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NRNP 6675 Final Exam Practice Questions and Answers with Rationales
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Practice Review
Table of Contents
Section Content
Section I Introduction and Exam Overview
Section II Core Concepts: Assessment, Diagnosis, and Psychopathology
Section III Psychopharmacology and Medication Management
Section IV Psychotherapy and Therapeutic Modalities
Section V Applied Clinical Scenarios
Section VI Lifespan and Special Population Considerations
Section VII Ethical, Legal, and Professional Practice
Section VIII Review Questions
Section IX Complete Answer Key with Rationales
Section I: Introduction and Exam Overview
This practice examination is designed to evaluate advanced psychiatric nursing knowledge
expected of PMHNP students completing NRNP 6675. Questions emphasize clinical reasoning,
evidence-based treatment decisions, patient safety, medication management, and therapeutic
practice.
Question Types
• Multiple-choice questions (MCQ)
• Short-answer questions
, • Scenario-based clinical judgment questions
Recommended Use
• Complete questions independently before reviewing rationales.
• Focus on reasoning rather than memorization.
• Use rationales to identify knowledge gaps.
Section II: Core Concepts — Assessment, Diagnosis, and Psychopathology
Multiple-Choice Questions
1. A psychiatric evaluation should begin with which priority?
A. Selecting a medication
B. Establishing a diagnosis immediately
C. Building rapport and completing a comprehensive assessment
D. Discussing discharge planning
Correct Answer: C
Rationale:
A comprehensive psychiatric assessment requires establishing therapeutic rapport, gathering
history, evaluating symptoms, assessing safety, and identifying biopsychosocial factors before
treatment decisions are made.
2. Which assessment finding requires the most immediate intervention?
A. Patient reports insomnia for one week
B. Patient reports decreased appetite
C. Patient reports having thoughts of harming themselves with intent
D. Patient reports feeling anxious before exams
Correct Answer: C
Rationale:
Safety assessment is a priority. Suicidal thoughts with intent require immediate evaluation of
risk, protective factors, and appropriate intervention.
3. The primary purpose of a mental status examination (MSE) is to:
,A. Determine medication dosage
B. Assess current cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning
C. Replace diagnostic interviews
D. Predict medication response
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
The MSE provides a structured assessment of appearance, behavior, speech, mood, affect,
thought processes, cognition, insight, and judgment.
4. Which symptom is considered a positive symptom of schizophrenia?
A. Flat affect
B. Social withdrawal
C. Hallucinations
D. Reduced motivation
Correct Answer: C
Rationale:
Positive symptoms represent added experiences such as hallucinations, delusions, and
disorganized speech.
5. A patient experiencing elevated mood, decreased need for sleep, grandiosity, and
increased goal-directed activity is demonstrating symptoms consistent with:
A. Major depressive disorder
B. Mania
C. Generalized anxiety disorder
D. Adjustment disorder
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
Mania involves a distinct period of elevated or irritable mood with increased energy and
associated symptoms causing significant impairment.
Short-Answer Questions
6. List three important components of a psychiatric diagnostic assessment.
, Answer:
1. Presenting symptoms and psychiatric history
2. Mental status examination
3. Risk assessment, including suicide and violence evaluation
Rationale:
Diagnosis requires integration of symptoms, history, functioning, and safety considerations.
7. Explain the difference between mood and affect.
Answer:
Mood is the patient’s subjective emotional experience.
Affect is the clinician’s observation of the patient’s emotional expression.
Rationale:
Both provide important information about emotional functioning and possible psychiatric
disorders.
Section III: Psychopharmacology and Medication Management
Multiple-Choice Questions
8. SSRIs are commonly considered first-line medications for:
A. Schizophrenia
B. Major depressive disorder and many anxiety disorders
C. Acute mania alone
D. Dementia-related agitation only
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are frequently used as first-line pharmacologic treatments
for depressive and anxiety disorders due to effectiveness and tolerability.
9. A patient taking lithium should be monitored closely for:
A. Low potassium only
B. Thyroid and renal function changes