Test Bank – Varcarolis’s Canadian Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing, 3rd
Edition (Jakubec & Pollard) | Verified Q&A | ISBN 9780323778794
200-Question Original Practice Exam
Study & Review Edition
Original practice material covering mental-health foundations, therapeutic communication,
assessment, anxiety, mood disorders, psychosis, substance use, trauma, safety,
psychopharmacology, ethics, community care, and recovery.
Mental health foundations
1. Which nursing action best reflects recovery-oriented mental health care?
A. Focusing only on symptom elimination
B. Supporting the person's goals, strengths, and participation in care
C. Making all decisions for the person
D. Avoiding discussion of community resources
Answer: B. Supporting the person's goals, strengths, and participation in care
Rationale: Recovery-oriented care emphasizes strengths, autonomy, meaningful goals, and participation in decisions.
2. Which statement best distinguishes mental health from the absence of mental illness?
A. A person with a diagnosis can never have good mental health
B. Mental health includes the ability to adapt, function, and maintain meaningful relationships
C. Mental health means never experiencing stress
D. Mental illness always causes impaired functioning
Answer: B. Mental health includes the ability to adapt, function, and maintain meaningful relationships
Rationale: Mental health is multidimensional and includes coping, functioning, relationships, and adaptation.
3. Which factor is most appropriately considered a social determinant of mental health?
A. Housing stability
B. Eye color
C. Blood type
D. Hand dominance
Answer: A. Housing stability
Rationale: Stable housing can substantially influence safety, stress, access to care, and overall mental health.
Original Practice Exam • Page 1
,4. A nurse uses a strengths-based approach when the nurse:
A. Lists only the patient's deficits
B. Identifies abilities and resources that can support recovery
C. Avoids setting goals
D. Makes decisions without patient input
Answer: B. Identifies abilities and resources that can support recovery
Rationale: Strengths-based practice identifies capabilities and resources that can be used to support recovery.
5. Which assessment approach is most culturally responsive?
A. Assume all cultures interpret symptoms identically
B. Ask how the person understands the problem and what practices are meaningful to them
C. Avoid asking about culture
D. Use stereotypes to guide care
Answer: B. Ask how the person understands the problem and what practices are meaningful to them
Rationale: Culturally responsive care explores the person's own explanatory model and preferences.
6. Which factor can be protective against mental health difficulties?
A. Supportive relationships
B. Persistent isolation
C. Chronic sleep loss
D. Unmanaged violence
Answer: A. Supportive relationships
Rationale: Supportive relationships can buffer stress and promote resilience.
7. A nurse uses person-first language by documenting:
A. 'A schizophrenic patient'
B. 'A patient living with schizophrenia'
C. 'A psych case'
D. 'A noncompliant person'
Answer: B. 'A patient living with schizophrenia'
Rationale: Person-first language emphasizes the person rather than reducing them to a diagnosis.
8. Which statement about stigma is accurate?
A. Stigma can reduce willingness to seek care
B. Stigma improves treatment engagement
C. Stigma has no effect on health
D. Stigma is always helpful
Answer: A. Stigma can reduce willingness to seek care
Rationale: Stigma can create shame, discrimination, and barriers to treatment.
9. Which nursing goal is most recovery-oriented?
A. Patient will follow every instruction without question
B. Patient will identify two personally meaningful wellness goals
C. Patient will never feel anxious
D. Staff will make all decisions
Original Practice Exam • Page 2
,Answer: B. Patient will identify two personally meaningful wellness goals
Rationale: Recovery-oriented goals are meaningful to the person and support autonomy.
Therapeutic communication
10. A patient says, 'Nobody understands what I am going through.' Which response is most therapeutic?
A. 'You should talk to your family.'
B. 'Tell me more about what feels difficult right now.'
C. 'Everyone feels that way sometimes.'
D. 'You need to stay positive.'
Answer: B. 'Tell me more about what feels difficult right now.'
Rationale: An open-ended response encourages the patient to describe feelings and experiences.
11. Which nurse statement is an example of reflection?
A. 'You seem worried about what will happen next.'
B. 'Why did you do that?'
C. 'Everything will be fine.'
D. 'You should try meditation.'
Answer: A. 'You seem worried about what will happen next.'
Rationale: Reflection identifies and returns the emotional content of the patient's communication.
12. A patient pauses and becomes tearful during an interview. The nurse should first:
A. Change the subject
B. Allow silence and remain present
C. Leave immediately
D. Tell the patient not to cry
Answer: B. Allow silence and remain present
Rationale: Therapeutic silence gives the patient space to process and communicate emotions.
13. Which response is least therapeutic?
A. 'What would help you feel safer?'
B. 'I can see this is upsetting.'
C. 'Don't worry; everything will work out.'
D. 'What are you thinking about right now?'
Answer: C. 'Don't worry; everything will work out.'
Rationale: False reassurance can minimize distress and does not explore the patient's experience.
14. Which statement demonstrates clarification?
A. 'You seem upset.'
B. 'When you say you feel unsafe, what does unsafe mean to you?'
C. 'You are definitely anxious.'
D. 'Try to relax.'
Answer: B. 'When you say you feel unsafe, what does unsafe mean to you?'
Rationale: Clarification seeks the patient's meaning when a statement is vague or ambiguous.
Original Practice Exam • Page 3
, 15. A nurse says, 'Let's look at what choices you have.' This is an example of:
A. Offering self
B. Exploring options
C. Giving false reassurance
D. Changing the subject
Answer: B. Exploring options
Rationale: Exploring options supports problem solving while preserving patient autonomy.
16. Which nurse response best acknowledges emotion?
A. 'That sounds frightening.'
B. 'You shouldn't feel that way.'
C. 'Forget about it.'
D. 'Others have it worse.'
Answer: A. 'That sounds frightening.'
Rationale: Acknowledging emotion validates the experience without necessarily agreeing with every interpretation.
17. Which action is most likely to damage the therapeutic relationship?
A. Being consistent
B. Promising secrecy that cannot legally be guaranteed
C. Maintaining boundaries
D. Listening actively
Answer: B. Promising secrecy that cannot legally be guaranteed
Rationale: A nurse should not promise absolute secrecy when information may need to be disclosed for safety or legal
reasons.
18. A patient asks, 'Do you think I'm a bad person?' The best response is:
A. 'What makes you wonder whether you are a bad person?'
B. 'Of course not.'
C. 'Yes, because of what you did.'
D. 'Don't ask questions like that.'
Answer: A. 'What makes you wonder whether you are a bad person?'
Rationale: The response explores the patient's underlying concern rather than giving judgment or false reassurance.
Assessment and mental status examination
19. During a mental status examination, orientation primarily assesses awareness of:
A. Only mood
B. Person, place, time, and situation
C. Only memory
D. Only insight
Answer: B. Person, place, time, and situation
Rationale: Orientation commonly includes person, place, time, and situation.
20. Which finding is an example of a hallucination?
A. A false fixed belief
Original Practice Exam • Page 4
Edition (Jakubec & Pollard) | Verified Q&A | ISBN 9780323778794
200-Question Original Practice Exam
Study & Review Edition
Original practice material covering mental-health foundations, therapeutic communication,
assessment, anxiety, mood disorders, psychosis, substance use, trauma, safety,
psychopharmacology, ethics, community care, and recovery.
Mental health foundations
1. Which nursing action best reflects recovery-oriented mental health care?
A. Focusing only on symptom elimination
B. Supporting the person's goals, strengths, and participation in care
C. Making all decisions for the person
D. Avoiding discussion of community resources
Answer: B. Supporting the person's goals, strengths, and participation in care
Rationale: Recovery-oriented care emphasizes strengths, autonomy, meaningful goals, and participation in decisions.
2. Which statement best distinguishes mental health from the absence of mental illness?
A. A person with a diagnosis can never have good mental health
B. Mental health includes the ability to adapt, function, and maintain meaningful relationships
C. Mental health means never experiencing stress
D. Mental illness always causes impaired functioning
Answer: B. Mental health includes the ability to adapt, function, and maintain meaningful relationships
Rationale: Mental health is multidimensional and includes coping, functioning, relationships, and adaptation.
3. Which factor is most appropriately considered a social determinant of mental health?
A. Housing stability
B. Eye color
C. Blood type
D. Hand dominance
Answer: A. Housing stability
Rationale: Stable housing can substantially influence safety, stress, access to care, and overall mental health.
Original Practice Exam • Page 1
,4. A nurse uses a strengths-based approach when the nurse:
A. Lists only the patient's deficits
B. Identifies abilities and resources that can support recovery
C. Avoids setting goals
D. Makes decisions without patient input
Answer: B. Identifies abilities and resources that can support recovery
Rationale: Strengths-based practice identifies capabilities and resources that can be used to support recovery.
5. Which assessment approach is most culturally responsive?
A. Assume all cultures interpret symptoms identically
B. Ask how the person understands the problem and what practices are meaningful to them
C. Avoid asking about culture
D. Use stereotypes to guide care
Answer: B. Ask how the person understands the problem and what practices are meaningful to them
Rationale: Culturally responsive care explores the person's own explanatory model and preferences.
6. Which factor can be protective against mental health difficulties?
A. Supportive relationships
B. Persistent isolation
C. Chronic sleep loss
D. Unmanaged violence
Answer: A. Supportive relationships
Rationale: Supportive relationships can buffer stress and promote resilience.
7. A nurse uses person-first language by documenting:
A. 'A schizophrenic patient'
B. 'A patient living with schizophrenia'
C. 'A psych case'
D. 'A noncompliant person'
Answer: B. 'A patient living with schizophrenia'
Rationale: Person-first language emphasizes the person rather than reducing them to a diagnosis.
8. Which statement about stigma is accurate?
A. Stigma can reduce willingness to seek care
B. Stigma improves treatment engagement
C. Stigma has no effect on health
D. Stigma is always helpful
Answer: A. Stigma can reduce willingness to seek care
Rationale: Stigma can create shame, discrimination, and barriers to treatment.
9. Which nursing goal is most recovery-oriented?
A. Patient will follow every instruction without question
B. Patient will identify two personally meaningful wellness goals
C. Patient will never feel anxious
D. Staff will make all decisions
Original Practice Exam • Page 2
,Answer: B. Patient will identify two personally meaningful wellness goals
Rationale: Recovery-oriented goals are meaningful to the person and support autonomy.
Therapeutic communication
10. A patient says, 'Nobody understands what I am going through.' Which response is most therapeutic?
A. 'You should talk to your family.'
B. 'Tell me more about what feels difficult right now.'
C. 'Everyone feels that way sometimes.'
D. 'You need to stay positive.'
Answer: B. 'Tell me more about what feels difficult right now.'
Rationale: An open-ended response encourages the patient to describe feelings and experiences.
11. Which nurse statement is an example of reflection?
A. 'You seem worried about what will happen next.'
B. 'Why did you do that?'
C. 'Everything will be fine.'
D. 'You should try meditation.'
Answer: A. 'You seem worried about what will happen next.'
Rationale: Reflection identifies and returns the emotional content of the patient's communication.
12. A patient pauses and becomes tearful during an interview. The nurse should first:
A. Change the subject
B. Allow silence and remain present
C. Leave immediately
D. Tell the patient not to cry
Answer: B. Allow silence and remain present
Rationale: Therapeutic silence gives the patient space to process and communicate emotions.
13. Which response is least therapeutic?
A. 'What would help you feel safer?'
B. 'I can see this is upsetting.'
C. 'Don't worry; everything will work out.'
D. 'What are you thinking about right now?'
Answer: C. 'Don't worry; everything will work out.'
Rationale: False reassurance can minimize distress and does not explore the patient's experience.
14. Which statement demonstrates clarification?
A. 'You seem upset.'
B. 'When you say you feel unsafe, what does unsafe mean to you?'
C. 'You are definitely anxious.'
D. 'Try to relax.'
Answer: B. 'When you say you feel unsafe, what does unsafe mean to you?'
Rationale: Clarification seeks the patient's meaning when a statement is vague or ambiguous.
Original Practice Exam • Page 3
, 15. A nurse says, 'Let's look at what choices you have.' This is an example of:
A. Offering self
B. Exploring options
C. Giving false reassurance
D. Changing the subject
Answer: B. Exploring options
Rationale: Exploring options supports problem solving while preserving patient autonomy.
16. Which nurse response best acknowledges emotion?
A. 'That sounds frightening.'
B. 'You shouldn't feel that way.'
C. 'Forget about it.'
D. 'Others have it worse.'
Answer: A. 'That sounds frightening.'
Rationale: Acknowledging emotion validates the experience without necessarily agreeing with every interpretation.
17. Which action is most likely to damage the therapeutic relationship?
A. Being consistent
B. Promising secrecy that cannot legally be guaranteed
C. Maintaining boundaries
D. Listening actively
Answer: B. Promising secrecy that cannot legally be guaranteed
Rationale: A nurse should not promise absolute secrecy when information may need to be disclosed for safety or legal
reasons.
18. A patient asks, 'Do you think I'm a bad person?' The best response is:
A. 'What makes you wonder whether you are a bad person?'
B. 'Of course not.'
C. 'Yes, because of what you did.'
D. 'Don't ask questions like that.'
Answer: A. 'What makes you wonder whether you are a bad person?'
Rationale: The response explores the patient's underlying concern rather than giving judgment or false reassurance.
Assessment and mental status examination
19. During a mental status examination, orientation primarily assesses awareness of:
A. Only mood
B. Person, place, time, and situation
C. Only memory
D. Only insight
Answer: B. Person, place, time, and situation
Rationale: Orientation commonly includes person, place, time, and situation.
20. Which finding is an example of a hallucination?
A. A false fixed belief
Original Practice Exam • Page 4
