NURS 6630 EXAM TEST BANK QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS[ALL CORRECT] LATEST
UPDATE 2024
Topic: Psychopharmacology
Question 1: A patient with major depressive disorder has been prescribed an SSRI. What are
the common side effects associated with SSRIs?
Answer: Common side effects of SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) include
nausea, headache, sexual dysfunction, insomnia, dry mouth, and weight gain.
Question 2: Which neurotransmitter is primarily affected by benzodiazepines?
Answer: Benzodiazepines primarily affect the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid
(GABA), enhancing its inhibitory effects.
Topic: Psychiatric Assessment
Question 3: What is the purpose of a mental status examination (MSE) in psychiatric nursing?
Answer: The purpose of a mental status examination (MSE) is to assess a patient's current
cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning. It includes evaluating appearance, behavior,
speech, mood, thought processes, thought content, perception, cognition, and insight/judgment.
Question 4: During a psychiatric assessment, a nurse observes that a patient has a blunted
affect. What does this indicate?
Answer: A blunted affect indicates a significant reduction in the intensity of emotional
expression. It is often seen in patients with schizophrenia, depression, or other psychiatric
disorders.
Topic: Therapeutic Communication
Question 5: What is the primary goal of therapeutic communication in psychiatric nursing?
Answer: The primary goal of therapeutic communication in psychiatric nursing is to establish a
therapeutic relationship with the patient that facilitates understanding, supports patient
expression of feelings, and promotes problem-solving and behavior change.
Question 6: Give an example of an open-ended question a nurse might use to encourage a
patient to talk about their feelings.
Answer: An example of an open-ended question is: "Can you tell me more about how you’ve
been feeling lately?"
Topic: Mental Health Disorders
Question 7: What are the hallmark symptoms of schizophrenia?
,Answer: The hallmark symptoms of schizophrenia include delusions, hallucinations,
disorganized speech, disorganized or catatonic behavior, and negative symptoms such as
affective flattening, alogia, or avolition.
Question 8: Which therapeutic approach is commonly used for patients with borderline
personality disorder?
Answer: Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is commonly used for patients with borderline
personality disorder. It focuses on teaching skills to manage emotions, tolerate distress, and
improve relationships.
Topic: Crisis Intervention
Question 9: What are the key steps in crisis intervention for a patient experiencing a mental
health crisis?
Answer: The key steps in crisis intervention include assessing the situation, ensuring the safety
of the patient and others, providing emotional support, identifying and prioritizing immediate
needs, and developing a plan for resolution and follow-up.
Question 10: What is the role of the nurse in managing a patient with suicidal ideation?
Answer: The role of the nurse in managing a patient with suicidal ideation includes conducting
a thorough risk assessment, ensuring a safe environment, providing continuous supervision if
necessary, offering emotional support, developing a safety plan, and coordinating care with
other healthcare professionals.
Topic: Psychopharmacology
Question 1:
What is the mechanism of action of typical antipsychotics?
Answer:
Typical antipsychotics primarily work by blocking dopamine D2 receptors in the brain.
Question 2:
What is a major side effect of clozapine that requires regular monitoring?
Answer:
A major side effect of clozapine is agranulocytosis, which requires regular monitoring of white
blood cell counts.
Question 3:
Which class of antidepressants is most commonly associated with dietary restrictions to avoid
hypertensive crises?
Answer:
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are associated with dietary restrictions to avoid
hypertensive crises.
Question 4:
What is the primary use of lithium in psychiatric treatment?
, Answer:
Lithium is primarily used to treat bipolar disorder, especially to control mania.
Question 5:
Which medication is commonly used for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)?
Answer:
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors
(SNRIs) are commonly used for the treatment of GAD.
Topic: Psychiatric Assessment
Question 6:
What is the significance of assessing a patient's insight during a psychiatric evaluation?
Answer:
Assessing a patient's insight is important to determine their awareness and understanding of
their mental health condition and the need for treatment.
Question 7:
Name a cognitive test commonly used to assess dementia.
Answer:
The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) is commonly used to assess dementia.
Question 8:
What does the term "flight of ideas" refer to in a psychiatric assessment?
Answer:
"Flight of ideas" refers to a rapid and continuous flow of speech with abrupt changes from one
topic to another, often seen in manic episodes.
Question 9:
What is the purpose of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)?
Answer:
The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is used to assess the severity of depressive symptoms.
Question 10:
Why is it important to assess a patient's history of substance use during a psychiatric
evaluation?
Answer:
Assessing a patient's history of substance use is important because substance use can
influence mental health symptoms and complicate the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric
disorders.
Topic: Therapeutic Communication
Question 11:
What is reflective listening in therapeutic communication?
Answer:
Reflective listening involves paraphrasing or summarizing what the patient has said to show
understanding and encourage further expression.
Question 12:
Why is it important for a nurse to use silence effectively in therapeutic communication?
UPDATE 2024
Topic: Psychopharmacology
Question 1: A patient with major depressive disorder has been prescribed an SSRI. What are
the common side effects associated with SSRIs?
Answer: Common side effects of SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) include
nausea, headache, sexual dysfunction, insomnia, dry mouth, and weight gain.
Question 2: Which neurotransmitter is primarily affected by benzodiazepines?
Answer: Benzodiazepines primarily affect the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid
(GABA), enhancing its inhibitory effects.
Topic: Psychiatric Assessment
Question 3: What is the purpose of a mental status examination (MSE) in psychiatric nursing?
Answer: The purpose of a mental status examination (MSE) is to assess a patient's current
cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning. It includes evaluating appearance, behavior,
speech, mood, thought processes, thought content, perception, cognition, and insight/judgment.
Question 4: During a psychiatric assessment, a nurse observes that a patient has a blunted
affect. What does this indicate?
Answer: A blunted affect indicates a significant reduction in the intensity of emotional
expression. It is often seen in patients with schizophrenia, depression, or other psychiatric
disorders.
Topic: Therapeutic Communication
Question 5: What is the primary goal of therapeutic communication in psychiatric nursing?
Answer: The primary goal of therapeutic communication in psychiatric nursing is to establish a
therapeutic relationship with the patient that facilitates understanding, supports patient
expression of feelings, and promotes problem-solving and behavior change.
Question 6: Give an example of an open-ended question a nurse might use to encourage a
patient to talk about their feelings.
Answer: An example of an open-ended question is: "Can you tell me more about how you’ve
been feeling lately?"
Topic: Mental Health Disorders
Question 7: What are the hallmark symptoms of schizophrenia?
,Answer: The hallmark symptoms of schizophrenia include delusions, hallucinations,
disorganized speech, disorganized or catatonic behavior, and negative symptoms such as
affective flattening, alogia, or avolition.
Question 8: Which therapeutic approach is commonly used for patients with borderline
personality disorder?
Answer: Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is commonly used for patients with borderline
personality disorder. It focuses on teaching skills to manage emotions, tolerate distress, and
improve relationships.
Topic: Crisis Intervention
Question 9: What are the key steps in crisis intervention for a patient experiencing a mental
health crisis?
Answer: The key steps in crisis intervention include assessing the situation, ensuring the safety
of the patient and others, providing emotional support, identifying and prioritizing immediate
needs, and developing a plan for resolution and follow-up.
Question 10: What is the role of the nurse in managing a patient with suicidal ideation?
Answer: The role of the nurse in managing a patient with suicidal ideation includes conducting
a thorough risk assessment, ensuring a safe environment, providing continuous supervision if
necessary, offering emotional support, developing a safety plan, and coordinating care with
other healthcare professionals.
Topic: Psychopharmacology
Question 1:
What is the mechanism of action of typical antipsychotics?
Answer:
Typical antipsychotics primarily work by blocking dopamine D2 receptors in the brain.
Question 2:
What is a major side effect of clozapine that requires regular monitoring?
Answer:
A major side effect of clozapine is agranulocytosis, which requires regular monitoring of white
blood cell counts.
Question 3:
Which class of antidepressants is most commonly associated with dietary restrictions to avoid
hypertensive crises?
Answer:
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are associated with dietary restrictions to avoid
hypertensive crises.
Question 4:
What is the primary use of lithium in psychiatric treatment?
, Answer:
Lithium is primarily used to treat bipolar disorder, especially to control mania.
Question 5:
Which medication is commonly used for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)?
Answer:
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors
(SNRIs) are commonly used for the treatment of GAD.
Topic: Psychiatric Assessment
Question 6:
What is the significance of assessing a patient's insight during a psychiatric evaluation?
Answer:
Assessing a patient's insight is important to determine their awareness and understanding of
their mental health condition and the need for treatment.
Question 7:
Name a cognitive test commonly used to assess dementia.
Answer:
The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) is commonly used to assess dementia.
Question 8:
What does the term "flight of ideas" refer to in a psychiatric assessment?
Answer:
"Flight of ideas" refers to a rapid and continuous flow of speech with abrupt changes from one
topic to another, often seen in manic episodes.
Question 9:
What is the purpose of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)?
Answer:
The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is used to assess the severity of depressive symptoms.
Question 10:
Why is it important to assess a patient's history of substance use during a psychiatric
evaluation?
Answer:
Assessing a patient's history of substance use is important because substance use can
influence mental health symptoms and complicate the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric
disorders.
Topic: Therapeutic Communication
Question 11:
What is reflective listening in therapeutic communication?
Answer:
Reflective listening involves paraphrasing or summarizing what the patient has said to show
understanding and encourage further expression.
Question 12:
Why is it important for a nurse to use silence effectively in therapeutic communication?
