ATI Schizophrenia Spectrum
Disorders & Psychosis —
Original Practice Questions
with answers (1–100)
Section 1: Positive Symptoms
& Hallucinations (1–20)
1. A nurse is providing information about hallucinations to a client who has schizophrenia.
Which statement should the nurse make?
A) "It is a belief that something is real when in reality it is not."
B) "It is when behaviors you typically display are abnormally absent."
C) "It is when you see or hear things that others are not experiencing."
D) "It is when you experience symptoms that affect your memory."
Answer: C — Hallucinations are perceptual experiences without external stimuli .
2. A client with schizophrenia reports hearing voices telling him he is worthless. The nurse
should identify this as which type of symptom?
A) Negative symptom
B) Positive symptom
C) Cognitive symptom
D) Affective symptom
Answer: B — Auditory hallucinations are positive symptoms (excess or distortion of normal
function) .
3. A client states, "The television is sending me secret messages through the news anchor's
eye movements." The nurse should identify this as which type of delusion?
A) Persecutory
B) Grandiose
C) Referential
D) Nihilistic
Answer: C — Delusions of reference involve neutral external events being directly related to
the client .
,4. A client reports, "Aliens have removed my thoughts and replaced them with their own."
The nurse should document this as:
A) Thought broadcasting
B) Thought withdrawal
C) Thought insertion
D) Loose associations
Answer: C — Thought insertion is the belief that external forces placed thoughts into the
mind .
5. A client states, "My heart has stopped and my blood has turned to dust." The nurse
recognizes this as:
A) Somatic delusion
B) Nihilistic delusion
C) Persecutory delusion
D) Erotomanic delusion
Answer: B — Nihilistic delusions involve conviction that oneself or the world does not exist .
6. A client believes the FBI is monitoring his thoughts through the television. This is:
A) Somatic delusion
B) Delusion of grandeur
C) Persecutory delusion
D) Nihilistic delusion
Answer: C — Persecutory delusions involve belief of being harassed or conspired against .
7. A nurse is assessing a client who reports hearing voices that tell him he is worthless. The
nurse should identify this as:
A) Delusion
B) Hallucination
C) Alogia
D) Anhedonia
Answer: B — Hallucinations are perceptual experiences without external stimuli .
8. Which statement by the nurse is most therapeutic when a client expresses a delusional
belief?
A) "That is not true. The FBI does not have that technology."
B) "I don't hear anything unusual, but I understand you believe that."
C) "You should avoid watching television if it makes you feel this way."
D) "Tell me more about the aliens."
Answer: B — Validate the client's feeling without reinforcing or arguing with the delusion .
9. A client with schizophrenia says, "The television news anchor is speaking directly to me."
This is a:
A) Persecutory delusion
, B) Delusion of reference
C) Grandiose delusion
D) Somatic delusion
Answer: B — Delusion of reference involves neutral stimuli having special personal meaning
.
10. Command hallucinations are dangerous because:
A) They are rare
B) They may instruct self-harm or harm to others
C) They are always pleasant
D) They only occur in bipolar disorder
Answer: B — Command hallucinations may instruct dangerous behavior .
11. A nurse is caring for a client experiencing psychosis. Which manifestation should the
nurse identify as a positive symptom?
A) Flat affect
B) Hearing voices
C) Difficulty concentrating
D) Withdrawn socially
Answer: B — Hearing voices is a hallucination, a positive symptom .
12. A client with schizophrenia says, "Aliens are using my toothbrush to send messages to
Mars." The nurse's best response is:
A) "That's ridiculous. Aliens don't exist."
B) "I don't hear anything unusual, but I understand you believe that."
C) "Let me throw away your toothbrush."
D) "Tell me more about the aliens."
Answer: B — Acknowledge the experience without reinforcing the delusion .
13. Which type of hallucination is most common in schizophrenia?
A) Visual
B) Auditory
C) Tactile
D) Olfactory
Answer: B — Auditory hallucinations are the most common type .
14. A client reports, "I feel like my thoughts are being pulled out of my head by aliens." The
nurse documents this as:
A) Thought blocking
B) Thought withdrawal
C) Thought insertion
D) Thought broadcasting
Answer: B — Thought withdrawal is the belief that thoughts are removed by external force .
Disorders & Psychosis —
Original Practice Questions
with answers (1–100)
Section 1: Positive Symptoms
& Hallucinations (1–20)
1. A nurse is providing information about hallucinations to a client who has schizophrenia.
Which statement should the nurse make?
A) "It is a belief that something is real when in reality it is not."
B) "It is when behaviors you typically display are abnormally absent."
C) "It is when you see or hear things that others are not experiencing."
D) "It is when you experience symptoms that affect your memory."
Answer: C — Hallucinations are perceptual experiences without external stimuli .
2. A client with schizophrenia reports hearing voices telling him he is worthless. The nurse
should identify this as which type of symptom?
A) Negative symptom
B) Positive symptom
C) Cognitive symptom
D) Affective symptom
Answer: B — Auditory hallucinations are positive symptoms (excess or distortion of normal
function) .
3. A client states, "The television is sending me secret messages through the news anchor's
eye movements." The nurse should identify this as which type of delusion?
A) Persecutory
B) Grandiose
C) Referential
D) Nihilistic
Answer: C — Delusions of reference involve neutral external events being directly related to
the client .
,4. A client reports, "Aliens have removed my thoughts and replaced them with their own."
The nurse should document this as:
A) Thought broadcasting
B) Thought withdrawal
C) Thought insertion
D) Loose associations
Answer: C — Thought insertion is the belief that external forces placed thoughts into the
mind .
5. A client states, "My heart has stopped and my blood has turned to dust." The nurse
recognizes this as:
A) Somatic delusion
B) Nihilistic delusion
C) Persecutory delusion
D) Erotomanic delusion
Answer: B — Nihilistic delusions involve conviction that oneself or the world does not exist .
6. A client believes the FBI is monitoring his thoughts through the television. This is:
A) Somatic delusion
B) Delusion of grandeur
C) Persecutory delusion
D) Nihilistic delusion
Answer: C — Persecutory delusions involve belief of being harassed or conspired against .
7. A nurse is assessing a client who reports hearing voices that tell him he is worthless. The
nurse should identify this as:
A) Delusion
B) Hallucination
C) Alogia
D) Anhedonia
Answer: B — Hallucinations are perceptual experiences without external stimuli .
8. Which statement by the nurse is most therapeutic when a client expresses a delusional
belief?
A) "That is not true. The FBI does not have that technology."
B) "I don't hear anything unusual, but I understand you believe that."
C) "You should avoid watching television if it makes you feel this way."
D) "Tell me more about the aliens."
Answer: B — Validate the client's feeling without reinforcing or arguing with the delusion .
9. A client with schizophrenia says, "The television news anchor is speaking directly to me."
This is a:
A) Persecutory delusion
, B) Delusion of reference
C) Grandiose delusion
D) Somatic delusion
Answer: B — Delusion of reference involves neutral stimuli having special personal meaning
.
10. Command hallucinations are dangerous because:
A) They are rare
B) They may instruct self-harm or harm to others
C) They are always pleasant
D) They only occur in bipolar disorder
Answer: B — Command hallucinations may instruct dangerous behavior .
11. A nurse is caring for a client experiencing psychosis. Which manifestation should the
nurse identify as a positive symptom?
A) Flat affect
B) Hearing voices
C) Difficulty concentrating
D) Withdrawn socially
Answer: B — Hearing voices is a hallucination, a positive symptom .
12. A client with schizophrenia says, "Aliens are using my toothbrush to send messages to
Mars." The nurse's best response is:
A) "That's ridiculous. Aliens don't exist."
B) "I don't hear anything unusual, but I understand you believe that."
C) "Let me throw away your toothbrush."
D) "Tell me more about the aliens."
Answer: B — Acknowledge the experience without reinforcing the delusion .
13. Which type of hallucination is most common in schizophrenia?
A) Visual
B) Auditory
C) Tactile
D) Olfactory
Answer: B — Auditory hallucinations are the most common type .
14. A client reports, "I feel like my thoughts are being pulled out of my head by aliens." The
nurse documents this as:
A) Thought blocking
B) Thought withdrawal
C) Thought insertion
D) Thought broadcasting
Answer: B — Thought withdrawal is the belief that thoughts are removed by external force .
