NUR 253 Exam 3 Mental Health (2026)
PDF | Galen
Questions and Ansẉers with
Rationales 2026\2027 update
This Exam contains:
Guarantee passing score
Questions and Ansẉers
format set of multiple-choice
Expert-Verified rationales
Verified ẉith trusted textbooks
,───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
─
1. A nurse is caring for a client diagnosed with major depressive
disorder. Which of the following is the priority nursing intervention?
A. Encouraging the client to participate in group therapy.
B. Assessing the client for risk of suicide or self-harm.
C. Teaching the client about the side effects of antidepressants.
D. Ensuring the client maintains adequate nutritional intake.
Answer: B
Rationale: Safety is always the priority in mental health nursing. A
client with major depressive disorder is at a high risk for suicide.
Before addressing coping mechanisms, education, or nutrition, the
nurse must ensure the client is safe from self-harm.
2. A client prescribed fluoxetine (Prozac) for depression complains
of nausea, headache, and insomnia. What is the most appropriate
nursing response?
A. "You should stop taking the medication immediately."
B. "These are common side effects that often resolve in a few
weeks."
C. "I will ask the provider to switch you to a different medication."
D. "You need to go to the emergency room immediately."
Answer: B
Rationale: Nausea, headache, and insomnia are common, mild side
effects of SSRIs like fluoxetine. These usually subside after a few
weeks of therapy. The client should be encouraged to continue the
medication and not abruptly stop it, which can cause withdrawal
symptoms.
3. A client on a psychiatric unit states, "I am going to kill myself
tonight." What is the nurse's first action?
A. Place the client on one-to-one suicide precautions.
, B. Notify the healthcare provider.
C. Call the client's family to take them home.
D. Explore the client's suicidal ideation further.
Answer: A
Rationale: When a client makes a direct suicidal threat, the
immediate priority is to ensure their physical safety. Initiating one-
to-one suicide precautions ensures the client is never left alone. The
provider can be notified after the client is secured.
4. A nurse is assessing a client with bipolar disorder experiencing a
manic episode. Which finding requires immediate intervention?
A. Pressured speech and flight of ideas.
B. Decreased need for sleep and hyperactivity.
C. Refusal to eat or drink for 12 hours.
D. Inappropriate, brightly colored clothing.
Answer: C
Rationale: While pressured speech, hyperactivity, and bizarre dress
are expected in mania, refusing to eat or drink poses an immediate
physiological threat to the client's safety, leading to dehydration and
malnutrition. This requires prompt intervention.
5. A client taking lithium carbonate reports tremors, nausea, and
confusion. The client's serum lithium level is 2.2 mEq/L. What
should the nurse do?
A. Administer the next dose of lithium as scheduled.
B. Withhold the lithium and notify the healthcare provider.
C. Encourage the client to drink more fluids.
D. Reassure the client that these are expected side effects.
Answer: B
Rationale: The therapeutic serum level for lithium is 0.6 to 1.2
mEq/L. A level of 2.2 mEq/L indicates severe toxicity. The nurse
must withhold the medication and notify the provider immediately
to initiate interventions like hemodialysis or IV fluids.
PDF | Galen
Questions and Ansẉers with
Rationales 2026\2027 update
This Exam contains:
Guarantee passing score
Questions and Ansẉers
format set of multiple-choice
Expert-Verified rationales
Verified ẉith trusted textbooks
,───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
─
1. A nurse is caring for a client diagnosed with major depressive
disorder. Which of the following is the priority nursing intervention?
A. Encouraging the client to participate in group therapy.
B. Assessing the client for risk of suicide or self-harm.
C. Teaching the client about the side effects of antidepressants.
D. Ensuring the client maintains adequate nutritional intake.
Answer: B
Rationale: Safety is always the priority in mental health nursing. A
client with major depressive disorder is at a high risk for suicide.
Before addressing coping mechanisms, education, or nutrition, the
nurse must ensure the client is safe from self-harm.
2. A client prescribed fluoxetine (Prozac) for depression complains
of nausea, headache, and insomnia. What is the most appropriate
nursing response?
A. "You should stop taking the medication immediately."
B. "These are common side effects that often resolve in a few
weeks."
C. "I will ask the provider to switch you to a different medication."
D. "You need to go to the emergency room immediately."
Answer: B
Rationale: Nausea, headache, and insomnia are common, mild side
effects of SSRIs like fluoxetine. These usually subside after a few
weeks of therapy. The client should be encouraged to continue the
medication and not abruptly stop it, which can cause withdrawal
symptoms.
3. A client on a psychiatric unit states, "I am going to kill myself
tonight." What is the nurse's first action?
A. Place the client on one-to-one suicide precautions.
, B. Notify the healthcare provider.
C. Call the client's family to take them home.
D. Explore the client's suicidal ideation further.
Answer: A
Rationale: When a client makes a direct suicidal threat, the
immediate priority is to ensure their physical safety. Initiating one-
to-one suicide precautions ensures the client is never left alone. The
provider can be notified after the client is secured.
4. A nurse is assessing a client with bipolar disorder experiencing a
manic episode. Which finding requires immediate intervention?
A. Pressured speech and flight of ideas.
B. Decreased need for sleep and hyperactivity.
C. Refusal to eat or drink for 12 hours.
D. Inappropriate, brightly colored clothing.
Answer: C
Rationale: While pressured speech, hyperactivity, and bizarre dress
are expected in mania, refusing to eat or drink poses an immediate
physiological threat to the client's safety, leading to dehydration and
malnutrition. This requires prompt intervention.
5. A client taking lithium carbonate reports tremors, nausea, and
confusion. The client's serum lithium level is 2.2 mEq/L. What
should the nurse do?
A. Administer the next dose of lithium as scheduled.
B. Withhold the lithium and notify the healthcare provider.
C. Encourage the client to drink more fluids.
D. Reassure the client that these are expected side effects.
Answer: B
Rationale: The therapeutic serum level for lithium is 0.6 to 1.2
mEq/L. A level of 2.2 mEq/L indicates severe toxicity. The nurse
must withhold the medication and notify the provider immediately
to initiate interventions like hemodialysis or IV fluids.
