NUR 252 Mental Health Nursing Exam 5 2026 |Galen College
1. A nurse is caring for a client with Alzheimer’s disease who is experiencing
agnosia. Which behavior by the client supports this finding?
A. The client is unable to speak in full sentences.
B. The client is making up stories to fill in memory gaps.
C. The client is unable to perform motor tasks despite intact motor function.
D. The client is unable to recognize familiar objects like a toothbrush.
Answer: D
Rationale: Agnosia is the inability to recognize or identify objects despite intact sensory
function. Option A refers to aphasia; Option C refers to apraxia; Option D refers to
confabulation.
2. A client with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) tells a nurse, ‘The night
nurse is so much better than you; she actually cares about me.’ This is an
example of which defense mechanism?
A. Reaction formation
B. Splitting
C. Projection
D. Rationalization
Answer: B
Rationale: Splitting is common in BPD, where individuals view others as either all good or
all bad to manage their anxiety.
,3. Which clinical feature is characteristic of delirium rather than dementia?
A. Slow, progressive onset
B. Sudden change in mental status
C. Irreversible cognitive decline
D. Stable level of consciousness
Answer: B
Rationale: Delirium is characterized by an acute, sudden onset and a fluctuating level of
consciousness, whereas dementia is slow and progressive.
4. A nurse is assessing a client with Anorexia Nervosa. Which physical finding
should the nurse expect?
A. Tachycardia
B. Hypertension
C. Hyperthermia
D. Lanugo
Answer: D
Rationale: Lanugo (fine, downy hair) is a physiological response to starvation and helps
the body maintain heat in individuals with severe weight loss.
5. The nurse is educating a parent about Methylphenidate for a child with
ADHD. What is the best time to administer this medication?
A. At bedtime to help with sleep
B. In the morning after breakfast
C. Immediately before lunch
D. Late in the afternoon around 6:00 PM
Answer: B
Rationale: Stimulants like methylphenidate should be given in the morning after breakfast
to minimize appetite suppression and insomnia.
, 6. A client with Antisocial Personality Disorder is being treated in a mental
health unit. Which behavior is the nurse most likely to observe?
A. Extreme shyness and social withdrawal
B. Lack of remorse for hurting others
C. Excessive emotionality and attention seeking
D. Perfectionism and preoccupation with details
Answer: B
Rationale: Antisocial Personality Disorder is characterized by a disregard for the rights of
others, impulsivity, and a lack of remorse or guilt.
7. A client with Bulimia Nervosa is admitted to an inpatient unit. Which
intervention is the priority during the first week?
A. Encouraging the client to cook for other patients
B. Restricting all exercise activities
C. Monitoring the client for 1 hour after meals
D. Allowing the client to eat alone in their room
Answer: C
Rationale: Clients with bulimia often purge after eating. Monitoring them for at least 60
minutes after meals prevents purging behaviors.
8. Which medication is commonly prescribed to slow the progression of
cognitive decline in moderate Alzheimer’s disease?
A. Donepezil
B. Haloperidol
C. Lorazepam
D. Fluoxetine
Answer: A
Rationale: Donepezil is a cholinesterase inhibitor used to treat symptoms of mild to
moderate Alzheimer’s disease.
1. A nurse is caring for a client with Alzheimer’s disease who is experiencing
agnosia. Which behavior by the client supports this finding?
A. The client is unable to speak in full sentences.
B. The client is making up stories to fill in memory gaps.
C. The client is unable to perform motor tasks despite intact motor function.
D. The client is unable to recognize familiar objects like a toothbrush.
Answer: D
Rationale: Agnosia is the inability to recognize or identify objects despite intact sensory
function. Option A refers to aphasia; Option C refers to apraxia; Option D refers to
confabulation.
2. A client with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) tells a nurse, ‘The night
nurse is so much better than you; she actually cares about me.’ This is an
example of which defense mechanism?
A. Reaction formation
B. Splitting
C. Projection
D. Rationalization
Answer: B
Rationale: Splitting is common in BPD, where individuals view others as either all good or
all bad to manage their anxiety.
,3. Which clinical feature is characteristic of delirium rather than dementia?
A. Slow, progressive onset
B. Sudden change in mental status
C. Irreversible cognitive decline
D. Stable level of consciousness
Answer: B
Rationale: Delirium is characterized by an acute, sudden onset and a fluctuating level of
consciousness, whereas dementia is slow and progressive.
4. A nurse is assessing a client with Anorexia Nervosa. Which physical finding
should the nurse expect?
A. Tachycardia
B. Hypertension
C. Hyperthermia
D. Lanugo
Answer: D
Rationale: Lanugo (fine, downy hair) is a physiological response to starvation and helps
the body maintain heat in individuals with severe weight loss.
5. The nurse is educating a parent about Methylphenidate for a child with
ADHD. What is the best time to administer this medication?
A. At bedtime to help with sleep
B. In the morning after breakfast
C. Immediately before lunch
D. Late in the afternoon around 6:00 PM
Answer: B
Rationale: Stimulants like methylphenidate should be given in the morning after breakfast
to minimize appetite suppression and insomnia.
, 6. A client with Antisocial Personality Disorder is being treated in a mental
health unit. Which behavior is the nurse most likely to observe?
A. Extreme shyness and social withdrawal
B. Lack of remorse for hurting others
C. Excessive emotionality and attention seeking
D. Perfectionism and preoccupation with details
Answer: B
Rationale: Antisocial Personality Disorder is characterized by a disregard for the rights of
others, impulsivity, and a lack of remorse or guilt.
7. A client with Bulimia Nervosa is admitted to an inpatient unit. Which
intervention is the priority during the first week?
A. Encouraging the client to cook for other patients
B. Restricting all exercise activities
C. Monitoring the client for 1 hour after meals
D. Allowing the client to eat alone in their room
Answer: C
Rationale: Clients with bulimia often purge after eating. Monitoring them for at least 60
minutes after meals prevents purging behaviors.
8. Which medication is commonly prescribed to slow the progression of
cognitive decline in moderate Alzheimer’s disease?
A. Donepezil
B. Haloperidol
C. Lorazepam
D. Fluoxetine
Answer: A
Rationale: Donepezil is a cholinesterase inhibitor used to treat symptoms of mild to
moderate Alzheimer’s disease.
