Nur 1520 exam 1 with correct answers
100% 2025
Mental Status Exam - Correct Answer shows what the patient's current status is during a given point of
time
it can fluctuate from the time you're admitted, from the time you're doing your assessment, and even
time of your discharge
-you want it to change at the time of discharge to show progress has been made
they do physical exam and history to rule out any medical conditions and also laboratory diagnostic
monitoring to monitor therapeutic drug levels
consist of: general appearance, attitude toward interviewer, speech patterns, thought content, thought
process, mood/affect, grasp of general information, insight, judgement, abstract reasoning, danger to
self or others, and homicidal thoughts
general appearance - Correct Answer are they groomed? dressed? nutritional status? height? weight?
hygiene? fidgety? constricted? are their pupils dilated? facial expressions? unusual movements?
hyperactive? race/culture? piercings? tattoos?
attitude towards interviewer - Correct Answer aggressive? calm? approachable? cooperative?
guarded? suspicious? are they refusing to answer questions? are they distant?
speech patterns - Correct Answer talk slowly? stuttering? fast? rapid? pressured (when pt talks
intensely)? rate and volume? mumbling/slurring of words?
thought content - Correct Answer fantasy vs reality? suicidal thoughts? coherence? obsession?
delusions? magical thinking (their thoughts and behaviors have power to them)? religiosity? poverty of
content? hallucination? illusions
thought process - Correct Answer excessive questioning? flight of ideas (continuous rapid flow of one
idea to another)? are their thoughts organized? thought blocking? loose association (jump from
unrelated topic to another)? circumstantial (you ask them simple questions and they give too much
,information)? tangential (get off topic to the point where they or you don't remember)? neologism (pt
make up own words and meanings)? poverty of speech (thought process absent or not speak at all)?
mood - Correct Answer depressed? anxious? irritable? labile (quickly jump mood to mood)?
affect - Correct Answer constricted? grimacing? they look anxious? have blunt affect (dull)? animated?
withdrawn? appropriate to context?
mood/affect - Correct Answer you want the mood and affect to be congruent
grasp of general information - Correct Answer aware of surrounding (LOC and orientation)? able to
take direction?
insight - Correct Answer do they understand that they have a mental health disorder? do they
understand or have an insight of why they are there?
judgement - Correct Answer testing if they make the right decision in a given situation? if this happens,
what would you do?
abstract reasoning - Correct Answer assess whether or not they can understand abstract ideas
are they concrete or abstract thinkers?
-you want to meet the patient's educational level
ex: the grass is always greener on the other side (this means people tend to see things gets better)
danger to self or others - Correct Answer ask patient if they have any thoughts on harming or killing
themselves?
if they are suicidal, ask if they have specific plans or intentions?
,take all threats seriously
homicidal thoughts - Correct Answer ask patients if they have intentions to harm or kill anyone else
take all threats seriously
things to consider when taking care of psych patients - Correct Answer sharp precaution
no metal
no shoe lace or string
no pens, folders or binders with rings on them
treat and talk to your pt with dignity and respect
when talking with pt keep eye out for their nonverbal cues as well as your own body language
focus on the here and now
don't give advice
avoid asking too many questions
key to mental health is - Correct Answer flexibility
one size doesn't fit all so individualize approach to meet their special needs
mental health - Correct Answer successful adaptation to stressors from internal and external
environment, evidenced by thoughts, feelings and behaviors that are age appropriate and congruent
with local and cultural norms
successful performance of mental functions resulting in ability to engage in productive activities, enjoy
fulfilling relationships, adapt to change, and cope with adversity
, qualities of mentally healthy - Correct Answer able to communicate, confidence/good self-esteem, able
to hold job, maintain friendship and relationship, COPING, able to engage in self control, they need to be
able to test reality (be in touch with reality), TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN ACTIONS,
RESILIENCE (ability to recover from or adjust successfully to trauma or change), capacity to deal with
conflicting emotions, ability to live without fear/guilt/or anxiety, think clearly, relate to others, attain self
defined spirituality, negotiate each developmental tastk, ability to laugh and play
mental illness - Correct Answer maladaptive responses to stressors from internal or external
environment incongruent with local and cultural norms and interfere with social, occupational, sand/or
physical functioning
medical condition (dysfunction of brain and neurotransmitters) that affect a person's thinking, feeling,
mood, ability to relate to others, and daily functioning
psychosis: hallucination, delusions, hypoxia, and brain tumors can cause psychosis; during this they
determine whether the problem is biologically based or mental illness
stigma: collection of negative attitudes, beliefs, and thought that influence public perception of mentally
ill; contribute to fear, rejection, and discrimination against mentally ill that taint and discounts the
individual
relevance to all nursing practice: required by state board of nursing and it helps with communication
skills; behavioral, cognitive, psychosocial development, hierarchy of needs
mental health/illness - Correct Answer on a continuum: foes from ability to function to
disability/disfunction
example: happiness: ability to function (find life enjoyable and optimistic about basic needs being met)
and disability/dysfunction (loss of interest or pleasure, discouraged or hopeless mood)
across the lifespan: occurs from infancy (failure to thrive, failure to grow due to neglect) to geriatric
(dementia, alzheimer's)
influenced by many factors:
100% 2025
Mental Status Exam - Correct Answer shows what the patient's current status is during a given point of
time
it can fluctuate from the time you're admitted, from the time you're doing your assessment, and even
time of your discharge
-you want it to change at the time of discharge to show progress has been made
they do physical exam and history to rule out any medical conditions and also laboratory diagnostic
monitoring to monitor therapeutic drug levels
consist of: general appearance, attitude toward interviewer, speech patterns, thought content, thought
process, mood/affect, grasp of general information, insight, judgement, abstract reasoning, danger to
self or others, and homicidal thoughts
general appearance - Correct Answer are they groomed? dressed? nutritional status? height? weight?
hygiene? fidgety? constricted? are their pupils dilated? facial expressions? unusual movements?
hyperactive? race/culture? piercings? tattoos?
attitude towards interviewer - Correct Answer aggressive? calm? approachable? cooperative?
guarded? suspicious? are they refusing to answer questions? are they distant?
speech patterns - Correct Answer talk slowly? stuttering? fast? rapid? pressured (when pt talks
intensely)? rate and volume? mumbling/slurring of words?
thought content - Correct Answer fantasy vs reality? suicidal thoughts? coherence? obsession?
delusions? magical thinking (their thoughts and behaviors have power to them)? religiosity? poverty of
content? hallucination? illusions
thought process - Correct Answer excessive questioning? flight of ideas (continuous rapid flow of one
idea to another)? are their thoughts organized? thought blocking? loose association (jump from
unrelated topic to another)? circumstantial (you ask them simple questions and they give too much
,information)? tangential (get off topic to the point where they or you don't remember)? neologism (pt
make up own words and meanings)? poverty of speech (thought process absent or not speak at all)?
mood - Correct Answer depressed? anxious? irritable? labile (quickly jump mood to mood)?
affect - Correct Answer constricted? grimacing? they look anxious? have blunt affect (dull)? animated?
withdrawn? appropriate to context?
mood/affect - Correct Answer you want the mood and affect to be congruent
grasp of general information - Correct Answer aware of surrounding (LOC and orientation)? able to
take direction?
insight - Correct Answer do they understand that they have a mental health disorder? do they
understand or have an insight of why they are there?
judgement - Correct Answer testing if they make the right decision in a given situation? if this happens,
what would you do?
abstract reasoning - Correct Answer assess whether or not they can understand abstract ideas
are they concrete or abstract thinkers?
-you want to meet the patient's educational level
ex: the grass is always greener on the other side (this means people tend to see things gets better)
danger to self or others - Correct Answer ask patient if they have any thoughts on harming or killing
themselves?
if they are suicidal, ask if they have specific plans or intentions?
,take all threats seriously
homicidal thoughts - Correct Answer ask patients if they have intentions to harm or kill anyone else
take all threats seriously
things to consider when taking care of psych patients - Correct Answer sharp precaution
no metal
no shoe lace or string
no pens, folders or binders with rings on them
treat and talk to your pt with dignity and respect
when talking with pt keep eye out for their nonverbal cues as well as your own body language
focus on the here and now
don't give advice
avoid asking too many questions
key to mental health is - Correct Answer flexibility
one size doesn't fit all so individualize approach to meet their special needs
mental health - Correct Answer successful adaptation to stressors from internal and external
environment, evidenced by thoughts, feelings and behaviors that are age appropriate and congruent
with local and cultural norms
successful performance of mental functions resulting in ability to engage in productive activities, enjoy
fulfilling relationships, adapt to change, and cope with adversity
, qualities of mentally healthy - Correct Answer able to communicate, confidence/good self-esteem, able
to hold job, maintain friendship and relationship, COPING, able to engage in self control, they need to be
able to test reality (be in touch with reality), TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN ACTIONS,
RESILIENCE (ability to recover from or adjust successfully to trauma or change), capacity to deal with
conflicting emotions, ability to live without fear/guilt/or anxiety, think clearly, relate to others, attain self
defined spirituality, negotiate each developmental tastk, ability to laugh and play
mental illness - Correct Answer maladaptive responses to stressors from internal or external
environment incongruent with local and cultural norms and interfere with social, occupational, sand/or
physical functioning
medical condition (dysfunction of brain and neurotransmitters) that affect a person's thinking, feeling,
mood, ability to relate to others, and daily functioning
psychosis: hallucination, delusions, hypoxia, and brain tumors can cause psychosis; during this they
determine whether the problem is biologically based or mental illness
stigma: collection of negative attitudes, beliefs, and thought that influence public perception of mentally
ill; contribute to fear, rejection, and discrimination against mentally ill that taint and discounts the
individual
relevance to all nursing practice: required by state board of nursing and it helps with communication
skills; behavioral, cognitive, psychosocial development, hierarchy of needs
mental health/illness - Correct Answer on a continuum: foes from ability to function to
disability/disfunction
example: happiness: ability to function (find life enjoyable and optimistic about basic needs being met)
and disability/dysfunction (loss of interest or pleasure, discouraged or hopeless mood)
across the lifespan: occurs from infancy (failure to thrive, failure to grow due to neglect) to geriatric
(dementia, alzheimer's)
influenced by many factors:
