Varcarolis Canadian Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing
2nd Edition By Pollard All Chapter 1 - 35
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,Chapter 01: Mental Health and Mental Illness
Varcarolis’s Canadian Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing, 2nd Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. A staff nurse completes orientation to a psychiatric unit. Which of the following would
thenurse expect as an advanced practice intervention?
a. Conduct mental health assessments
b. Prescribe psychotropic medication
c. Establish therapeutic relationships
d. Individualize nursing care plans
ANSWER: B
Prescriptive privileges are granted to master’s-prepared nurse practitioners who have
taken special courses on prescribing medication; thus it is an advanced-practice
intervention. The nurse prepared at the basic level is permitted to perform mental health
assessments, establishrelationships, and provide individualized care planning.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understand (Comprehension)
TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation MSC: Client Needs: Safe Effective Care Environment
2. When a nursing student expresses concerns about how mental health nurses “lose all
theirnursing skills,” which of the following is the best response by the mental health
nurse?
a. “Psychiatric nurses practise in safer environments than other specialties.
Nurse-to-patient ratios must be better because of the nature of the
patients’
problems. .
”
b. “Psychiatric nurses use complex communication skills as well as critical thinking
to solve multidimensional problems. I am challenged by those situations.”
c. “That’s a misconception. Psychiatric nurses frequently use high-
technologymonitoring equipment and manage complex intravenous
therapies.”
d. “Psychiatric nurses do not have to deal with as much pain and suffering
asmedical–surgical nurses do. That appeals to me.”
ANSWER: B
The practice of psychiatric nursing requires a different set of skills from medical–surgical
nursing, though there is substantial overlap. Two domains relate specifically to psychiatric
nursing: behavioural, including communication, coping, and education; and safety,
coveringcrisis and risk management. Basic psychosocial nursing concepts are central to
psychiatric nursing practice and increase your competency as a practitioner in all clinical
settings.
Whatever setting you choose to work in, you will have the opportunity to improve the lives
ofpeople who are experiencing mental illness as an additional challenge to their health.
Your experience in the mental health nursing rotation can help you gain insight into yourself
and greatly increase your insight into the experiences of others. This part of nursing
educationcan provide guidelines for and the opportunity to learn new skills for dealing with
a variety ofchallenging behaviours. Psychosocial pain and suffering are as real as physical
, pain and suffering.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Apply (Application)
TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation MSC: Client Needs: Safe Effective Care Environment