Psych/Mental Health Exit HESI - Saunders 2025
1. Neglecting personal grooming
Rational:
Coping mechanisms are behaviors used to decrease stress and
The home care nurse is visiting anxiety. In response to a death, ineffective coping is manifested by
an older client whose spouse an extreme behavior that in some cases may be harmful to the
died 6 months ago. Which individual physically or psychologically. The correct option is
behavior by the client indicates indicative of a behavior that identifies an ineffective coping
ineffective coping? behavior in the grieving process.
1. Neglecting personal grooming
2. Looking at old snapshots of
family
3. Participating in a senior
citizens' program
4. Visiting their spouse's grave
once a month
4. "You've been feeling like a failure for a while?"
Rationale:
Responding to the feelings expressed by a client is an effective
A client with a diagnosis of major therapeutic communication technique. The correct option is an
depression who has attempted example of the use of restating. The remaining options block
suicide says to the nurse, "I communication because they minimize the client's experience and
should have died. I've always do not facilitate exploration of the client's expressed feelings. In
been a failure. Nothing ever goes addition, use of the word "why" is nontherapeutic.
right for me." Which response
demonstrates therapeutic
communication?
1. "You have everything to live
for."
2. "Why do you see yourself as a
failure?"
3. "Feeling like this is all part of
being depressed."
4. "You've been feeling like a
failure for a while?"
1 of 55
,Psych/Mental Health Exit HESI - Saunders 2025
3. "You're having difficulty sleeping?"
Rationale:
When the mental health nurse The correct option uses the therapeutic communication technique
visits a client at home, the client of restatement. Although restatement is a technique that has a
states, "I haven't slept at all the prompting component to it, it repeats the client's major theme,
last couple of nights." Which which assists the nurse to obtain a more specific perception of the
response by the nurse illustrates problem from the client. The remaining options are not therapeutic
a therapeutic communication responses since none encourage the client to expand on the
response to this client? problem. Offering personal experiences moves the focus away
from the client and onto the nurse.
1. "I see."
2. "Really?"
3. "You're having difficulty
sleeping?"
4. "Sometimes, I have trouble
sleeping too."
1. Using open-ended questions and silence
Rationale:
A client experiencing disturbed Open-ended questions and silence are strategies used to
thought processes believes that encourage clients to discuss their problems. Sharing personal food
his food is being poisoned. Which preferences is not a client-centered intervention. The remaining
communication technique should options are not helpful to the client because they do not encourage
the nurse use to encourage the the client to express feelings. The nurse should not offer opinions
client to eat? and should encourage the client to identify the reasons for the
behavior.
1. Using open-ended questions
and silence
2. Sharing personal preference
regarding food choices
3. Documenting reasons why the
client does not want to eat
4. Offering opinions about the
necessity of adequate nutrition
2 of 55
,Psych/Mental Health Exit HESI - Saunders 2025
1. Denial
Rationale:
Denial is refusal to admit to a painful reality, which is treated as if it
A client admitted to a mental does not exist. In projection, a person unconsciously rejects
health unit for treatment of emotionally unacceptable features and attributes them to other
psychotic behavior spends hours persons, objects, or situations. Regression allows the client to
at the locked exit door shouting, return to an earlier, more comforting, although less mature, way of
"Let me out. There's nothing behaving. Rationalization is justifying illogical or unreasonable
wrong with me. I don't belong ideas, actions, or feelings by developing acceptable explanations
here." What defense mechanism that satisfy the teller and the listener.
is the client implementing?
1. Denial
2. Projection
3. Regression
4. Rationalization
3. "You're feeling angry that your family continues to hope for you
to be cured?"
Rationale:
Restating is a therapeutic communication technique in which the
A client diagnosed with terminal nurse repeats what the client says to show understanding and to
cancer says to the nurse, "I'm review what was said. While it is appropriate for the nurse to
going to die, and I wish my family attempt to assess the client's ability to discuss feelings openly with
would stop hoping for a cure! I family members, it does not help the client discuss the feelings
get so angry when they carry on causing the anger. The nurse's attempt to focus on the central
like this. After all, I'm the one issue of anger is premature. The nurse would never make a
who's dying." Which response by judgment regarding the reason for the client's feeling; this is
the nurse is therapeutic? nontherapeutic in the one-to-one relationship.
1. "Have you shared your
feelings with your family?"
2. "I think we should talk more
about your anger with your
family."
3. "You're feeling angry that your
family continues to hope for you
to be cured?"
4. "You are probably very
depressed, which is
understandable with such a
diagnosis."
3 of 55
, Psych/Mental Health Exit HESI - Saunders 2025
4. A willingness to participate in the planning of the care and
treatment plan.
Rationale:
On review of the client's record, In general, clients seek voluntary admission. If a client seeks
the nurse notes that the mental voluntary admission, the most likely expectation is that the client
health admission was voluntary. will participate in the treatment program since they are actively
Based on this information, the seeking help. The remaining options are not characteristics of this
nurse anticipates which client type of admission. Fearfulness, anger, and aggressiveness are
behavior? more characteristic of an involuntary admission. Voluntary
admission does not guarantee a client's understanding of their
1. Fearfulness regarding illness, only of their desire for help.
treatment measures.
2. Anger and aggressiveness
directed toward others.
3. An understanding of the
pathology and symptoms of the
diagnosis.
4. A willingness to participate in
the planning of the care and
treatment plan.
1. Monitor closely for harm to self or others.
Rationale:
Involuntary admission is necessary when a person is a danger to
When reviewing the admission self or others or is in need of psychiatric treatment regardless of
assessment, the nurse notes that the client's willingness to consent to the hospitalization. A written
a client was admitted to the request is a component of a voluntary admission. Providing written
mental health unit involuntarily. information regarding the illness is likely premature initially. The
Based on this type of admission, family may have had no role to play in the client's admission.
the nurse should provide which
intervention for this client?
1. Monitor closely for harm to self
or others.
2. Assist in completing an
application for admission.
3. Supply the client with written
information about their mental
illness.
4. Provide an opportunity for the
family to discuss why they felt the
admission was needed.
4 of 55
1. Neglecting personal grooming
Rational:
Coping mechanisms are behaviors used to decrease stress and
The home care nurse is visiting anxiety. In response to a death, ineffective coping is manifested by
an older client whose spouse an extreme behavior that in some cases may be harmful to the
died 6 months ago. Which individual physically or psychologically. The correct option is
behavior by the client indicates indicative of a behavior that identifies an ineffective coping
ineffective coping? behavior in the grieving process.
1. Neglecting personal grooming
2. Looking at old snapshots of
family
3. Participating in a senior
citizens' program
4. Visiting their spouse's grave
once a month
4. "You've been feeling like a failure for a while?"
Rationale:
Responding to the feelings expressed by a client is an effective
A client with a diagnosis of major therapeutic communication technique. The correct option is an
depression who has attempted example of the use of restating. The remaining options block
suicide says to the nurse, "I communication because they minimize the client's experience and
should have died. I've always do not facilitate exploration of the client's expressed feelings. In
been a failure. Nothing ever goes addition, use of the word "why" is nontherapeutic.
right for me." Which response
demonstrates therapeutic
communication?
1. "You have everything to live
for."
2. "Why do you see yourself as a
failure?"
3. "Feeling like this is all part of
being depressed."
4. "You've been feeling like a
failure for a while?"
1 of 55
,Psych/Mental Health Exit HESI - Saunders 2025
3. "You're having difficulty sleeping?"
Rationale:
When the mental health nurse The correct option uses the therapeutic communication technique
visits a client at home, the client of restatement. Although restatement is a technique that has a
states, "I haven't slept at all the prompting component to it, it repeats the client's major theme,
last couple of nights." Which which assists the nurse to obtain a more specific perception of the
response by the nurse illustrates problem from the client. The remaining options are not therapeutic
a therapeutic communication responses since none encourage the client to expand on the
response to this client? problem. Offering personal experiences moves the focus away
from the client and onto the nurse.
1. "I see."
2. "Really?"
3. "You're having difficulty
sleeping?"
4. "Sometimes, I have trouble
sleeping too."
1. Using open-ended questions and silence
Rationale:
A client experiencing disturbed Open-ended questions and silence are strategies used to
thought processes believes that encourage clients to discuss their problems. Sharing personal food
his food is being poisoned. Which preferences is not a client-centered intervention. The remaining
communication technique should options are not helpful to the client because they do not encourage
the nurse use to encourage the the client to express feelings. The nurse should not offer opinions
client to eat? and should encourage the client to identify the reasons for the
behavior.
1. Using open-ended questions
and silence
2. Sharing personal preference
regarding food choices
3. Documenting reasons why the
client does not want to eat
4. Offering opinions about the
necessity of adequate nutrition
2 of 55
,Psych/Mental Health Exit HESI - Saunders 2025
1. Denial
Rationale:
Denial is refusal to admit to a painful reality, which is treated as if it
A client admitted to a mental does not exist. In projection, a person unconsciously rejects
health unit for treatment of emotionally unacceptable features and attributes them to other
psychotic behavior spends hours persons, objects, or situations. Regression allows the client to
at the locked exit door shouting, return to an earlier, more comforting, although less mature, way of
"Let me out. There's nothing behaving. Rationalization is justifying illogical or unreasonable
wrong with me. I don't belong ideas, actions, or feelings by developing acceptable explanations
here." What defense mechanism that satisfy the teller and the listener.
is the client implementing?
1. Denial
2. Projection
3. Regression
4. Rationalization
3. "You're feeling angry that your family continues to hope for you
to be cured?"
Rationale:
Restating is a therapeutic communication technique in which the
A client diagnosed with terminal nurse repeats what the client says to show understanding and to
cancer says to the nurse, "I'm review what was said. While it is appropriate for the nurse to
going to die, and I wish my family attempt to assess the client's ability to discuss feelings openly with
would stop hoping for a cure! I family members, it does not help the client discuss the feelings
get so angry when they carry on causing the anger. The nurse's attempt to focus on the central
like this. After all, I'm the one issue of anger is premature. The nurse would never make a
who's dying." Which response by judgment regarding the reason for the client's feeling; this is
the nurse is therapeutic? nontherapeutic in the one-to-one relationship.
1. "Have you shared your
feelings with your family?"
2. "I think we should talk more
about your anger with your
family."
3. "You're feeling angry that your
family continues to hope for you
to be cured?"
4. "You are probably very
depressed, which is
understandable with such a
diagnosis."
3 of 55
, Psych/Mental Health Exit HESI - Saunders 2025
4. A willingness to participate in the planning of the care and
treatment plan.
Rationale:
On review of the client's record, In general, clients seek voluntary admission. If a client seeks
the nurse notes that the mental voluntary admission, the most likely expectation is that the client
health admission was voluntary. will participate in the treatment program since they are actively
Based on this information, the seeking help. The remaining options are not characteristics of this
nurse anticipates which client type of admission. Fearfulness, anger, and aggressiveness are
behavior? more characteristic of an involuntary admission. Voluntary
admission does not guarantee a client's understanding of their
1. Fearfulness regarding illness, only of their desire for help.
treatment measures.
2. Anger and aggressiveness
directed toward others.
3. An understanding of the
pathology and symptoms of the
diagnosis.
4. A willingness to participate in
the planning of the care and
treatment plan.
1. Monitor closely for harm to self or others.
Rationale:
Involuntary admission is necessary when a person is a danger to
When reviewing the admission self or others or is in need of psychiatric treatment regardless of
assessment, the nurse notes that the client's willingness to consent to the hospitalization. A written
a client was admitted to the request is a component of a voluntary admission. Providing written
mental health unit involuntarily. information regarding the illness is likely premature initially. The
Based on this type of admission, family may have had no role to play in the client's admission.
the nurse should provide which
intervention for this client?
1. Monitor closely for harm to self
or others.
2. Assist in completing an
application for admission.
3. Supply the client with written
information about their mental
illness.
4. Provide an opportunity for the
family to discuss why they felt the
admission was needed.
4 of 55
