2025 ATI RN MENTAL HEALTH NURSING QUESTIONS
WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS
A charge nurse is discussing mental status examinations with a newly licensed nurse. Which of the
following statements by the newly licensed nurse indicates a need for further teaching?
A. "To assess cognitive ability, I should ask the client to count backward by 7."
B. "To assess affect, I should observe the client's facial expression."
C. "To assess language ability, I should instruct the client to write a sentence."
D. "To assess remote memory, I should have the client repeat a list of objects."
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises - CORRECT ANSWER -
D. "To assess remote memory, I should have the client repeat a list of objects."
Asking the client to repeat a list of objects is appropriate to assess immediate, rather than remot
e, memory.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises
A nurse is planning care for a client who has a mental health disorder. Which of the following is a
ppropriate to include as a psychobiological intervention?
A. Assist the client with systematic desensitization therapy.
B. Teach the client appropriate coping mechanisms.
C. Assess the client for comorbid health conditions.
D. Monitor the client for adverse effects of medications.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises - CORRECT ANSWER -
D. Monitor the client for adverse effects of medications.
Assisting with systematic desensitization therapy is a cognitive and behavioral.
Teaching appropriate coping mechanisms is a counseling or health teaching.
,Assessing for comorbid health conditions is health promotion and maintenance.
D. Monitoring for adverse effects of medications is an example of a psychobiological intervention.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises
A nurse in an outpatient mental health clinic is preparing to conduct an initial client interview. Wh
en conducting the interview, which of the following is the highest priority action?
A. Respect the client's need for personal space.
B. Identify the client's perception of her mental health status.
C. Include the client's family in the interview.
D. Teach the client about her current mental health disorder.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises - CORRECT ANSWER -
*B. Identify the client's perception of her mental health status.*
A. Appropriate, but not highest priority.
B. Assessment is the priority action when taking the nursing process approach. Identifying the clien
t's perception of her mental health status provides important information about the client's psycho
social history.
C. Appropriate, but not highest priority.
D. Appropriate, but not highest priority.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises
A nurse is told during change-of-
shift report that a client is stuporous. When assessing the client, which of the following is an expe
cted finding?
,A. The client arouses briefly in response to a sternal rib.
B. The client has a Glasgow Coma Scale score less than 7.
C. The client exhibits decorticate rigidity.
D. The client is alert but disoriented to time and place.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises - CORRECT ANSWER -
*A. The client arouses briefly in response to a sternal rib.*
A. A client who is stuporous requires vigorous or painful stimuli to elicit a response.
B. <7 on GCS indicates comatose, not stuporous, level of consciousness.
C. Abnormal posturing = comatose.
D. Stuporous /= alert.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises
A nurse is planning a peer group discussion about the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-
5). Which of the following is appropriate to include in the discussion? (SATA)
A. The DSM-5 is used to identify mental health disorders.
B. The DSM-5 establishes diagnostic criteria.
C. The DSM-5 indicates recommended pharmacological treatment.
D. The DSM-5 assists nurses in planning care.
E. The DSM-5 indicates expected assessment findings.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises - CORRECT ANSWER -A, B, D, E.
, The DSM-
5 is used as a diagnostic tool, establishes diagnostic criteria, used by nurses to plan, implement, an
d evaluate care, and identifies expected findings for mental health disorders.
It does not indicate pharmacological treatment.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises
Which of the following is an example of a client who requires emergency admission to a mental h
ealth facility?
A. A client with schizophrenia who has frequent hallucinations.
B. A client with symptoms of depression who attempted suicide a year ago.
C. A client with borderline personality disorder who assaulted a homeless man with a metal rod.
D. A client with bipolar disorder who paces quickly down the sidewalk while talking to himself.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 2 Application Exercises - CORRECT ANSWER -
C. A client with borderline personality disorder who assaulted a homeless man with a metal rod.
Hallucinations, depression, and/or pacing does not constitute clear reason for emergency commitm
ent.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 2 Application Exercises
A client tells a student nurse, "Don't tell anyone, but I hid a sharp knife under my mattress in ord
er to protect myself from my roommate, who is always yelling at me and threatening me." Which
of the following actions should the nurse take?
A. Keep the client's communication confidential, but talk to the client daily, using therapeutic com
munication to convince him to admit to holding the knife.
B. Keep the client's communication confidential, but watch the client and his roommate closely.
WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS
A charge nurse is discussing mental status examinations with a newly licensed nurse. Which of the
following statements by the newly licensed nurse indicates a need for further teaching?
A. "To assess cognitive ability, I should ask the client to count backward by 7."
B. "To assess affect, I should observe the client's facial expression."
C. "To assess language ability, I should instruct the client to write a sentence."
D. "To assess remote memory, I should have the client repeat a list of objects."
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises - CORRECT ANSWER -
D. "To assess remote memory, I should have the client repeat a list of objects."
Asking the client to repeat a list of objects is appropriate to assess immediate, rather than remot
e, memory.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises
A nurse is planning care for a client who has a mental health disorder. Which of the following is a
ppropriate to include as a psychobiological intervention?
A. Assist the client with systematic desensitization therapy.
B. Teach the client appropriate coping mechanisms.
C. Assess the client for comorbid health conditions.
D. Monitor the client for adverse effects of medications.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises - CORRECT ANSWER -
D. Monitor the client for adverse effects of medications.
Assisting with systematic desensitization therapy is a cognitive and behavioral.
Teaching appropriate coping mechanisms is a counseling or health teaching.
,Assessing for comorbid health conditions is health promotion and maintenance.
D. Monitoring for adverse effects of medications is an example of a psychobiological intervention.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises
A nurse in an outpatient mental health clinic is preparing to conduct an initial client interview. Wh
en conducting the interview, which of the following is the highest priority action?
A. Respect the client's need for personal space.
B. Identify the client's perception of her mental health status.
C. Include the client's family in the interview.
D. Teach the client about her current mental health disorder.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises - CORRECT ANSWER -
*B. Identify the client's perception of her mental health status.*
A. Appropriate, but not highest priority.
B. Assessment is the priority action when taking the nursing process approach. Identifying the clien
t's perception of her mental health status provides important information about the client's psycho
social history.
C. Appropriate, but not highest priority.
D. Appropriate, but not highest priority.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises
A nurse is told during change-of-
shift report that a client is stuporous. When assessing the client, which of the following is an expe
cted finding?
,A. The client arouses briefly in response to a sternal rib.
B. The client has a Glasgow Coma Scale score less than 7.
C. The client exhibits decorticate rigidity.
D. The client is alert but disoriented to time and place.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises - CORRECT ANSWER -
*A. The client arouses briefly in response to a sternal rib.*
A. A client who is stuporous requires vigorous or painful stimuli to elicit a response.
B. <7 on GCS indicates comatose, not stuporous, level of consciousness.
C. Abnormal posturing = comatose.
D. Stuporous /= alert.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises
A nurse is planning a peer group discussion about the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-
5). Which of the following is appropriate to include in the discussion? (SATA)
A. The DSM-5 is used to identify mental health disorders.
B. The DSM-5 establishes diagnostic criteria.
C. The DSM-5 indicates recommended pharmacological treatment.
D. The DSM-5 assists nurses in planning care.
E. The DSM-5 indicates expected assessment findings.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises - CORRECT ANSWER -A, B, D, E.
, The DSM-
5 is used as a diagnostic tool, establishes diagnostic criteria, used by nurses to plan, implement, an
d evaluate care, and identifies expected findings for mental health disorders.
It does not indicate pharmacological treatment.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises
Which of the following is an example of a client who requires emergency admission to a mental h
ealth facility?
A. A client with schizophrenia who has frequent hallucinations.
B. A client with symptoms of depression who attempted suicide a year ago.
C. A client with borderline personality disorder who assaulted a homeless man with a metal rod.
D. A client with bipolar disorder who paces quickly down the sidewalk while talking to himself.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 2 Application Exercises - CORRECT ANSWER -
C. A client with borderline personality disorder who assaulted a homeless man with a metal rod.
Hallucinations, depression, and/or pacing does not constitute clear reason for emergency commitm
ent.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 2 Application Exercises
A client tells a student nurse, "Don't tell anyone, but I hid a sharp knife under my mattress in ord
er to protect myself from my roommate, who is always yelling at me and threatening me." Which
of the following actions should the nurse take?
A. Keep the client's communication confidential, but talk to the client daily, using therapeutic com
munication to convince him to admit to holding the knife.
B. Keep the client's communication confidential, but watch the client and his roommate closely.
