PMH-BC Exam Questions and Answers
A rape victim with multiple injuries has been brought to the emergency department
for evaluation and treatment. The first thing that the psychiatric and mental health
nurse should communicate is:
A. "I am so sorry this happened to you"
B. "You are safe here. No one can hurt you."
C. "This was not your fault"
D. "I'm thankful you survived this attack."
B. "you are safe here. No one can hurt you."
Patients who have been raped are often severely traumatized emotionally and physically,
and are commonly very fearful and panicked, so the first thing that the mental health nurse
should communicate is "you are safe here, no one can hurt you". The psychiatric and mental
health nurse may need to repeat this a number of times because traumatized patients may
block out what people are saying. The nurse should also reassure the patient that the attack
was not the patient's fault and that the nurse is sorry for what the patient has gone through.
A patient has signed the consent form for ECT under pressure from her spouse but
confides in the psychiatric and mental health nurse that she does not want the
treatment and is terrified but afraid to stand up to her spouse. The psychiatric and
mental nurse should:
A.) Ask the patient if she wants to rescind the content form.
B.) Tell the patient that she must tell her spouse she does not want the treatment .
C.) Tell the patient she must go through with the treatment since she signed the
,consent.
D.) Notify the physician of the patient's feelings about the treatment.
(D.) Notify the physician of the patients feelings about the treatment.
Because the patient is intimidated by her spouse and has stated she is afraid to stand up to
him, as an advocate for the patient, the nurse should notify the physician of the patient's
feelings about the treatment. Being coerced into signing a consent form is not the same is
not the same as giving informed consent, which is required by law. Because patients are
vulnerable to manipulation, the nurse must ensure that the actual wishes of the patient are
respected.
A patient was able to slowly read aloud an information sheet but when asked to state
what she had read in her own words was unable to do so. The most likely reason is:
A.) Low self-esteem
B.) Poor hearing
C.) Low health literacy
D.) Anxiety
(C.) Low health literacy
The most likely reason the patient was able to read slowly but not state what she had read is
low health literacy. The ability to read is different from the ability to comprehend, and
comprehension usually lags behind reading skills by about three grade levels. Thus, a
person whop is able to read at the fourth-grade level may have only a first-grade reading
comprehension, making it difficult for the person to understand health materials, especially
since the vocabulary is often more difficult.t to understand than that found in other readings.
,Testing testing a patient who has repeated arrests for driving under the influence of
alcohol refuses to admit that he has a drinking problem and states that the police
have targeted him unfairly. The ego defense mechanisms that the patient is using is:
A.) Denial
B.) Reaction formation
C.) Regression
D.) Undoing
A.) Denial
The patient is using the ego defense mechanism of denial when the patient, who has
repeated arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol, refuses to admit that he has a
drinking problem and states that the police have targeted him unfairly. Reaction formation is
refusing to acknowledge undesirable feelings, thoughts, or behavior by exaggerating the
opposite. Regression is retreating to an earlier level of development. Undoing is still carrying
out of an action to indicate a previous unacceptable action.
A patient with schizophrenia has delusions and believes that his family members
cannot be trusted. According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, the patient's delusions
are interfering with the development at the level of:
A. Physiological needs
B. Love/belongings needs
C. Safety needs
D. Self-esteem needs
B.) Love/Belongings needs
The patient's delusions are interfering with the development at the level of love/belonging
, needs. Maslow's hierarchy of needs is based on the premise that 1 must satisfy one type of
need before 1 can obtain the next. The hierarchy of need includes:
Physiological: Basic needs such as air, food, water, shelter.
Safety and security: Freedom from fear:
Safety comfort:
Physical comfort
Love and belonging: Companionship, caring/giving receiving love, group identification,
satisfying interpersonal relationships.
Self-esteem: Working for success, desiring respecting prestige, seeking self respect.
Self-actualization: Feeling of self-fulfillment, satisfaction with achievement.
The patient states that, on the advice of a friend, he has been treating his anxiety with
large doses of kava in addition to the amitriptyline that was prescribed for depression,
but he has been feeling excessively fatigued and has noted a dark urine. Which
diagnostic test or tests are indicated?
A. Renal function tests
B. CBC
C. Urinalysis
D. Liver function tests
D. Liver function tests
Kava is contraindicated because of safety issues and can result liver damage, so the patient
A rape victim with multiple injuries has been brought to the emergency department
for evaluation and treatment. The first thing that the psychiatric and mental health
nurse should communicate is:
A. "I am so sorry this happened to you"
B. "You are safe here. No one can hurt you."
C. "This was not your fault"
D. "I'm thankful you survived this attack."
B. "you are safe here. No one can hurt you."
Patients who have been raped are often severely traumatized emotionally and physically,
and are commonly very fearful and panicked, so the first thing that the mental health nurse
should communicate is "you are safe here, no one can hurt you". The psychiatric and mental
health nurse may need to repeat this a number of times because traumatized patients may
block out what people are saying. The nurse should also reassure the patient that the attack
was not the patient's fault and that the nurse is sorry for what the patient has gone through.
A patient has signed the consent form for ECT under pressure from her spouse but
confides in the psychiatric and mental health nurse that she does not want the
treatment and is terrified but afraid to stand up to her spouse. The psychiatric and
mental nurse should:
A.) Ask the patient if she wants to rescind the content form.
B.) Tell the patient that she must tell her spouse she does not want the treatment .
C.) Tell the patient she must go through with the treatment since she signed the
,consent.
D.) Notify the physician of the patient's feelings about the treatment.
(D.) Notify the physician of the patients feelings about the treatment.
Because the patient is intimidated by her spouse and has stated she is afraid to stand up to
him, as an advocate for the patient, the nurse should notify the physician of the patient's
feelings about the treatment. Being coerced into signing a consent form is not the same is
not the same as giving informed consent, which is required by law. Because patients are
vulnerable to manipulation, the nurse must ensure that the actual wishes of the patient are
respected.
A patient was able to slowly read aloud an information sheet but when asked to state
what she had read in her own words was unable to do so. The most likely reason is:
A.) Low self-esteem
B.) Poor hearing
C.) Low health literacy
D.) Anxiety
(C.) Low health literacy
The most likely reason the patient was able to read slowly but not state what she had read is
low health literacy. The ability to read is different from the ability to comprehend, and
comprehension usually lags behind reading skills by about three grade levels. Thus, a
person whop is able to read at the fourth-grade level may have only a first-grade reading
comprehension, making it difficult for the person to understand health materials, especially
since the vocabulary is often more difficult.t to understand than that found in other readings.
,Testing testing a patient who has repeated arrests for driving under the influence of
alcohol refuses to admit that he has a drinking problem and states that the police
have targeted him unfairly. The ego defense mechanisms that the patient is using is:
A.) Denial
B.) Reaction formation
C.) Regression
D.) Undoing
A.) Denial
The patient is using the ego defense mechanism of denial when the patient, who has
repeated arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol, refuses to admit that he has a
drinking problem and states that the police have targeted him unfairly. Reaction formation is
refusing to acknowledge undesirable feelings, thoughts, or behavior by exaggerating the
opposite. Regression is retreating to an earlier level of development. Undoing is still carrying
out of an action to indicate a previous unacceptable action.
A patient with schizophrenia has delusions and believes that his family members
cannot be trusted. According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, the patient's delusions
are interfering with the development at the level of:
A. Physiological needs
B. Love/belongings needs
C. Safety needs
D. Self-esteem needs
B.) Love/Belongings needs
The patient's delusions are interfering with the development at the level of love/belonging
, needs. Maslow's hierarchy of needs is based on the premise that 1 must satisfy one type of
need before 1 can obtain the next. The hierarchy of need includes:
Physiological: Basic needs such as air, food, water, shelter.
Safety and security: Freedom from fear:
Safety comfort:
Physical comfort
Love and belonging: Companionship, caring/giving receiving love, group identification,
satisfying interpersonal relationships.
Self-esteem: Working for success, desiring respecting prestige, seeking self respect.
Self-actualization: Feeling of self-fulfillment, satisfaction with achievement.
The patient states that, on the advice of a friend, he has been treating his anxiety with
large doses of kava in addition to the amitriptyline that was prescribed for depression,
but he has been feeling excessively fatigued and has noted a dark urine. Which
diagnostic test or tests are indicated?
A. Renal function tests
B. CBC
C. Urinalysis
D. Liver function tests
D. Liver function tests
Kava is contraindicated because of safety issues and can result liver damage, so the patient
