PN Mental Health Final Questions and Answers –
Practical Nursing (PN) – Comprehensive Final
Exam Review
Introduction:
This document contains a comprehensive collection of Practical
Nursing (PN) Mental Health Final Exam questions and answers in
an ATI- and NCLEX-style format. It covers major mental health
nursing concepts, including schizophrenia, mood disorders, anxiety
disorders, personality disorders, eating disorders, substance use
disorders, dementia, therapeutic communication,
psychopharmacology, crisis intervention, legal and ethical issues,
nursing care, and evidence-based interventions. The question-and-
answer format with rationales provides an effective resource for
final exam preparation, ATI review, and NCLEX-PN success.
Exam Questions and Answers
The wife of a client diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia asks,
"I've been told that my husband's illness is probably related to
imbalanced brain chemicals. Can you be more specific?" The
response based on the dopamine hypothesis is:
,a. "An increase in the brain chemical dopamine explains the
presence of lack of motivation and disordered affect."
b. "Decreased amounts of the brain chemical dopamine explain the
presence of delusions and hallucinations."
c. "An increase in the brain chemical dopamine explains the
presence of delusions and hallucinations."
d. "Breakdown of dopamine produces LSD, which in large amounts
produces psychosis." - ANSc. "An increase in the brain chemical
dopamine explains the presence of delusions and hallucinations."
A client has been taking chlorpromazine (Thorazine) for the past 2
weeks. He drools, has hand tremors, and walks with a shuffling gait.
The nurse would correctly attribute these behaviors to:
a. Tardive dyskinesia
b. Pseudoparkinsonism
c. Akinesia
d. Neuroleptic malignant syndrome - ANSb. Pseudoparkinsonism
A client who has been diagnosed as having paranoid schizophrenia
is highly suspicious and delusional. He hears voices telling him
terrorists are plotting to assassinate him. He refuses to eat, saying
the food is poisoned. The nursing action that best addresses his
needs is to:
a. Explain that others eat the food and are not harmed
b. Assist client with personal hygiene and grooming
c. Allow client to select food from vending machines
d. Not allow client to verbalize delusional thoughts - ANSc. Allow
client to select food from vending machines
,A client frequently impulsively acts out suicidal impulses, including
grabbing the coffee jar to smash it and attempting to hang herself
with her bra. The nurse would view the client's behaviors as most
consistent with:
a. Histrionic personality disorder
b. Borderline personality disorder
c. Antisocial personality disorder
d. Narcissistic personality disorder - ANSb. Borderline personality
disorder
Symptoms of paranoid personality disorder include all of the
following EXCEPT:
a. Bland facial expression
b. Rigid and inflexible
c. Avoidance of close relationships
d. Projection of faults on others - ANSa. Bland facial expression
When planning nursing care for a client with a dependent
personality disorder, the nurse recognizes which of the following as
characteristic behavior for someone with this disorder? The client:
a. Believes he or she cannot function without help of others
b. Exaggerates the potential dangers of ordinary situations
c. Perceives his or her behavior to be embarrassing
d. Demands excessive attention from others - ANSa. Believes he or
she cannot function without help of others
, Symptoms of antisocial personality disorder include all of the
following EXCEPT:
a. Explosive anger
b. Arrogance
c. Social isolation
d. Impulsive and reckless behavior - ANSc. Social isolation
A client with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is
described by other staff as being perfectionistic, inflexible, and a
"master at procrastination." The nurse learns that the client is
nearly immobilized during times that call for the client to make a
decision. The nurse realizes that the most likely hypothesis is this
behavior is related to:
a. Fear of making a mistake
b. Wanting someone else to be responsible
c. Needing to be the center of attention
d. A need to make others uncomfortable - ANSa. Fear of making a
mistake
Which of the following terms would be characteristics common to
all personality disorders?
a. Cold, aloof and suspicious tendencies
b. Inflexibile and maladaptive behaviors
c. Lack of remorse or guilt
d. Delusions regarding own abilities - ANSb. Inflexibile and
maladaptive behaviors
Practical Nursing (PN) – Comprehensive Final
Exam Review
Introduction:
This document contains a comprehensive collection of Practical
Nursing (PN) Mental Health Final Exam questions and answers in
an ATI- and NCLEX-style format. It covers major mental health
nursing concepts, including schizophrenia, mood disorders, anxiety
disorders, personality disorders, eating disorders, substance use
disorders, dementia, therapeutic communication,
psychopharmacology, crisis intervention, legal and ethical issues,
nursing care, and evidence-based interventions. The question-and-
answer format with rationales provides an effective resource for
final exam preparation, ATI review, and NCLEX-PN success.
Exam Questions and Answers
The wife of a client diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia asks,
"I've been told that my husband's illness is probably related to
imbalanced brain chemicals. Can you be more specific?" The
response based on the dopamine hypothesis is:
,a. "An increase in the brain chemical dopamine explains the
presence of lack of motivation and disordered affect."
b. "Decreased amounts of the brain chemical dopamine explain the
presence of delusions and hallucinations."
c. "An increase in the brain chemical dopamine explains the
presence of delusions and hallucinations."
d. "Breakdown of dopamine produces LSD, which in large amounts
produces psychosis." - ANSc. "An increase in the brain chemical
dopamine explains the presence of delusions and hallucinations."
A client has been taking chlorpromazine (Thorazine) for the past 2
weeks. He drools, has hand tremors, and walks with a shuffling gait.
The nurse would correctly attribute these behaviors to:
a. Tardive dyskinesia
b. Pseudoparkinsonism
c. Akinesia
d. Neuroleptic malignant syndrome - ANSb. Pseudoparkinsonism
A client who has been diagnosed as having paranoid schizophrenia
is highly suspicious and delusional. He hears voices telling him
terrorists are plotting to assassinate him. He refuses to eat, saying
the food is poisoned. The nursing action that best addresses his
needs is to:
a. Explain that others eat the food and are not harmed
b. Assist client with personal hygiene and grooming
c. Allow client to select food from vending machines
d. Not allow client to verbalize delusional thoughts - ANSc. Allow
client to select food from vending machines
,A client frequently impulsively acts out suicidal impulses, including
grabbing the coffee jar to smash it and attempting to hang herself
with her bra. The nurse would view the client's behaviors as most
consistent with:
a. Histrionic personality disorder
b. Borderline personality disorder
c. Antisocial personality disorder
d. Narcissistic personality disorder - ANSb. Borderline personality
disorder
Symptoms of paranoid personality disorder include all of the
following EXCEPT:
a. Bland facial expression
b. Rigid and inflexible
c. Avoidance of close relationships
d. Projection of faults on others - ANSa. Bland facial expression
When planning nursing care for a client with a dependent
personality disorder, the nurse recognizes which of the following as
characteristic behavior for someone with this disorder? The client:
a. Believes he or she cannot function without help of others
b. Exaggerates the potential dangers of ordinary situations
c. Perceives his or her behavior to be embarrassing
d. Demands excessive attention from others - ANSa. Believes he or
she cannot function without help of others
, Symptoms of antisocial personality disorder include all of the
following EXCEPT:
a. Explosive anger
b. Arrogance
c. Social isolation
d. Impulsive and reckless behavior - ANSc. Social isolation
A client with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is
described by other staff as being perfectionistic, inflexible, and a
"master at procrastination." The nurse learns that the client is
nearly immobilized during times that call for the client to make a
decision. The nurse realizes that the most likely hypothesis is this
behavior is related to:
a. Fear of making a mistake
b. Wanting someone else to be responsible
c. Needing to be the center of attention
d. A need to make others uncomfortable - ANSa. Fear of making a
mistake
Which of the following terms would be characteristics common to
all personality disorders?
a. Cold, aloof and suspicious tendencies
b. Inflexibile and maladaptive behaviors
c. Lack of remorse or guilt
d. Delusions regarding own abilities - ANSb. Inflexibile and
maladaptive behaviors
