HESI - PSYCHIATRIC/MENTAL HEALTH PRACTICE
EXAM
At the first meeting of a group of older adults at a daycare center for the elderly, the
nurse asks one of the members what kinds of things she would like to do with the group.
The older woman shrugs her shoulders and says, "You tell me, you're the leader." What
is the best response for the nurse to make?
A) "Yes, I am the leader today. Would you like to be the leader tomorrow?"
B) "Yes, I will be leading this group. What would you like to accomplish during this
time?"
C) "Yes, I have been assigned to be the leader of this group. I will be here for the next
six weeks."
D) "Yes, I am the leader. You seem angry about not being the leader yourself." -
Answers :B. "Yes, I will be leading this group. What would you like to accomplish during
this time?"
Over a period of several weeks, one male participant of a socialization group at a
community day care center for the elderly monopolizes most of the group's time and
interrupts others when they are talking. What is the best action for the nurse to take in
this situation?
A) Talk to the client outside the group about his behavior during group meetings.
B) Remind the client to allow others in the group a chance to talk.
C) Allow the group to handle the problem.
D) Ask the client to join another group. - Answers :C. Allow the group to handle the
problem.
A nurse working in the emergency room of a children's hospital admits a child whose
injuries could have resulted from abuse. Which statement most accurately describes the
nurse's responsibility in cases of suspected child abuse?
A) The nurse should obtain objective data such as x-rays before reporting suspicions to
the authorities.
B) The nurse should confirm any suspicions of child abuse with the healthcare provider
before reporting to the authorities.
C) The nurse should report any case of suspected child abuse to the nurse in charge.
D) The nurse should note in the client's record any suspicions of child abuse so that a
history of such suspicions can be tracked. - Answers :C. The nurse should report any
case of suspected child abuse to the nurse in charge
A client who is being treated with lithium carbonate for bipolar disorder develops
diarrhea, vomiting, and drowsiness. What action should the nurse take?
A) Notify the healthcare provider immediately and prepare for administration of an
antidote.
B) Notify the healthcare provider of the symptoms prior to the next administration of the
drug.
,C) Record the symptoms as normal side effects and continue administration of the
prescribed dosage.
D) Hold the medication and refuse to administer additional amounts of the drug. -
Answers :B. Notify the healthcare provider of the symptoms prior to the next
administration of the drug.
A client on the psychiatric unit appears to imitate a certain nurse on the unit. The client
seeks out this particular nurse and imitates her mannerisms. The nurse knows that the
client is using which defense mechanism?
A) Sublimation.
B) Identification.
C) Introjection.
D) Repression. - Answers :B. Identification
The nurse is planning the care for a 32-year-old male client with acute depression.
Which nursing intervention bests helps this client deal with his depression?
A) Ensure that the client's day is filled with group activities.
B) Assist the client in exploring feelings of shame, anger, and guilt.
C) Allow the client to initiate and determine activities of daily living.
D) Encourage the client to explore the rationale for his depression. - Answers :B. Assist
the client in exploring feelings of shame, anger, and guilt.
An anxious client expressing a fear of people and open places is admitted to the
psychiatric unit. What is the most effective way for the nurse to assist this client?
A) Plan an outing within the first week of admission.
B) Distract her whenever she expresses her discomfort about being with others.
C) Confront her fears and discuss the possible causes of these fears.
D) Accompany her outside for an increasing amount of time each day. - Answers :D.
Accompany her outside for an increasing amount of time each day.
A client with bipolar disorder on the mental health unit becomes loud, and shouts at one
of the nurses, "You fat tub of lard! Get something done around here!" What is the best
initial action for the nurse to take?
A) Have the orderly escort the client to his room.
B) Tell the client his healthcare provider will be notified if he continues to be verbally
abusive.
C) Redirect the client's energy by asking him to tidy the recreation room.
D) Call the healthcare provider to obtain a prescription for a sedative. - Answers :C.
Redirect the client's energy by asking him to tidy the recreation room.
A 35-year-old male client who has been hospitalized for two weeks for chronic paranoia
continues to state that someone is trying to steal his clothing. Which action should the
nurse implement?
A) Encourage the client to actively participate in assigned activities on the unit.
B) Place a lock on the client's closet.
C) Ignore the client's paranoid ideation to extinguish these behaviors.
, D) Explain to the client that his suspicions are false. - Answers :C. encourage the client
to actively participate in assigned activities on the unit.
On admission, a highly anxious client is described as delusional. The nurse
understands that delusions are most likely to occur with which class of disorder?
A) Neurotic.
B) Personality.
C) Anxiety.
D) Psychotic. - Answers :D. Psychotic
An 86-year-old female client with Alzheimer's disease is wandering the busy halls of the
extended care facility and asks the nurse, "Where should I stand for the parade?" Which
response is best for the nurse to provide?
A) "Anywhere you want to stand as long as you do not get hurt by those in the parade."
B) "You are confused because of all the activity in the hall. There is no parade."
C) "Let us go back to the activity room and see what is going on in there."
D) "Remember I told you that this is a nursing home and I am your nurse." - Answers
:C. "Let's go back to the activity room and 1see what is going on there."
Physical examination of a 6-year-old reveals several bite marks in various locations on
his body. X-ray examination reveals healed fractures of the ribs. The mother tells the
nurse that her child is always having accidents. Which initial response by the nurse
would be most appropriate?
A) "I need to inform the healthcare provider about your child's tendency to be accident
prone."
B) "Tell me more specifically about your child's accidents."
C) "I must report these injuries to the authorities because they do not seem accidental."
D) "Boys this age always seem to require more supervision and can be quite accident
prone." - Answers :B. "Tell me more specifically about your child's accidents."
A child is brought to the emergency room with a broken arm. Because of other injuries,
the nurse suspects the child may be a victim of abuse. When the nurse tries to give the
child an injection, the child's mother becomes very loud and shouts, "I won't leave my
son! Don't you touch him! You'll hurt my child!" What is the best interpretation of the
mother's statements? The mother is
A) regressing to an earlier behavior pattern.
B) sublimating her anger.
C) projecting her feelings onto the nurse.
D) suppressing her fear. - Answers :C. projecting her anger on to the nurse
A 38-year-old female client is admitted with a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia.
When her tray is brought to her, she refuses to eat and tells the nurse, "I know you are
trying to poison me with that food." Which response is most appropriate for the nurse to
make?
A) "I'll leave your tray here. I am available if you need anything else."
B) "You're not being poisoned. Why do you think someone is trying to poison you?"
EXAM
At the first meeting of a group of older adults at a daycare center for the elderly, the
nurse asks one of the members what kinds of things she would like to do with the group.
The older woman shrugs her shoulders and says, "You tell me, you're the leader." What
is the best response for the nurse to make?
A) "Yes, I am the leader today. Would you like to be the leader tomorrow?"
B) "Yes, I will be leading this group. What would you like to accomplish during this
time?"
C) "Yes, I have been assigned to be the leader of this group. I will be here for the next
six weeks."
D) "Yes, I am the leader. You seem angry about not being the leader yourself." -
Answers :B. "Yes, I will be leading this group. What would you like to accomplish during
this time?"
Over a period of several weeks, one male participant of a socialization group at a
community day care center for the elderly monopolizes most of the group's time and
interrupts others when they are talking. What is the best action for the nurse to take in
this situation?
A) Talk to the client outside the group about his behavior during group meetings.
B) Remind the client to allow others in the group a chance to talk.
C) Allow the group to handle the problem.
D) Ask the client to join another group. - Answers :C. Allow the group to handle the
problem.
A nurse working in the emergency room of a children's hospital admits a child whose
injuries could have resulted from abuse. Which statement most accurately describes the
nurse's responsibility in cases of suspected child abuse?
A) The nurse should obtain objective data such as x-rays before reporting suspicions to
the authorities.
B) The nurse should confirm any suspicions of child abuse with the healthcare provider
before reporting to the authorities.
C) The nurse should report any case of suspected child abuse to the nurse in charge.
D) The nurse should note in the client's record any suspicions of child abuse so that a
history of such suspicions can be tracked. - Answers :C. The nurse should report any
case of suspected child abuse to the nurse in charge
A client who is being treated with lithium carbonate for bipolar disorder develops
diarrhea, vomiting, and drowsiness. What action should the nurse take?
A) Notify the healthcare provider immediately and prepare for administration of an
antidote.
B) Notify the healthcare provider of the symptoms prior to the next administration of the
drug.
,C) Record the symptoms as normal side effects and continue administration of the
prescribed dosage.
D) Hold the medication and refuse to administer additional amounts of the drug. -
Answers :B. Notify the healthcare provider of the symptoms prior to the next
administration of the drug.
A client on the psychiatric unit appears to imitate a certain nurse on the unit. The client
seeks out this particular nurse and imitates her mannerisms. The nurse knows that the
client is using which defense mechanism?
A) Sublimation.
B) Identification.
C) Introjection.
D) Repression. - Answers :B. Identification
The nurse is planning the care for a 32-year-old male client with acute depression.
Which nursing intervention bests helps this client deal with his depression?
A) Ensure that the client's day is filled with group activities.
B) Assist the client in exploring feelings of shame, anger, and guilt.
C) Allow the client to initiate and determine activities of daily living.
D) Encourage the client to explore the rationale for his depression. - Answers :B. Assist
the client in exploring feelings of shame, anger, and guilt.
An anxious client expressing a fear of people and open places is admitted to the
psychiatric unit. What is the most effective way for the nurse to assist this client?
A) Plan an outing within the first week of admission.
B) Distract her whenever she expresses her discomfort about being with others.
C) Confront her fears and discuss the possible causes of these fears.
D) Accompany her outside for an increasing amount of time each day. - Answers :D.
Accompany her outside for an increasing amount of time each day.
A client with bipolar disorder on the mental health unit becomes loud, and shouts at one
of the nurses, "You fat tub of lard! Get something done around here!" What is the best
initial action for the nurse to take?
A) Have the orderly escort the client to his room.
B) Tell the client his healthcare provider will be notified if he continues to be verbally
abusive.
C) Redirect the client's energy by asking him to tidy the recreation room.
D) Call the healthcare provider to obtain a prescription for a sedative. - Answers :C.
Redirect the client's energy by asking him to tidy the recreation room.
A 35-year-old male client who has been hospitalized for two weeks for chronic paranoia
continues to state that someone is trying to steal his clothing. Which action should the
nurse implement?
A) Encourage the client to actively participate in assigned activities on the unit.
B) Place a lock on the client's closet.
C) Ignore the client's paranoid ideation to extinguish these behaviors.
, D) Explain to the client that his suspicions are false. - Answers :C. encourage the client
to actively participate in assigned activities on the unit.
On admission, a highly anxious client is described as delusional. The nurse
understands that delusions are most likely to occur with which class of disorder?
A) Neurotic.
B) Personality.
C) Anxiety.
D) Psychotic. - Answers :D. Psychotic
An 86-year-old female client with Alzheimer's disease is wandering the busy halls of the
extended care facility and asks the nurse, "Where should I stand for the parade?" Which
response is best for the nurse to provide?
A) "Anywhere you want to stand as long as you do not get hurt by those in the parade."
B) "You are confused because of all the activity in the hall. There is no parade."
C) "Let us go back to the activity room and see what is going on in there."
D) "Remember I told you that this is a nursing home and I am your nurse." - Answers
:C. "Let's go back to the activity room and 1see what is going on there."
Physical examination of a 6-year-old reveals several bite marks in various locations on
his body. X-ray examination reveals healed fractures of the ribs. The mother tells the
nurse that her child is always having accidents. Which initial response by the nurse
would be most appropriate?
A) "I need to inform the healthcare provider about your child's tendency to be accident
prone."
B) "Tell me more specifically about your child's accidents."
C) "I must report these injuries to the authorities because they do not seem accidental."
D) "Boys this age always seem to require more supervision and can be quite accident
prone." - Answers :B. "Tell me more specifically about your child's accidents."
A child is brought to the emergency room with a broken arm. Because of other injuries,
the nurse suspects the child may be a victim of abuse. When the nurse tries to give the
child an injection, the child's mother becomes very loud and shouts, "I won't leave my
son! Don't you touch him! You'll hurt my child!" What is the best interpretation of the
mother's statements? The mother is
A) regressing to an earlier behavior pattern.
B) sublimating her anger.
C) projecting her feelings onto the nurse.
D) suppressing her fear. - Answers :C. projecting her anger on to the nurse
A 38-year-old female client is admitted with a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia.
When her tray is brought to her, she refuses to eat and tells the nurse, "I know you are
trying to poison me with that food." Which response is most appropriate for the nurse to
make?
A) "I'll leave your tray here. I am available if you need anything else."
B) "You're not being poisoned. Why do you think someone is trying to poison you?"
