HESI Case Study - Psychiatric/Mental Health Practice
Exam Questions With Complete Solutions
A 19-year-old female client with a diagnosis of
anorexia nervosa wants to help serve dinner trays
to other clients on a psychiatric unit. What action
should the nurse take?
A) Encourage the client's participation in unit
activities by asking her to pass trays for the rest of
the week.
B) Provide an additional challenge by asking the
client to also help feed the older clients.
C) Suggest another way for this client to participate
in unit activities.
D) Tell the client that hospital policy does not
permit her to pass trays. Correct Answers C.
Suggest another way for this client to participate in
the unit's activities.
A 22-year-old male client is admitted to the
emergency center following a suicide attempt. His
records reveal that this is his third suicide attempt
in the past two years. He is conscious, but does not
respond to verbal commands for treatment. Which
assessment finding should prompt the nurse to
prepare the client for gastric lavage?
A) He ingested the drug 3 hours prior to admission
to the emergency center.
B) The family reports that he took an entire bottle
of acetaminophen (Tylenol).
,C) He is unresponsive to instructions and is unable
to cooperate with emetic therapy.
D) Those with repeated suicide attempts desire
punishment to relieve their guilt. Correct Answers
C. He is unresponsive to instructions and is unable
to cooperate with emetic therapy.
A 25-year-old female client has been particularly
restless and the nurse finds her trying to leave the
psychiatric unit. She tells the nurse, "Please let me
go! I must leave because the secret police are after
me." Which response is best for the nurse to make?
A) "No one is after you, you're safe here."
B) "You'll feel better after you have rested."
C) "I know you must feel lonely and frightened."
D) "Come with me to your room and I will sit with
you." Correct Answers D. "Come with me to your
room and I will sit with you."
A 27-year-old female client is admitted to the
psychiatric hospital with a diagnosis of bipolar
disorder, manic phase. She is demanding and
active. Which intervention should the nurse include
in this client's plan of care?
A) Schedule her to attend various group activities.
B) Reinforce her ability to make her own decisions.
C) Encourage her to identify feelings of anger.
D) Provide a structured environment with little
stimuli. Correct Answers D. Provide a structured
environment with little stimuli
,A 30-year-old sales manager tells the nurse, "I am
thinking about a job change. I don't feel like I am
living up to my potential." Which of Maslow's
developmental stages is the sales manager
attempting to achieve?
A) Self-Actualization.
B) Loving and Belonging.
C) Basic Needs.
D) Safety and Security. Correct Answers A. Self-
Actualization
A 35-year-old male client on the psychiatric ward of
a general hospital believes that someone is trying
to poison him. The nurse understands that a
client's delusions are most likely related to his
A) early childhood experiences involving authority
issues.
B) anger about being hospitalized.
C) low self-esteem.
D) phobic fear of food. Correct Answers C. Low
self esteem
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. Correct Answers C. encourage the client to
actively participate in assigned activities on the
unit.
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?"
C) "No one on this unit has ever died from
poisoning. You're safe here."
D) "I will talk to your healthcare provider about the
possibility of changing your diet." Correct Answers
A. "I'll leave your tray here. I am available if you
need anything else."
A 40-year-old male client diagnosed with
schizophrenia and alcohol dependence has not had
any visitors or phone calls since admission. He
reports he has no family that cares about him and
was living on the streets prior to this admission.
Exam Questions With Complete Solutions
A 19-year-old female client with a diagnosis of
anorexia nervosa wants to help serve dinner trays
to other clients on a psychiatric unit. What action
should the nurse take?
A) Encourage the client's participation in unit
activities by asking her to pass trays for the rest of
the week.
B) Provide an additional challenge by asking the
client to also help feed the older clients.
C) Suggest another way for this client to participate
in unit activities.
D) Tell the client that hospital policy does not
permit her to pass trays. Correct Answers C.
Suggest another way for this client to participate in
the unit's activities.
A 22-year-old male client is admitted to the
emergency center following a suicide attempt. His
records reveal that this is his third suicide attempt
in the past two years. He is conscious, but does not
respond to verbal commands for treatment. Which
assessment finding should prompt the nurse to
prepare the client for gastric lavage?
A) He ingested the drug 3 hours prior to admission
to the emergency center.
B) The family reports that he took an entire bottle
of acetaminophen (Tylenol).
,C) He is unresponsive to instructions and is unable
to cooperate with emetic therapy.
D) Those with repeated suicide attempts desire
punishment to relieve their guilt. Correct Answers
C. He is unresponsive to instructions and is unable
to cooperate with emetic therapy.
A 25-year-old female client has been particularly
restless and the nurse finds her trying to leave the
psychiatric unit. She tells the nurse, "Please let me
go! I must leave because the secret police are after
me." Which response is best for the nurse to make?
A) "No one is after you, you're safe here."
B) "You'll feel better after you have rested."
C) "I know you must feel lonely and frightened."
D) "Come with me to your room and I will sit with
you." Correct Answers D. "Come with me to your
room and I will sit with you."
A 27-year-old female client is admitted to the
psychiatric hospital with a diagnosis of bipolar
disorder, manic phase. She is demanding and
active. Which intervention should the nurse include
in this client's plan of care?
A) Schedule her to attend various group activities.
B) Reinforce her ability to make her own decisions.
C) Encourage her to identify feelings of anger.
D) Provide a structured environment with little
stimuli. Correct Answers D. Provide a structured
environment with little stimuli
,A 30-year-old sales manager tells the nurse, "I am
thinking about a job change. I don't feel like I am
living up to my potential." Which of Maslow's
developmental stages is the sales manager
attempting to achieve?
A) Self-Actualization.
B) Loving and Belonging.
C) Basic Needs.
D) Safety and Security. Correct Answers A. Self-
Actualization
A 35-year-old male client on the psychiatric ward of
a general hospital believes that someone is trying
to poison him. The nurse understands that a
client's delusions are most likely related to his
A) early childhood experiences involving authority
issues.
B) anger about being hospitalized.
C) low self-esteem.
D) phobic fear of food. Correct Answers C. Low
self esteem
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. Correct Answers C. encourage the client to
actively participate in assigned activities on the
unit.
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?"
C) "No one on this unit has ever died from
poisoning. You're safe here."
D) "I will talk to your healthcare provider about the
possibility of changing your diet." Correct Answers
A. "I'll leave your tray here. I am available if you
need anything else."
A 40-year-old male client diagnosed with
schizophrenia and alcohol dependence has not had
any visitors or phone calls since admission. He
reports he has no family that cares about him and
was living on the streets prior to this admission.
