Varcarolis Canadian Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing
3rd Edition By Pollard All Chapter 1 - 35
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,Chapter 01: Mental Health and Mental Illness
Varcarolis’s Canadian Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing, 3rd Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. A staff nurse completes orientation to a psychiatric unit. Which of the following would the
nurse expect as an advanced practice intervention?
a. Conduct mental health assessments
b. Prescribe psychotropic medication
c. Establish therapeutic relationships
d. Individualize nursing care plans
ANSWER: B
Prescriptive privileges are granted to master’s-prepared nurse practitioners who have taken
special courses on prescribing medication; thus it is an advanced-practice intervention. The
nurse prepared at the basic level is permitted to perform mental health assessments, establish
relationships, and provide individualized care planning.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understand (Comprehension)
TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation MSC: Client Needs: Safe Effective Care Environment
2. When a nursing student expresses concerns about how mental health nurses “lose all
their nursing skills,” which of the following is the best response by the mental health
nurse?
a. “Psychiatric nurses practise in safer environments than other specialties.
Nurse-to-patient ratios must be better because of the nature of the
patients’ problems.” .
b. “Psychiatric nurses use complex communication skills as well as critical thinkingto
solve multidimensional problems. I am challenged by those situations.”
c. “That’s a misconception. Psychiatric nurses frequently use high-technology
monitoring equipment and manage complex intravenous therapies.”
d. “Psychiatric nurses do not have to deal with as much pain and suffering
as medical–surgical nurses do. That appeals to me.”
ANSWER: B
The practice of psychiatric nursing requires a different set of skills from medical–surgical
nursing, though there is substantial overlap. Two domains relate specifically to psychiatric
nursing: behavioural, including communication, coping, and education; and safety,
covering crisis and risk management. Basic psychosocial nursing concepts are central to
psychiatric nursing practice and increase your competency as a practitioner in all clinical
settings.
Whatever setting you choose to work in, you will have the opportunity to improve the lives of
people who are experiencing mental illness as an additional challenge to their health.
Your experience in the mental health nursing rotation can help you gain insight into yourself and
greatly increase your insight into the experiences of others. This part of nursing educationcan
provide guidelines for and the opportunity to learn new skills for dealing with a variety of
challenging behaviours. Psychosocial pain and suffering are as real as physical pain and
suffering.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Apply (Application)
TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation MSC: Client Needs: Safe Effective Care Environment
, 3. When a new bill introduced in Parliament reduces funding for care of people with mental
illness, a group of people with mild mental illness write letters to their elected representativesin
opposition to the legislation for all people with mental illness. Which role does this action
portray?
a. Recovery
b. Self-care
c. Advocacy
d. Social action
ANSWER: C
An advocate defends or asserts another’s cause, particularly when the other person lacks
the ability to do that for himself or herself. On a community scale, advocacy includes
political activity, public speaking, and publication in the interest of improving the human
condition. Since funding is necessary to deliver quality programming for people with
mental illness, the letter-writing campaign advocates for the cause for all people with
mental illness.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understand (Comprehension)
TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation MSC: Client Needs: Safe Effective Care Environment
4. Which of the following has been identified as a significant trend that will affect the future
of psychiatric mental health nursing in Canada?
a. Decrease in the aging population
b. Increase in cultural diversity
c. Role of the advanced-practice nurse
d. Shortage of physicians in rural and urban areas
ANSWER: B
Four significant trends havTe EbSeeTnBidAeN
ntK
ifSieEd LthLatEw
Ri.ll C
afOfeMct the future of psychiatric mental
health nursing in Canada; these include an aging population, an increase in cultural diversity,
expanding technology, and an increased awareness of the impact of the determinants of
healthon mental illness.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understand (Comprehension)
TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment MSC: Client Needs: Safe Effective Care Environment
5. Which assessment finding most clearly indicates that a patient may be experiencing a
mental illness?
a. The patient reports occasional sleeplessness and anxiety.
b. The patient reports a consistently sad, discouraged, and hopeless mood.
c. The patient is able to describe the difference between “as if” and “for real.”
d. The patient perceives difficulty making a decision about whether to change jobs.
ANSWER: B
The correct response describes a mood alteration, which reflects mental illness. Alterations in
cognition, mood, or behaviour that are coupled with significant distress and impaired
functioning characterize mental illness. The distracters describe behaviours that are mentally
healthy or within the usual scope of human experience.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Apply (Application)
TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment MSC: Client Needs: Psychosocial Integrity