UNIT IV MENTAL HEALTH TEST BANK
QUESTIONS WITH 100% CORRECT
ANSWERS
7.1. What is the most essential task for a nurse to accomplish prior to forming a therapeutic relationship
with a client?
A. To clarify personal attitudes, values, and beliefs
B. To obtain thorough assessment data
C. To determine the clients length of stay
D. To establish personal goals for the interaction - ANS-ANSWER: A
RATIONALE: The most essential task for a nurse to accomplish prior to forming a therapeutic
relationship with a client is to clarify personal attitudes, values, and beliefs. Understanding ones own
attitudes, values, and beliefs is called self-awareness.
7.2. A hungry, homeless client, diagnosed with schizophrenia, refuses to participate in an admission
interview. When the nurse postpones the admission interview, verbally assures safety, and provides a
warm meal, he or she is promoting which of the following?
A. Sympathy
B. Trust
C. Veracity
D. Manipulation - ANS-ANSWER: B
RATIONALE: The nurse is promoting trust by postponing the admission interview, assuring safety, and
providing a warm meal. Trust implies a feeling of confidence that a person is reliable and sincere and has
integrity and veracity. Trustworthiness is demonstrated through nursing interventions that convey a
sense of warmth and caring to the client.
7.3. Which is the best nursing action when a client demonstrates transference toward a nurse?
A. Promoting safety and immediately terminating the relationship with the client
B. Encouraging the client to ignore these thoughts and feelings
C. Immediately reassigning the client to another staff member
D. Helping the client to clarify the meaning of the current nurse-client relationship - ANS-ANSWER: D
RATIONALE: The nurse should respond to a clients transference by clarifying the meaning of the nurse-
client relationship, based on the current situation. Transference occurs when the client unconsciously
displaces feelings toward the nurse about a person from the past. The nurse should assist the client in
separating the past from the present.
,7.4. What is the priority nursing action during the orientation (introductory) phase of the nurse-client
relationship?
A. Acknowledge the clients actions and generate alternative behaviors.
B. Establish rapport and develop treatment goals.
C. Attempt to find alternative placement.
D. Explore how thoughts and feelings about this client may adversely impact care. - ANS-ANSWER: B
RATIONALE: The priority nursing action during the orientation phase of the nurse-client relationship
should be to establish rapport and develop treatment goals. Rapport implies feelings on the part of both
the nurse and the client based on respect, acceptance, a sense of trust, and a nonjudgmental attitude. It
is the essential foundation of the nurse-client relationship.
7.5. Which client response should a nurse expect during the working phase of the nurse-client
relationship?
A. The client gains insight and incorporates alternative behaviors.
B. The client and nurse establish rapport and mutually develop treatment goals.
C. The client explores feelings related to reentering the community.
D. The client explores personal strengths and weaknesses that impact behaviors. - ANS-ANSWER: A
RATIONALE: The nurse should expect that the client would gain insight and incorporate alternative
behaviors during the working phase of the nurse-client relationship. The client may also overcome
resistance, problem-solve, and continually evaluate progress toward goals.
7.6. What should be the nurses primary goal during the preinteraction phase of the nurse-client
relationship?
A. To evaluate goal attainment and ensure therapeutic closure
B. To establish trust and formulate a contract for intervention
C. To explore self-perceptions
D. To promote client change - ANS-ANSWER: C
RATIONALE: The nurses primary goal of the preinteraction phase should be to explore self-perceptions.
The nurse should be aware of how any preconceptions may affect his or her ability to care for individual
clients. Another goal of the preinteraction phase is to obtain available client information.
7.7. Which phase of the nurse-client relationship begins when the individuals first meet and is
characterized by an agreement to continue to meet and work on setting client-centered goals?
A. Preinteraction
B. Orientation
C. Working
D. Termination - ANS-ANSWER: B
RATIONALE: The orientation phase is when the individuals first meet and is characterized by an
agreement to continue to meet and work on setting client-centered goals. There are four phases of
relationship development: preinteraction, orientation, working, and termination.
7.8. Which client statement should a nurse identify as a typical response to stress most often
experienced in the working phase of the nurse-client relationship?
, A. I cant bear the thought of leaving here and failing.
B. I might have a hard time working with you. You remind me of my mother.
C. I cant tell my husband how I feel; he wouldn't listen anyway.
D. Im not sure that I can count on you to protect my confidentiality. - ANS-ANSWER: C
RATIONALE: The nurse should identify that the client statement I cant tell my husband how I feel; he
wouldn't listen anyway reflects resistance to change, which is a common behavior in the working phase
of the nurse-client relationship. The working phase includes overcoming resistant behaviors on the part
of the client as the level of anxiety rises in response to discussion of painful issues.
7.9. A client has made the decision to leave her alcoholic husband. She is feeling very depressed. Which
nontherapeutic statement by the nurse conveys sympathy?
A. You are feeling very depressed. I felt the same way when I decided to leave my husband.
B. I can understand you are feeling depressed. It was a difficult decision. I'll sit with you.
C. You seem depressed. It was a difficult decision to make. Would you like to talk about it?
D. I know this is a difficult time for you. Would you like a prn medication for anxiety? - ANS-ANSWER: A
RATIONALE: The nurses statement, You are feeling very depressed. I felt the same when I decided to
leave my husband, is a nontherapeutic statement that conveys sympathy. Sympathy implies that the
nurse shares what the client is feeling and by this personal expression alleviates the clients distress.
7.10. A mother who has learned that her child was killed in a tragic car accident states, I cant bear to go
on with my life. Which nursing statement conveys empathy?
A. This situation is very sad, but time is a great healer.
B. You are sad, but you must be strong for your other children.
C. Once you cry it all out, things will seem so much better.
D. It must be horrible to lose a child; I'll stay with you until your husband arrives. - ANS-ANSWER: D
RATIONALE: The nurses response, It must be horrible to lose a child; I'll stay with you until your husband
arrives, conveys empathy to the client. Empathy is the ability to see the situation from the clients point
of view. Empathy is considered to be one of the most important characteristics of the therapeutic
relationship.
7.11. If an individual is two-faced, which characteristic essential to the development of a therapeutic
relationship should a nurse identify as missing?
A. Respect
B. Genuineness
C. Sympathy
D. Rapport - ANS-ANSWER: B
RATIONALE: The nurse should identify that genuineness is missing in the relationship. Genuineness
refers to an individuals ability to be open and honest and maintain congruence between what is felt and
what is communicated. Genuineness is essential to establishing trust in a relationship.
7.12. On which task should a nurse place priority during the working phase of relationship
development?
A. Establishing a contract for intervention
B. Examining feelings about working with a particular client
QUESTIONS WITH 100% CORRECT
ANSWERS
7.1. What is the most essential task for a nurse to accomplish prior to forming a therapeutic relationship
with a client?
A. To clarify personal attitudes, values, and beliefs
B. To obtain thorough assessment data
C. To determine the clients length of stay
D. To establish personal goals for the interaction - ANS-ANSWER: A
RATIONALE: The most essential task for a nurse to accomplish prior to forming a therapeutic
relationship with a client is to clarify personal attitudes, values, and beliefs. Understanding ones own
attitudes, values, and beliefs is called self-awareness.
7.2. A hungry, homeless client, diagnosed with schizophrenia, refuses to participate in an admission
interview. When the nurse postpones the admission interview, verbally assures safety, and provides a
warm meal, he or she is promoting which of the following?
A. Sympathy
B. Trust
C. Veracity
D. Manipulation - ANS-ANSWER: B
RATIONALE: The nurse is promoting trust by postponing the admission interview, assuring safety, and
providing a warm meal. Trust implies a feeling of confidence that a person is reliable and sincere and has
integrity and veracity. Trustworthiness is demonstrated through nursing interventions that convey a
sense of warmth and caring to the client.
7.3. Which is the best nursing action when a client demonstrates transference toward a nurse?
A. Promoting safety and immediately terminating the relationship with the client
B. Encouraging the client to ignore these thoughts and feelings
C. Immediately reassigning the client to another staff member
D. Helping the client to clarify the meaning of the current nurse-client relationship - ANS-ANSWER: D
RATIONALE: The nurse should respond to a clients transference by clarifying the meaning of the nurse-
client relationship, based on the current situation. Transference occurs when the client unconsciously
displaces feelings toward the nurse about a person from the past. The nurse should assist the client in
separating the past from the present.
,7.4. What is the priority nursing action during the orientation (introductory) phase of the nurse-client
relationship?
A. Acknowledge the clients actions and generate alternative behaviors.
B. Establish rapport and develop treatment goals.
C. Attempt to find alternative placement.
D. Explore how thoughts and feelings about this client may adversely impact care. - ANS-ANSWER: B
RATIONALE: The priority nursing action during the orientation phase of the nurse-client relationship
should be to establish rapport and develop treatment goals. Rapport implies feelings on the part of both
the nurse and the client based on respect, acceptance, a sense of trust, and a nonjudgmental attitude. It
is the essential foundation of the nurse-client relationship.
7.5. Which client response should a nurse expect during the working phase of the nurse-client
relationship?
A. The client gains insight and incorporates alternative behaviors.
B. The client and nurse establish rapport and mutually develop treatment goals.
C. The client explores feelings related to reentering the community.
D. The client explores personal strengths and weaknesses that impact behaviors. - ANS-ANSWER: A
RATIONALE: The nurse should expect that the client would gain insight and incorporate alternative
behaviors during the working phase of the nurse-client relationship. The client may also overcome
resistance, problem-solve, and continually evaluate progress toward goals.
7.6. What should be the nurses primary goal during the preinteraction phase of the nurse-client
relationship?
A. To evaluate goal attainment and ensure therapeutic closure
B. To establish trust and formulate a contract for intervention
C. To explore self-perceptions
D. To promote client change - ANS-ANSWER: C
RATIONALE: The nurses primary goal of the preinteraction phase should be to explore self-perceptions.
The nurse should be aware of how any preconceptions may affect his or her ability to care for individual
clients. Another goal of the preinteraction phase is to obtain available client information.
7.7. Which phase of the nurse-client relationship begins when the individuals first meet and is
characterized by an agreement to continue to meet and work on setting client-centered goals?
A. Preinteraction
B. Orientation
C. Working
D. Termination - ANS-ANSWER: B
RATIONALE: The orientation phase is when the individuals first meet and is characterized by an
agreement to continue to meet and work on setting client-centered goals. There are four phases of
relationship development: preinteraction, orientation, working, and termination.
7.8. Which client statement should a nurse identify as a typical response to stress most often
experienced in the working phase of the nurse-client relationship?
, A. I cant bear the thought of leaving here and failing.
B. I might have a hard time working with you. You remind me of my mother.
C. I cant tell my husband how I feel; he wouldn't listen anyway.
D. Im not sure that I can count on you to protect my confidentiality. - ANS-ANSWER: C
RATIONALE: The nurse should identify that the client statement I cant tell my husband how I feel; he
wouldn't listen anyway reflects resistance to change, which is a common behavior in the working phase
of the nurse-client relationship. The working phase includes overcoming resistant behaviors on the part
of the client as the level of anxiety rises in response to discussion of painful issues.
7.9. A client has made the decision to leave her alcoholic husband. She is feeling very depressed. Which
nontherapeutic statement by the nurse conveys sympathy?
A. You are feeling very depressed. I felt the same way when I decided to leave my husband.
B. I can understand you are feeling depressed. It was a difficult decision. I'll sit with you.
C. You seem depressed. It was a difficult decision to make. Would you like to talk about it?
D. I know this is a difficult time for you. Would you like a prn medication for anxiety? - ANS-ANSWER: A
RATIONALE: The nurses statement, You are feeling very depressed. I felt the same when I decided to
leave my husband, is a nontherapeutic statement that conveys sympathy. Sympathy implies that the
nurse shares what the client is feeling and by this personal expression alleviates the clients distress.
7.10. A mother who has learned that her child was killed in a tragic car accident states, I cant bear to go
on with my life. Which nursing statement conveys empathy?
A. This situation is very sad, but time is a great healer.
B. You are sad, but you must be strong for your other children.
C. Once you cry it all out, things will seem so much better.
D. It must be horrible to lose a child; I'll stay with you until your husband arrives. - ANS-ANSWER: D
RATIONALE: The nurses response, It must be horrible to lose a child; I'll stay with you until your husband
arrives, conveys empathy to the client. Empathy is the ability to see the situation from the clients point
of view. Empathy is considered to be one of the most important characteristics of the therapeutic
relationship.
7.11. If an individual is two-faced, which characteristic essential to the development of a therapeutic
relationship should a nurse identify as missing?
A. Respect
B. Genuineness
C. Sympathy
D. Rapport - ANS-ANSWER: B
RATIONALE: The nurse should identify that genuineness is missing in the relationship. Genuineness
refers to an individuals ability to be open and honest and maintain congruence between what is felt and
what is communicated. Genuineness is essential to establishing trust in a relationship.
7.12. On which task should a nurse place priority during the working phase of relationship
development?
A. Establishing a contract for intervention
B. Examining feelings about working with a particular client
