NR548/ NR 548 Exam 1, 2, 3, & Final Exam with correct answers and
rationales 2026/2027 version A+ Graded
1. What is the primary role of the PMHNP?
A. Provide only psychotherapy
B. Assess, diagnose, and treat psychiatric and substance-use disorders
C. Dispense medications without assessment
D. Perform only physical examinations
Answer: B
Rationale: PMHNPs provide comprehensive psychiatric care, including assessment, diagnosis,
treatment, prevention, and health promotion.
2. Which activity best demonstrates the PMHNP's diagnostic role?
A. Scheduling a patient's appointment
B. Performing a psychiatric assessment and formulating a diagnosis
C. Taking vital signs only
D. Filing laboratory reports
Answer: B
Rationale: Psychiatric assessment and diagnostic formulation are core advanced-practice
responsibilities.
3. Which ethical principle emphasizes a patient's right to make healthcare decisions?
A. Autonomy
B. Justice
C. Fidelity
D. Nonmaleficence
Answer: A
Rationale: Autonomy recognizes the patient's right to make informed decisions about their care.
4. What does beneficence mean?
A. Avoiding all treatment
B. Acting for the patient's benefit
C. Treating everyone identically regardless of need
D. Keeping information secret from the patient
Answer: B
Rationale: Beneficence means promoting the patient's well-being.
5. What does nonmaleficence mean?
A. Do no harm
B. Always agree with the patient
,C. Maintain professional boundaries only
D. Provide treatment regardless of risk
Answer: A
Rationale: Nonmaleficence requires the clinician to avoid causing unnecessary harm.
6. Which principle concerns fair distribution of healthcare resources?
A. Justice
B. Autonomy
C. Fidelity
D. Veracity
Answer: A
Rationale: Justice concerns fairness and equitable treatment.
7. What is veracity?
A. Truthfulness
B. Confidentiality
C. Advocacy
D. Delegation
Answer: A
Rationale: Veracity refers to communicating truthfully with patients.
8. A PMHNP promises to call a patient at a specific time and does so. Which ethical
principle is demonstrated?
A. Fidelity
B. Justice
C. Autonomy
D. Nonmaleficence
Answer: A
Rationale: Fidelity means keeping commitments and maintaining trust.
9. Why is confidentiality important in psychiatric care?
A. It eliminates the need for documentation
B. It supports trust and protects private health information
C. It prevents patients from asking questions
D. It guarantees that information can never be disclosed
Answer: B
Rationale: Confidentiality supports the therapeutic relationship, although legally recognized
exceptions exist.
10. Which situation may require disclosure of otherwise confidential information?
A. A patient dislikes the treatment plan
, B. A patient makes a credible threat toward an identifiable person
C. A patient requests a different appointment
D. A patient refuses medication
Answer: B
Rationale: Serious safety threats can create legal and ethical duties that override ordinary
confidentiality protections, depending on applicable law.
11. Which approach best reflects culturally responsive psychiatric care?
A. Assume all patients from the same culture have identical beliefs
B. Ask the patient about their cultural beliefs and preferences
C. Avoid discussing culture
D. Use the clinician's cultural beliefs as the standard
Answer: B
Rationale: Cultural humility requires individualized assessment rather than stereotyping.
12. Why should a PMHNP assess social determinants of health?
A. They can influence mental health and treatment outcomes
B. They are unrelated to psychiatric care
C. They replace psychiatric assessment
D. They determine every diagnosis
Answer: A
Rationale: Housing, finances, transportation, food security, education, safety, and social support
can significantly affect health.
13. Which statement best describes recovery-oriented psychiatric care?
A. The clinician makes all decisions
B. The patient is an active participant in identifying goals
C. Medication is always the only treatment
D. Symptoms are ignored
Answer: B
Rationale: Recovery-oriented care emphasizes patient strengths, preferences, goals, and
participation.
14. Which intervention is an example of health promotion?
A. Educating a patient about sleep, exercise, and substance-use risks
B. Waiting until severe symptoms develop
C. Ignoring preventive care
D. Treating only laboratory abnormalities
Answer: A
Rationale: Health promotion focuses on improving wellness and reducing future health risks.
rationales 2026/2027 version A+ Graded
1. What is the primary role of the PMHNP?
A. Provide only psychotherapy
B. Assess, diagnose, and treat psychiatric and substance-use disorders
C. Dispense medications without assessment
D. Perform only physical examinations
Answer: B
Rationale: PMHNPs provide comprehensive psychiatric care, including assessment, diagnosis,
treatment, prevention, and health promotion.
2. Which activity best demonstrates the PMHNP's diagnostic role?
A. Scheduling a patient's appointment
B. Performing a psychiatric assessment and formulating a diagnosis
C. Taking vital signs only
D. Filing laboratory reports
Answer: B
Rationale: Psychiatric assessment and diagnostic formulation are core advanced-practice
responsibilities.
3. Which ethical principle emphasizes a patient's right to make healthcare decisions?
A. Autonomy
B. Justice
C. Fidelity
D. Nonmaleficence
Answer: A
Rationale: Autonomy recognizes the patient's right to make informed decisions about their care.
4. What does beneficence mean?
A. Avoiding all treatment
B. Acting for the patient's benefit
C. Treating everyone identically regardless of need
D. Keeping information secret from the patient
Answer: B
Rationale: Beneficence means promoting the patient's well-being.
5. What does nonmaleficence mean?
A. Do no harm
B. Always agree with the patient
,C. Maintain professional boundaries only
D. Provide treatment regardless of risk
Answer: A
Rationale: Nonmaleficence requires the clinician to avoid causing unnecessary harm.
6. Which principle concerns fair distribution of healthcare resources?
A. Justice
B. Autonomy
C. Fidelity
D. Veracity
Answer: A
Rationale: Justice concerns fairness and equitable treatment.
7. What is veracity?
A. Truthfulness
B. Confidentiality
C. Advocacy
D. Delegation
Answer: A
Rationale: Veracity refers to communicating truthfully with patients.
8. A PMHNP promises to call a patient at a specific time and does so. Which ethical
principle is demonstrated?
A. Fidelity
B. Justice
C. Autonomy
D. Nonmaleficence
Answer: A
Rationale: Fidelity means keeping commitments and maintaining trust.
9. Why is confidentiality important in psychiatric care?
A. It eliminates the need for documentation
B. It supports trust and protects private health information
C. It prevents patients from asking questions
D. It guarantees that information can never be disclosed
Answer: B
Rationale: Confidentiality supports the therapeutic relationship, although legally recognized
exceptions exist.
10. Which situation may require disclosure of otherwise confidential information?
A. A patient dislikes the treatment plan
, B. A patient makes a credible threat toward an identifiable person
C. A patient requests a different appointment
D. A patient refuses medication
Answer: B
Rationale: Serious safety threats can create legal and ethical duties that override ordinary
confidentiality protections, depending on applicable law.
11. Which approach best reflects culturally responsive psychiatric care?
A. Assume all patients from the same culture have identical beliefs
B. Ask the patient about their cultural beliefs and preferences
C. Avoid discussing culture
D. Use the clinician's cultural beliefs as the standard
Answer: B
Rationale: Cultural humility requires individualized assessment rather than stereotyping.
12. Why should a PMHNP assess social determinants of health?
A. They can influence mental health and treatment outcomes
B. They are unrelated to psychiatric care
C. They replace psychiatric assessment
D. They determine every diagnosis
Answer: A
Rationale: Housing, finances, transportation, food security, education, safety, and social support
can significantly affect health.
13. Which statement best describes recovery-oriented psychiatric care?
A. The clinician makes all decisions
B. The patient is an active participant in identifying goals
C. Medication is always the only treatment
D. Symptoms are ignored
Answer: B
Rationale: Recovery-oriented care emphasizes patient strengths, preferences, goals, and
participation.
14. Which intervention is an example of health promotion?
A. Educating a patient about sleep, exercise, and substance-use risks
B. Waiting until severe symptoms develop
C. Ignoring preventive care
D. Treating only laboratory abnormalities
Answer: A
Rationale: Health promotion focuses on improving wellness and reducing future health risks.
