Chamberlain College of Nursing | NR 605 Diagnosis & Management in Psychiatric-Mental
Health Across the Lifespan I Practicum
NR 605 Diagnosis & Management in
Psychiatric-Mental Health Across the
Lifespan I Practicum Comprehensive
Examination 2026/2027 | Verified Questions
Chamberlain College of Nursing | NR 605 Diagnosis & Management in Psychiatric-Mental Health Across
the Lifespan I Practicum | University-Level Advanced Practice Nursing Students
150 Verified Questions | 4 Core Domains | Academic Year 2026/2027
Prepared by
Chamberlain College of Nursing | NR 605 Diagnosis & Management in Psychiatric-Mental Health Across
the Lifespan I Practicum
Comprehensive Midterm & Final Examination Actual Exam | Academic Year 2026/2027
NR 605 Diagnosis & Management in Psychiatric-Mental Health Across the Lifespan I Practicum Comprehensive Examination
2026/2027 | Verified Questions
,INTRODUCTION
This comprehensive examination contains 150 original verified questions designed to reinforce the official
Chamberlain College of Nursing NR 605 Diagnosis & Management in Psychiatric-Mental Health Across
the Lifespan I Practicum course objectives for actual exam readiness and clinical proficiency, aligned to
the 2026/2027 academic year. The questions span four core domains: Psychiatric Assessment and
Diagnostic Reasoning; Psychopharmacology and Medication Management; Psychotherapy Modalities and
Therapeutic Communication; and Lifespan-Specific Mental Health Interventions and Crisis Management.
Each item is constructed to assess mastery of diagnostic criteria, psychopharmacologic decision-making,
therapeutic communication, and lifespan-specific psychiatric care drawn from foundational psychiatric-
mental health methodology.
ACTUAL QUESTIONS
Domain 1: Psychiatric Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning
Question 1. Which component of the mental status examination specifically evaluates a
patient’s ability to abstract and reason?
A. Appearance only
B. Thought content and cognitive assessment including proverb interpretation
C. Mood exclusively
D. Motor activity alone
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Abstract reasoning is tested within the cognitive portion of the MSE, often via proverb
interpretation or similarities, to assess higher-order thinking.
Question 2. A patient reports hearing voices that comment on their behavior. This is an
example of:
A. Auditory hallucination
B. Illusion
C. Delusion of reference only
D. Idea of reference without sensory perception
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Hallucinations are sensory perceptions without external stimuli; auditory hallucinations
that comment on behavior are common in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders.
Question 3. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) primarily screens for:
A. Personality disorders exclusively
B. Cognitive impairment including orientation, memory, attention, and language
C. Mood disorders only
D. Substance use severity alone
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The MMSE is a brief standardized tool that quantifies cognitive domains and helps detect
dementia or delirium.
Question 4. Which DSM-5 criterion is required for a diagnosis of major depressive
disorder?
A. Five or more symptoms during the same 2-week period with at least one being depressed mood or
anhedonia
B. Only two symptoms lasting one day
C. Symptoms that never impair function
NR 605 Diagnosis & Management in Psychiatric-Mental Health Across the Lifespan I Practicum Comprehensive Examination
2026/2027 | Verified Questions
, D. Manic episodes as a requirement
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: MDD requires a discrete period of at least five symptoms, including depressed mood or loss
of interest/pleasure, lasting two weeks or more.
Question 5. A patient firmly believes they are being followed by government agents despite
clear evidence to the contrary. This is a:
A. Hallucination
B. Illusion
C. Obsessive thought that the patient recognizes as irrational
D. Persecutory delusion
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Delusions are fixed false beliefs held despite contradictory evidence; persecutory content is
among the most common.
Question 6. Which assessment finding is most suggestive of delirium rather than
dementia?
A. Insidious onset over years with stable deficits
B. Acute onset with fluctuating attention and awareness
C. Gradual language decline only
D. Personality change without cognitive fluctuation
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Delirium is characterized by acute onset, fluctuating course, and disturbed attention;
dementia develops more gradually.
Question 7. The PHQ-9 is primarily used to screen for:
A. Depression severity
B. Anxiety only
C. Psychosis
D. Personality disorders
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 is a validated self-report measure of depressive
symptom severity.
Question 8. A patient with bipolar I disorder must have a history of at least one:
A. Only hypomanic episode without mania
B. Manic episode
C. Only major depressive episode
D. Only mixed features without full mania
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Bipolar I diagnosis requires the lifetime occurrence of at least one full manic episode.
Question 9. Flight of ideas is most characteristic of:
A. Major depressive episodes without psychotic features
B. Generalized anxiety disorder
C. Obsessive-compulsive disorder
D. Manic episodes
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Flight of ideas—rapid, continuous, loosely connected speech—is a hallmark of mania.
NR 605 Diagnosis & Management in Psychiatric-Mental Health Across the Lifespan I Practicum Comprehensive Examination
2026/2027 | Verified Questions
, Question 10. Which interview technique encourages the patient to elaborate freely?
A. Only closed yes/no questions
B. Leading questions that suggest the answer
C. Open-ended questions
D. Interrupting frequently
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Open-ended questions invite narrative and richer clinical detail than closed or leading
questions.
Question 11. Anhedonia refers to:
A. Elevated mood
B. Loss of interest or pleasure in previously enjoyable activities
C. Increased energy
D. Heightened sensory perception
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Anhedonia is a core symptom of depression and a required alternative criterion for MDD.
Question 12. The CAGE questionnaire is a brief screen for:
A. Depression only
B. Psychosis
C. Eating disorders
D. Problematic alcohol use
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: CAGE (Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener) is a widely used four-item alcohol screening
tool.
Question 13. Which finding supports a diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder?
A. Excessive anxiety and worry occurring more days than not for at least 6 months about multiple
events
B. Anxiety limited to public speaking only
C. Panic attacks as the sole symptom
D. Worry lasting less than one week
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: GAD requires persistent, excessive, difficult-to-control worry about several domains lasting
≥6 months with associated symptoms.
Question 14. Tangential speech is best described as:
A. Speech that stays strictly on topic
B. Replies that digress from the topic and never return to the original point
C. Word salad without any associations
D. Mutism
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Tangentiality involves oblique or irrelevant responses that fail to answer the question posed.
Question 15. A patient scores 28 on the MMSE. This most likely indicates:
A. Severe dementia
B. Moderate cognitive impairment requiring institutional care
C. Normal or near-normal cognitive function
NR 605 Diagnosis & Management in Psychiatric-Mental Health Across the Lifespan I Practicum Comprehensive Examination
2026/2027 | Verified Questions
Health Across the Lifespan I Practicum
NR 605 Diagnosis & Management in
Psychiatric-Mental Health Across the
Lifespan I Practicum Comprehensive
Examination 2026/2027 | Verified Questions
Chamberlain College of Nursing | NR 605 Diagnosis & Management in Psychiatric-Mental Health Across
the Lifespan I Practicum | University-Level Advanced Practice Nursing Students
150 Verified Questions | 4 Core Domains | Academic Year 2026/2027
Prepared by
Chamberlain College of Nursing | NR 605 Diagnosis & Management in Psychiatric-Mental Health Across
the Lifespan I Practicum
Comprehensive Midterm & Final Examination Actual Exam | Academic Year 2026/2027
NR 605 Diagnosis & Management in Psychiatric-Mental Health Across the Lifespan I Practicum Comprehensive Examination
2026/2027 | Verified Questions
,INTRODUCTION
This comprehensive examination contains 150 original verified questions designed to reinforce the official
Chamberlain College of Nursing NR 605 Diagnosis & Management in Psychiatric-Mental Health Across
the Lifespan I Practicum course objectives for actual exam readiness and clinical proficiency, aligned to
the 2026/2027 academic year. The questions span four core domains: Psychiatric Assessment and
Diagnostic Reasoning; Psychopharmacology and Medication Management; Psychotherapy Modalities and
Therapeutic Communication; and Lifespan-Specific Mental Health Interventions and Crisis Management.
Each item is constructed to assess mastery of diagnostic criteria, psychopharmacologic decision-making,
therapeutic communication, and lifespan-specific psychiatric care drawn from foundational psychiatric-
mental health methodology.
ACTUAL QUESTIONS
Domain 1: Psychiatric Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning
Question 1. Which component of the mental status examination specifically evaluates a
patient’s ability to abstract and reason?
A. Appearance only
B. Thought content and cognitive assessment including proverb interpretation
C. Mood exclusively
D. Motor activity alone
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Abstract reasoning is tested within the cognitive portion of the MSE, often via proverb
interpretation or similarities, to assess higher-order thinking.
Question 2. A patient reports hearing voices that comment on their behavior. This is an
example of:
A. Auditory hallucination
B. Illusion
C. Delusion of reference only
D. Idea of reference without sensory perception
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Hallucinations are sensory perceptions without external stimuli; auditory hallucinations
that comment on behavior are common in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders.
Question 3. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) primarily screens for:
A. Personality disorders exclusively
B. Cognitive impairment including orientation, memory, attention, and language
C. Mood disorders only
D. Substance use severity alone
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The MMSE is a brief standardized tool that quantifies cognitive domains and helps detect
dementia or delirium.
Question 4. Which DSM-5 criterion is required for a diagnosis of major depressive
disorder?
A. Five or more symptoms during the same 2-week period with at least one being depressed mood or
anhedonia
B. Only two symptoms lasting one day
C. Symptoms that never impair function
NR 605 Diagnosis & Management in Psychiatric-Mental Health Across the Lifespan I Practicum Comprehensive Examination
2026/2027 | Verified Questions
, D. Manic episodes as a requirement
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: MDD requires a discrete period of at least five symptoms, including depressed mood or loss
of interest/pleasure, lasting two weeks or more.
Question 5. A patient firmly believes they are being followed by government agents despite
clear evidence to the contrary. This is a:
A. Hallucination
B. Illusion
C. Obsessive thought that the patient recognizes as irrational
D. Persecutory delusion
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Delusions are fixed false beliefs held despite contradictory evidence; persecutory content is
among the most common.
Question 6. Which assessment finding is most suggestive of delirium rather than
dementia?
A. Insidious onset over years with stable deficits
B. Acute onset with fluctuating attention and awareness
C. Gradual language decline only
D. Personality change without cognitive fluctuation
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Delirium is characterized by acute onset, fluctuating course, and disturbed attention;
dementia develops more gradually.
Question 7. The PHQ-9 is primarily used to screen for:
A. Depression severity
B. Anxiety only
C. Psychosis
D. Personality disorders
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 is a validated self-report measure of depressive
symptom severity.
Question 8. A patient with bipolar I disorder must have a history of at least one:
A. Only hypomanic episode without mania
B. Manic episode
C. Only major depressive episode
D. Only mixed features without full mania
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Bipolar I diagnosis requires the lifetime occurrence of at least one full manic episode.
Question 9. Flight of ideas is most characteristic of:
A. Major depressive episodes without psychotic features
B. Generalized anxiety disorder
C. Obsessive-compulsive disorder
D. Manic episodes
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Flight of ideas—rapid, continuous, loosely connected speech—is a hallmark of mania.
NR 605 Diagnosis & Management in Psychiatric-Mental Health Across the Lifespan I Practicum Comprehensive Examination
2026/2027 | Verified Questions
, Question 10. Which interview technique encourages the patient to elaborate freely?
A. Only closed yes/no questions
B. Leading questions that suggest the answer
C. Open-ended questions
D. Interrupting frequently
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Open-ended questions invite narrative and richer clinical detail than closed or leading
questions.
Question 11. Anhedonia refers to:
A. Elevated mood
B. Loss of interest or pleasure in previously enjoyable activities
C. Increased energy
D. Heightened sensory perception
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Anhedonia is a core symptom of depression and a required alternative criterion for MDD.
Question 12. The CAGE questionnaire is a brief screen for:
A. Depression only
B. Psychosis
C. Eating disorders
D. Problematic alcohol use
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: CAGE (Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener) is a widely used four-item alcohol screening
tool.
Question 13. Which finding supports a diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder?
A. Excessive anxiety and worry occurring more days than not for at least 6 months about multiple
events
B. Anxiety limited to public speaking only
C. Panic attacks as the sole symptom
D. Worry lasting less than one week
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: GAD requires persistent, excessive, difficult-to-control worry about several domains lasting
≥6 months with associated symptoms.
Question 14. Tangential speech is best described as:
A. Speech that stays strictly on topic
B. Replies that digress from the topic and never return to the original point
C. Word salad without any associations
D. Mutism
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Tangentiality involves oblique or irrelevant responses that fail to answer the question posed.
Question 15. A patient scores 28 on the MMSE. This most likely indicates:
A. Severe dementia
B. Moderate cognitive impairment requiring institutional care
C. Normal or near-normal cognitive function
NR 605 Diagnosis & Management in Psychiatric-Mental Health Across the Lifespan I Practicum Comprehensive Examination
2026/2027 | Verified Questions
