decreased?
C. How many continuous hours do you sleep at night?
D. Do you hear sounds or voices that others do not hear? - Ans✔✔-D
A female client requests that her husband be allowed to stay in the room
during the admission
,assessment. When interviewing the client, the RN notes a discrepancy between
the client's
verbal and nonverbal communication. What action does the RN take?
A. Pay close attention and document the nonverbal messages.
B. Ask the client's husband to interpret the discrepancy.
C. Ignore the nonverbal behavior and focus on the client's verbal messages.
D. Integrate the verbal and nonverbal messages and interpret them as one. -
Ans✔✔-A
A male client approaches the RN with an angry expression on his face and
raises his voice,
saying "My roommate is the most selfish, self-centered, angry person I have
ever met. If he
loses his temper one more time with me, I am going to punch him out!" The RN
recognizes that
the client is using which defense mechanism?
A. Denial.
B. Projection.
C. Rationalization.
D. Splitting. - Ans✔✔-D
A mental health worker is caring for a client with escalating aggressive
behavior. Which action
by the MHW warrant immediate intervention by the RN?
A. Is attempting to physically restrain the patient.
B. Tells the client to go to the quiet area of the unit.
C. Is using a loid voice to talk to the client.
, D. Remains at a distance of 4 feet from the client. - Ans✔✔-A
A client on the mental health unit is becoming more agitated, shouting at the
staff, and pacing in
the hallway. When the PRN medication is offered, the client refuses the
medication and defiantly
sits on the floor in the middle of the unit hallway. What nursing intervention
should the RN
implement first?
A. Transport of the client to the seclusion room.
B. Quietly approach the client with additional staff members.
C. Take other clients in the area to the client lounge.
D. Administer medication to chemically restrain the patient. - Ans✔✔-C
A male client with bipolar disorder who began taking lithium carbonate five
days ago is
complaining of excessive thirst, and the RN finds him attempting to drink water
from the
bathroom sink faucet. Which intervention should the RN implement?
A. Report the client's serum lithium level to the HCP.
B. Encourage the client to suck on hard candy to relieve the symptoms.
C. No action is needed since polydipsia is a common side effect.
D. Tell the client that drinking from the faucet is not allowed. - Ans✔✔-A
During an annual physical by the occupational RN working in a corporate clinic,
a male
