NSG 522 PYSCHOPHARMACOLOGY EXAM 1
2025/2026 WITH ACTUAL CORRECT
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS |FREQUENTLY
TESTED QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS
|ALREADY GRADED A+|NEWEST|BRAND
NEW VERSION!!
Prior to discharge, the nurse plans to teach the patient and family about relapse. Which items
will the nurse include in the teaching?
a. Recognizing warning signs of relapse
b. Using street drugs judiciously and only in small amounts
c. Lowering medication dosage to manage emerging side effects
d. Notifying the nurse of warning signs present for more than one month
a. Recognizing warning signs of relapse
Because of the cognitive disturbances associated with schizophrenia, which technique will be
useful as the nurse teaches a patient about self management?
a. Use only verbal instruction.
b. Teach material in small segments.
c. Offer opportunities for making numerous choices.
d. Plan the teaching for a time when the patient has been recently medicated
b. Teach material in small segments.
The wife of a patient newly diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia is concerned that her
husband will be this sick for the rest of his life. What information can the nurse provide to the
wife?
a. This disorder generally responds well with treatment and follow-up.
b. All types of schizophrenia by their nature are chronic relapsing disorders.
c. Outcomes are related to the patients pre-hospital symptoms of disorganization.
d. The typical outcome for this diagnosis is that total remission is not achievable.
a. This disorder generally responds well with treatment and follow-up.
A patient is exhibiting auditory hallucinations in addition to being forgetful and easily confused.
Which diagnosis does the nurse base this patients interventions on?
1|Page
,a. Social isolation
b. Deficient knowledge
c. Situational low self-esteem
d. Impaired cognitive functioning
d. Impaired cognitive functioning
A patient experiences intrusive, insulting auditory hallucinations. Which independent behavioral
technique can the nurse teach the patient to employ when the voices are troublesome?
a. Introduce a distraction like reading.
b. Use positive talk to offset the insults.
c. Sing or whistle to compete with the voices.
d. Increase the daily dose of an antipsychotic medication.
c. Sing or whistle to compete with the voices.
A patient with schizophrenia tells the nurse as they sit in the day room, I hear voices telling me
bad things. The most therapeutic response the nurse can make is:
a. Tell me what the voices are saying.
b. I believe you hear voices, but I dont hear them myself.
c. The voices are not real. Theyre a product of your imagination.
d. Do you think the voices would go away if we went into your room to talk?
b. I believe you hear voices, but I dont hear them myself.
A patient tells the nurse, When Im in the day room, I hear people whispering about me, and
that makes me want to punch them. What direction will the nurse provide the staff regarding
interacting with this patient?
a. To minimize the need to whisper, utilize nonverbal techniques when possible.
b. Stay physically close to this patient and use touch as a tool to interact with him.
c. Treat this patient matter-of-factly. Be direct; dont talk about him or others in his presence.
d. Interact with this patient only when necessary. The fewer interactions, the fewer
misinterpretations there will be.
c. Treat this patient matter-of-factly. Be direct; dont talk about him or others in his presence.
A patient with schizophrenia is medication compliant and has well-controlled symptoms. He
has, however, never been successful in holding a job because of poor social skills and lack of
understanding of basic job skills. The nurse case manager should consider referring the patient:
a. For cognitive therapy
b. To assertiveness training
2|Page
,c. To a day hospital program
d. For psychosocial rehabilitation
d. For psychosocial rehabilitation
A patient prescribed an antipsychotic medication develops a high fever, unstable blood
pressure, and muscle rigidity. Her next dose of medication is due. The nurse should:
a. Administer the medication and monitor the vital signs every 4 hours.
b. Give a lower dose of the medication for 24 hours and monitor the blood pressure.
c. Prepare to administer a prn dose of the anticholinergic drug benztropine (Cogentin).
d. Hold the medication and immediately describe the patients symptoms to the doctor.
d. Hold the medication and immediately describe the patients symptoms to the doctor.
The nurse is assessing a patient who is complaining of hearing voices. What is this patient
experiencing? a. Delusions
b. Flight of ideas
c. Disorganized thinking
d. Hallucinations
d. Hallucinations
A patient with schizophrenia has been nonadherent with his home medication regimen. He
requires frequent admissions to the intensive psychiatric unit for treatment of acute psychotic
episodes. Which medication regimen would be appropriate for this patient?
a. Daily home nursing visits to administer the prescribed oral medication
b. Continuous inpatient hospitalization for medication therapy
c. Administration of depot antipsychotic medication
d. Subcutaneous medication administration
c. Administration of depot antipsychotic medication
What is the most common cause of nonadherence to antipsychotic pharmacologic treatment?
a. Expense
b. Increased symptoms of chemical dependency
c. Extrapyramidal effects
d. Inability of the patient to understand the need to take medications
c. Extrapyramidal effects
Which type of adverse effects is present when a patient displays prolonged tonic contractions of
the tongue, oculogyric crisis, and torticollis?
a. Dystonic reactions
3|Page
, b. Pseudoparkinsonism
c. Akathisia
d. Tardive dyskinesia
a. Dystonic reactions
The nurse is teaching a patient who is taking clozapine (Clozaril) to have weekly blood tests for
the first 6 months of treatment to monitor for which potential complication?
a. Agranulocytosis
b. Vitamin deficiencies
c. Clotting abnormalities
d. Polycythemia
a. Agranulocytosis
A male patient becomes verbally aggressive and insists the nurse is poisoning him as she
attempts to administer haloperidol (Haldol). Which action will the nurse take?
a. Support the patients decision to refuse the medication.
b. Discreetly ask an assistant to put the medication in the patients food.
c. Firmly redirect the patient to take the medication.
d. Speak privately with the patient and reinforce medication action.
c. Firmly redirect the patient to take the medication.
Which statement is true regarding the adverse effects associated with antipsychotic
medications?
a. Tardive dyskinesia is a common, reversible condition.
b. Painful dystonic reactions can occur in the first 72 hours of initiation of therapy.
c. Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) is a common adverse effect.
d. Pseudoparkinsonian symptoms can cause Parkinsons disease.
b. Painful dystonic reactions can occur in the first 72 hours of initiation of therapy.
To what does potency of an antipsychotic medication refer?
a. Severity of adverse effects associated with the drug
b. Length of time that it takes to reach a therapeutic blood level of the drug
c. Milligram doses used for the medication
d. Effectiveness of the drug in alleviating psychotic behavior
c. Milligram doses used for the medication
Dystonic reactions, pseudoparkinsonism, akathisia, and tardive dyskinesia are types of which
effect?
4|Page
2025/2026 WITH ACTUAL CORRECT
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS |FREQUENTLY
TESTED QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS
|ALREADY GRADED A+|NEWEST|BRAND
NEW VERSION!!
Prior to discharge, the nurse plans to teach the patient and family about relapse. Which items
will the nurse include in the teaching?
a. Recognizing warning signs of relapse
b. Using street drugs judiciously and only in small amounts
c. Lowering medication dosage to manage emerging side effects
d. Notifying the nurse of warning signs present for more than one month
a. Recognizing warning signs of relapse
Because of the cognitive disturbances associated with schizophrenia, which technique will be
useful as the nurse teaches a patient about self management?
a. Use only verbal instruction.
b. Teach material in small segments.
c. Offer opportunities for making numerous choices.
d. Plan the teaching for a time when the patient has been recently medicated
b. Teach material in small segments.
The wife of a patient newly diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia is concerned that her
husband will be this sick for the rest of his life. What information can the nurse provide to the
wife?
a. This disorder generally responds well with treatment and follow-up.
b. All types of schizophrenia by their nature are chronic relapsing disorders.
c. Outcomes are related to the patients pre-hospital symptoms of disorganization.
d. The typical outcome for this diagnosis is that total remission is not achievable.
a. This disorder generally responds well with treatment and follow-up.
A patient is exhibiting auditory hallucinations in addition to being forgetful and easily confused.
Which diagnosis does the nurse base this patients interventions on?
1|Page
,a. Social isolation
b. Deficient knowledge
c. Situational low self-esteem
d. Impaired cognitive functioning
d. Impaired cognitive functioning
A patient experiences intrusive, insulting auditory hallucinations. Which independent behavioral
technique can the nurse teach the patient to employ when the voices are troublesome?
a. Introduce a distraction like reading.
b. Use positive talk to offset the insults.
c. Sing or whistle to compete with the voices.
d. Increase the daily dose of an antipsychotic medication.
c. Sing or whistle to compete with the voices.
A patient with schizophrenia tells the nurse as they sit in the day room, I hear voices telling me
bad things. The most therapeutic response the nurse can make is:
a. Tell me what the voices are saying.
b. I believe you hear voices, but I dont hear them myself.
c. The voices are not real. Theyre a product of your imagination.
d. Do you think the voices would go away if we went into your room to talk?
b. I believe you hear voices, but I dont hear them myself.
A patient tells the nurse, When Im in the day room, I hear people whispering about me, and
that makes me want to punch them. What direction will the nurse provide the staff regarding
interacting with this patient?
a. To minimize the need to whisper, utilize nonverbal techniques when possible.
b. Stay physically close to this patient and use touch as a tool to interact with him.
c. Treat this patient matter-of-factly. Be direct; dont talk about him or others in his presence.
d. Interact with this patient only when necessary. The fewer interactions, the fewer
misinterpretations there will be.
c. Treat this patient matter-of-factly. Be direct; dont talk about him or others in his presence.
A patient with schizophrenia is medication compliant and has well-controlled symptoms. He
has, however, never been successful in holding a job because of poor social skills and lack of
understanding of basic job skills. The nurse case manager should consider referring the patient:
a. For cognitive therapy
b. To assertiveness training
2|Page
,c. To a day hospital program
d. For psychosocial rehabilitation
d. For psychosocial rehabilitation
A patient prescribed an antipsychotic medication develops a high fever, unstable blood
pressure, and muscle rigidity. Her next dose of medication is due. The nurse should:
a. Administer the medication and monitor the vital signs every 4 hours.
b. Give a lower dose of the medication for 24 hours and monitor the blood pressure.
c. Prepare to administer a prn dose of the anticholinergic drug benztropine (Cogentin).
d. Hold the medication and immediately describe the patients symptoms to the doctor.
d. Hold the medication and immediately describe the patients symptoms to the doctor.
The nurse is assessing a patient who is complaining of hearing voices. What is this patient
experiencing? a. Delusions
b. Flight of ideas
c. Disorganized thinking
d. Hallucinations
d. Hallucinations
A patient with schizophrenia has been nonadherent with his home medication regimen. He
requires frequent admissions to the intensive psychiatric unit for treatment of acute psychotic
episodes. Which medication regimen would be appropriate for this patient?
a. Daily home nursing visits to administer the prescribed oral medication
b. Continuous inpatient hospitalization for medication therapy
c. Administration of depot antipsychotic medication
d. Subcutaneous medication administration
c. Administration of depot antipsychotic medication
What is the most common cause of nonadherence to antipsychotic pharmacologic treatment?
a. Expense
b. Increased symptoms of chemical dependency
c. Extrapyramidal effects
d. Inability of the patient to understand the need to take medications
c. Extrapyramidal effects
Which type of adverse effects is present when a patient displays prolonged tonic contractions of
the tongue, oculogyric crisis, and torticollis?
a. Dystonic reactions
3|Page
, b. Pseudoparkinsonism
c. Akathisia
d. Tardive dyskinesia
a. Dystonic reactions
The nurse is teaching a patient who is taking clozapine (Clozaril) to have weekly blood tests for
the first 6 months of treatment to monitor for which potential complication?
a. Agranulocytosis
b. Vitamin deficiencies
c. Clotting abnormalities
d. Polycythemia
a. Agranulocytosis
A male patient becomes verbally aggressive and insists the nurse is poisoning him as she
attempts to administer haloperidol (Haldol). Which action will the nurse take?
a. Support the patients decision to refuse the medication.
b. Discreetly ask an assistant to put the medication in the patients food.
c. Firmly redirect the patient to take the medication.
d. Speak privately with the patient and reinforce medication action.
c. Firmly redirect the patient to take the medication.
Which statement is true regarding the adverse effects associated with antipsychotic
medications?
a. Tardive dyskinesia is a common, reversible condition.
b. Painful dystonic reactions can occur in the first 72 hours of initiation of therapy.
c. Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) is a common adverse effect.
d. Pseudoparkinsonian symptoms can cause Parkinsons disease.
b. Painful dystonic reactions can occur in the first 72 hours of initiation of therapy.
To what does potency of an antipsychotic medication refer?
a. Severity of adverse effects associated with the drug
b. Length of time that it takes to reach a therapeutic blood level of the drug
c. Milligram doses used for the medication
d. Effectiveness of the drug in alleviating psychotic behavior
c. Milligram doses used for the medication
Dystonic reactions, pseudoparkinsonism, akathisia, and tardive dyskinesia are types of which
effect?
4|Page
