ATI Mental Health NEWEST EVALUATED
ACTUAL EXAM PRACTICE 170 QUESTIONS
2026 2027|ORIGINAL QUESTIONS &
ANSWERS |DETAILED RATIONALES
|HINTED COMPLETE EXAM PREP GRADED
A+*INSTANT DOWNLOAD PDF*
1. A nurse is assessing a client who reports hearing voices telling them to harm themselves.
Which action should the nurse take first?
A. Ask the client what the voices are saying.
B. Administer the prescribed antipsychotic medication.
C. Determine whether the client has a specific plan to act on the voices.
D. Encourage the client to use distraction techniques.
Answer: C. Determine whether the client has a specific plan to act on the voices.
The priority is immediate safety. Assessing the presence of a plan, intent, and access to means
helps determine the client's immediate risk for self-directed violence.
2. A client with major depressive disorder states, "Everyone would be better off without
me." Which response by the nurse is most appropriate?
A. "You should focus on the positive things in your life."
B. "Are you thinking about killing yourself?"
C. "Why do you believe your family feels that way?"
D. "You need to discuss these feelings during group therapy."
Answer: B. "Are you thinking about killing yourself?"
Directly asking about suicide does not increase suicidal behavior. The nurse should assess
suicidal thoughts, intent, plan, and access to lethal means.
3. A client experiencing acute mania is pacing rapidly, speaking loudly, and interrupting
other clients. Which intervention is most appropriate?
A. Place the client in a stimulating group activity.
B. Encourage the client to participate in lengthy discussions.
C. Provide a quiet environment with minimal stimulation.
D. Allow the client unrestricted activity until fatigue occurs.
,Answer: C. Provide a quiet environment with minimal stimulation.
Clients experiencing mania benefit from reduced environmental stimulation, clear limits, brief
communication, and structured activities.
4. A nurse is caring for a client who has schizophrenia and reports hearing voices. Which
statement by the nurse is therapeutic?
A. "The voices are not real, so you should ignore them."
B. "I understand that you hear the voices, but I do not hear them."
C. "What did you do to make the voices start?"
D. "You should listen to the voices if they are helpful."
Answer: B. "I understand that you hear the voices, but I do not hear them."
The nurse acknowledges the client's experience without validating the hallucination as reality.
5. A client with borderline personality disorder tells the nurse, "You are the only person
here who actually cares about me. The other nurses are terrible." Which response is
appropriate?
A. "You're right; I do understand you better than they do."
B. "You should tell the other nurses how you feel."
C. "It sounds like you are having difficulty trusting the staff."
D. "The other nurses are doing their best to help you."
Answer: C. "It sounds like you are having difficulty trusting the staff."
Clients with borderline personality disorder can use splitting to create divisions among staff.
Consistent boundaries and a unified treatment approach are essential.
6. A client receiving lithium reports diarrhea, vomiting, coarse hand tremors, and difficulty
walking. Which action should the nurse take?
A. Administer the next dose with food.
B. Hold the lithium and notify the provider.
C. Encourage the client to exercise.
D. Administer an additional dose of lithium.
Answer: B. Hold the lithium and notify the provider.
These findings can indicate lithium toxicity. The medication should be withheld and the provider
notified promptly.
7. A client taking clozapine reports a sore throat and fever. Which action should the nurse
take?
,A. Reassure the client that this is an expected effect.
B. Instruct the client to take the medication with food.
C. Notify the provider and obtain a white blood cell count as prescribed.
D. Encourage increased physical activity.
Answer: C. Notify the provider and obtain a white blood cell count as prescribed.
Clozapine can cause severe neutropenia or agranulocytosis. Fever and sore throat require prompt
evaluation.
8. A client who recently stopped consuming alcohol is tremulous, anxious, diaphoretic, and
disoriented. Which complication should the nurse recognize as the priority?
A. Wernicke encephalopathy
B. Delirium tremens
C. Korsakoff syndrome
D. Alcohol-induced depressive disorder
Answer: B. Delirium tremens
Delirium tremens is a potentially life-threatening complication of alcohol withdrawal
characterized by severe autonomic instability, confusion, agitation, hallucinations, and seizures.
9. A nurse is caring for a client in seclusion because of aggressive behavior. Which action is
appropriate?
A. Leave the client unattended for several hours.
B. Assess the client according to facility policy and prescribed monitoring requirements.
C. Use seclusion as punishment for refusing treatment.
D. Keep the client in seclusion until the next shift.
Answer: B. Assess the client according to facility policy and prescribed monitoring
requirements.
Seclusion is a safety intervention, not punishment. The client requires ongoing assessment,
documentation, and reassessment for continued need.
10. A client experiencing panic-level anxiety is unable to concentrate and reports feeling
unable to breathe. Which nursing intervention is appropriate?
A. Provide detailed written instructions.
B. Ask the client to analyze the cause of the anxiety.
C. Remain with the client and use short, simple statements.
D. Encourage the client to make several decisions independently.
Answer: C. Remain with the client and use short, simple statements.
, During severe anxiety or panic, the client's ability to process information is significantly
impaired. The nurse should remain with the client and provide simple, calm communication.
11. A client with obsessive-compulsive disorder repeatedly washes their hands because of
contamination fears. Which intervention is most appropriate?
A. Immediately prohibit all handwashing.
B. Reinforce the ritual whenever anxiety increases.
C. Help the client gradually decrease compulsive behaviors according to the treatment plan.
D. Tell the client that the fear is irrational.
Answer: C. Help the client gradually decrease compulsive behaviors according to the
treatment plan.
Treatment commonly focuses on reducing compulsive behaviors through structured behavioral
interventions while helping the client tolerate increasing anxiety.
12. A client with anorexia nervosa has a heart rate of 42/min and a blood pressure of 84/50
mm Hg. Which action should the nurse take?
A. Encourage the client to participate in exercise.
B. Place the client on cardiac monitoring and notify the provider.
C. Allow the client to skip the next meal.
D. Encourage the client to drink caffeinated beverages.
Answer: B. Place the client on cardiac monitoring and notify the provider.
Severe bradycardia and hypotension can indicate cardiovascular instability associated with
severe malnutrition and require immediate intervention.
13. A client with post-traumatic stress disorder becomes increasingly anxious after hearing a
loud noise. Which nursing intervention is appropriate?
A. Encourage the client to discuss the traumatic event immediately.
B. Tell the client that the event is no longer occurring.
C. Help the client identify grounding techniques and establish a sense of safety.
D. Leave the client alone to decrease stimulation.
Answer: C. Help the client identify grounding techniques and establish a sense of safety.
Grounding techniques can help clients experiencing trauma-related distress reconnect with the
present environment and reduce acute anxiety.
14. A nurse is assessing a client who has delirium. Which finding should the nurse expect?
ACTUAL EXAM PRACTICE 170 QUESTIONS
2026 2027|ORIGINAL QUESTIONS &
ANSWERS |DETAILED RATIONALES
|HINTED COMPLETE EXAM PREP GRADED
A+*INSTANT DOWNLOAD PDF*
1. A nurse is assessing a client who reports hearing voices telling them to harm themselves.
Which action should the nurse take first?
A. Ask the client what the voices are saying.
B. Administer the prescribed antipsychotic medication.
C. Determine whether the client has a specific plan to act on the voices.
D. Encourage the client to use distraction techniques.
Answer: C. Determine whether the client has a specific plan to act on the voices.
The priority is immediate safety. Assessing the presence of a plan, intent, and access to means
helps determine the client's immediate risk for self-directed violence.
2. A client with major depressive disorder states, "Everyone would be better off without
me." Which response by the nurse is most appropriate?
A. "You should focus on the positive things in your life."
B. "Are you thinking about killing yourself?"
C. "Why do you believe your family feels that way?"
D. "You need to discuss these feelings during group therapy."
Answer: B. "Are you thinking about killing yourself?"
Directly asking about suicide does not increase suicidal behavior. The nurse should assess
suicidal thoughts, intent, plan, and access to lethal means.
3. A client experiencing acute mania is pacing rapidly, speaking loudly, and interrupting
other clients. Which intervention is most appropriate?
A. Place the client in a stimulating group activity.
B. Encourage the client to participate in lengthy discussions.
C. Provide a quiet environment with minimal stimulation.
D. Allow the client unrestricted activity until fatigue occurs.
,Answer: C. Provide a quiet environment with minimal stimulation.
Clients experiencing mania benefit from reduced environmental stimulation, clear limits, brief
communication, and structured activities.
4. A nurse is caring for a client who has schizophrenia and reports hearing voices. Which
statement by the nurse is therapeutic?
A. "The voices are not real, so you should ignore them."
B. "I understand that you hear the voices, but I do not hear them."
C. "What did you do to make the voices start?"
D. "You should listen to the voices if they are helpful."
Answer: B. "I understand that you hear the voices, but I do not hear them."
The nurse acknowledges the client's experience without validating the hallucination as reality.
5. A client with borderline personality disorder tells the nurse, "You are the only person
here who actually cares about me. The other nurses are terrible." Which response is
appropriate?
A. "You're right; I do understand you better than they do."
B. "You should tell the other nurses how you feel."
C. "It sounds like you are having difficulty trusting the staff."
D. "The other nurses are doing their best to help you."
Answer: C. "It sounds like you are having difficulty trusting the staff."
Clients with borderline personality disorder can use splitting to create divisions among staff.
Consistent boundaries and a unified treatment approach are essential.
6. A client receiving lithium reports diarrhea, vomiting, coarse hand tremors, and difficulty
walking. Which action should the nurse take?
A. Administer the next dose with food.
B. Hold the lithium and notify the provider.
C. Encourage the client to exercise.
D. Administer an additional dose of lithium.
Answer: B. Hold the lithium and notify the provider.
These findings can indicate lithium toxicity. The medication should be withheld and the provider
notified promptly.
7. A client taking clozapine reports a sore throat and fever. Which action should the nurse
take?
,A. Reassure the client that this is an expected effect.
B. Instruct the client to take the medication with food.
C. Notify the provider and obtain a white blood cell count as prescribed.
D. Encourage increased physical activity.
Answer: C. Notify the provider and obtain a white blood cell count as prescribed.
Clozapine can cause severe neutropenia or agranulocytosis. Fever and sore throat require prompt
evaluation.
8. A client who recently stopped consuming alcohol is tremulous, anxious, diaphoretic, and
disoriented. Which complication should the nurse recognize as the priority?
A. Wernicke encephalopathy
B. Delirium tremens
C. Korsakoff syndrome
D. Alcohol-induced depressive disorder
Answer: B. Delirium tremens
Delirium tremens is a potentially life-threatening complication of alcohol withdrawal
characterized by severe autonomic instability, confusion, agitation, hallucinations, and seizures.
9. A nurse is caring for a client in seclusion because of aggressive behavior. Which action is
appropriate?
A. Leave the client unattended for several hours.
B. Assess the client according to facility policy and prescribed monitoring requirements.
C. Use seclusion as punishment for refusing treatment.
D. Keep the client in seclusion until the next shift.
Answer: B. Assess the client according to facility policy and prescribed monitoring
requirements.
Seclusion is a safety intervention, not punishment. The client requires ongoing assessment,
documentation, and reassessment for continued need.
10. A client experiencing panic-level anxiety is unable to concentrate and reports feeling
unable to breathe. Which nursing intervention is appropriate?
A. Provide detailed written instructions.
B. Ask the client to analyze the cause of the anxiety.
C. Remain with the client and use short, simple statements.
D. Encourage the client to make several decisions independently.
Answer: C. Remain with the client and use short, simple statements.
, During severe anxiety or panic, the client's ability to process information is significantly
impaired. The nurse should remain with the client and provide simple, calm communication.
11. A client with obsessive-compulsive disorder repeatedly washes their hands because of
contamination fears. Which intervention is most appropriate?
A. Immediately prohibit all handwashing.
B. Reinforce the ritual whenever anxiety increases.
C. Help the client gradually decrease compulsive behaviors according to the treatment plan.
D. Tell the client that the fear is irrational.
Answer: C. Help the client gradually decrease compulsive behaviors according to the
treatment plan.
Treatment commonly focuses on reducing compulsive behaviors through structured behavioral
interventions while helping the client tolerate increasing anxiety.
12. A client with anorexia nervosa has a heart rate of 42/min and a blood pressure of 84/50
mm Hg. Which action should the nurse take?
A. Encourage the client to participate in exercise.
B. Place the client on cardiac monitoring and notify the provider.
C. Allow the client to skip the next meal.
D. Encourage the client to drink caffeinated beverages.
Answer: B. Place the client on cardiac monitoring and notify the provider.
Severe bradycardia and hypotension can indicate cardiovascular instability associated with
severe malnutrition and require immediate intervention.
13. A client with post-traumatic stress disorder becomes increasingly anxious after hearing a
loud noise. Which nursing intervention is appropriate?
A. Encourage the client to discuss the traumatic event immediately.
B. Tell the client that the event is no longer occurring.
C. Help the client identify grounding techniques and establish a sense of safety.
D. Leave the client alone to decrease stimulation.
Answer: C. Help the client identify grounding techniques and establish a sense of safety.
Grounding techniques can help clients experiencing trauma-related distress reconnect with the
present environment and reduce acute anxiety.
14. A nurse is assessing a client who has delirium. Which finding should the nurse expect?
