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NSG 552 EXAM 1 (STAHL’S ESSENTIAL
PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY 5TH EDITION TEST
BANK) (WILKES UNIVERSITY) 2025 UPDATED
ACTUAL EXAM WITH CORRECT SOLUTIONS.
A patient with depression mentions to the nurse, My mother
says depression is a chemical disorder. What does she mean?
The nurses response is based on the theory that depression
primarily involves which of the following neurotransmitters?
a. Cortisol and GABA
b. COMT and glutamate
c. Monamine and glycine
d. Serotonin and norepinephrine - correct answer- d. Serotonin
and norepinephrine
A patient has experienced a stroke (cerebral vascular accident)
that has resulted in damage to the Broca area. Which
evaluation does the nurse conduct to reinforce this diagnosis?
a. Observing the patient pick up a spoon
b. Asking the patient to recite the alphabet
c. Monitoring the patients blood pressure
d. Comparing the patients grip strength in both - correct
answer- b. Asking the patient to recite the alphabet
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The patient diagnosed with schizophrenia asks why
psychotropic medications are always prescribed by the doctor.
The nurses answer will be based on information that the
therapeutic action of psychotropic drugs is the result of their
effect on:
a. The temporal lobe; especially Wernickes area
b. Dendrites and their ability to transmit electrical impulses
c. The regulation of neurotransmitters especially dopamine
d. The peripheral nervous system sensitivity to the psychotropic
medications - correct answer- c. The regulation of
neurotransmitters especially dopamine
A student nurse mutters that it seems entirely unnecessary to
have to struggle with understanding the anatomy and
physiology of the neurologic system. The mentor would base a
response on the understanding that it is:
a. Necessary but generally for psychiatric nurses who focus
primarily on behavioral interventions
b. A complex undertaking that advance practice psychiatric
nurses frequently use in their practice
c. Important primarily for the nursing assessment of patients
with brain trauma caused cognitive symptoms
d. Necessary for planning psychiatric care for all patients
especially those experiencing psychiatric disorders - correct
answer- d. Necessary for planning psychiatric care for all
patients especially those experiencing psychiatric disorders
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A patient asks the nurse, My wife has breast cancer. Could it be
caused by her chronic depression? Which response is
supported by research data?
a. Too much stress has been proven to cause all kinds of
cancer.
b. There have been no research studies done on stress and
disease yet.
c. Stress does cause the release of factors that suppress the
immune system.
d. There appears to be little connection between stress and
diseases of the body - correct answer- c. Stress does cause the
release of factors that suppress the immune system.
A patient who has a parietal lobe injury is being evaluated for
psychiatric rehabilitation needs. Of the aspects of functioning
listed, which will the nurse identify as a focus of nursing
intervention?
a. Expression of emotion
b. Detecting auditory stimuli
c. Receiving visual images
d. Processing associations - correct answer- d. Processing
associations
At admission, the nurse learns that some time ago the patient
had an infarct in the right cerebral cortex. During assessment,
the nurse would expect to find that the patient:
a. Demonstrates major deficiencies in speech
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b. Is unable to effectively hold a spoon in the left hand
c. Has difficulty explaining how to go about using the telephone
d. Cannot use his right hand to shave himself or comb his own -
correct answer- b. Is unable to effectively hold a spoon in the
left hand
A patient with chronic schizophrenia had a stroke involving the
hippocampus. The patient will be discharged on low doses of
haloperidol. The nurse will need to individualize the patients
medication teaching by:
a. Including the patients caregiver in the education b. Being
careful to stress the importance of taking the medication as
prescribed
c. Providing the education at a time when the patient is
emotionally calm and relaxed
d. Encouraging the patient to crush or dissolve the medication
to help with swallowing - correct answer- a. Including the
patients caregiver in the education
The physician tells the nurse, The medication Im prescribing for
the patient enhances the g-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system.
Which patient behavior will provide evidence that the
medication therapy is successful?
a. The patient is actively involved in playing cards with other
patients.
b. The patient reports that, I don't feel as anxious as I did a
couple of days ago.
NSG 552 EXAM 1 (STAHL’S ESSENTIAL
PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY 5TH EDITION TEST
BANK) (WILKES UNIVERSITY) 2025 UPDATED
ACTUAL EXAM WITH CORRECT SOLUTIONS.
A patient with depression mentions to the nurse, My mother
says depression is a chemical disorder. What does she mean?
The nurses response is based on the theory that depression
primarily involves which of the following neurotransmitters?
a. Cortisol and GABA
b. COMT and glutamate
c. Monamine and glycine
d. Serotonin and norepinephrine - correct answer- d. Serotonin
and norepinephrine
A patient has experienced a stroke (cerebral vascular accident)
that has resulted in damage to the Broca area. Which
evaluation does the nurse conduct to reinforce this diagnosis?
a. Observing the patient pick up a spoon
b. Asking the patient to recite the alphabet
c. Monitoring the patients blood pressure
d. Comparing the patients grip strength in both - correct
answer- b. Asking the patient to recite the alphabet
,2 | Page
The patient diagnosed with schizophrenia asks why
psychotropic medications are always prescribed by the doctor.
The nurses answer will be based on information that the
therapeutic action of psychotropic drugs is the result of their
effect on:
a. The temporal lobe; especially Wernickes area
b. Dendrites and their ability to transmit electrical impulses
c. The regulation of neurotransmitters especially dopamine
d. The peripheral nervous system sensitivity to the psychotropic
medications - correct answer- c. The regulation of
neurotransmitters especially dopamine
A student nurse mutters that it seems entirely unnecessary to
have to struggle with understanding the anatomy and
physiology of the neurologic system. The mentor would base a
response on the understanding that it is:
a. Necessary but generally for psychiatric nurses who focus
primarily on behavioral interventions
b. A complex undertaking that advance practice psychiatric
nurses frequently use in their practice
c. Important primarily for the nursing assessment of patients
with brain trauma caused cognitive symptoms
d. Necessary for planning psychiatric care for all patients
especially those experiencing psychiatric disorders - correct
answer- d. Necessary for planning psychiatric care for all
patients especially those experiencing psychiatric disorders
,3 | Page
A patient asks the nurse, My wife has breast cancer. Could it be
caused by her chronic depression? Which response is
supported by research data?
a. Too much stress has been proven to cause all kinds of
cancer.
b. There have been no research studies done on stress and
disease yet.
c. Stress does cause the release of factors that suppress the
immune system.
d. There appears to be little connection between stress and
diseases of the body - correct answer- c. Stress does cause the
release of factors that suppress the immune system.
A patient who has a parietal lobe injury is being evaluated for
psychiatric rehabilitation needs. Of the aspects of functioning
listed, which will the nurse identify as a focus of nursing
intervention?
a. Expression of emotion
b. Detecting auditory stimuli
c. Receiving visual images
d. Processing associations - correct answer- d. Processing
associations
At admission, the nurse learns that some time ago the patient
had an infarct in the right cerebral cortex. During assessment,
the nurse would expect to find that the patient:
a. Demonstrates major deficiencies in speech
, 4 | Page
b. Is unable to effectively hold a spoon in the left hand
c. Has difficulty explaining how to go about using the telephone
d. Cannot use his right hand to shave himself or comb his own -
correct answer- b. Is unable to effectively hold a spoon in the
left hand
A patient with chronic schizophrenia had a stroke involving the
hippocampus. The patient will be discharged on low doses of
haloperidol. The nurse will need to individualize the patients
medication teaching by:
a. Including the patients caregiver in the education b. Being
careful to stress the importance of taking the medication as
prescribed
c. Providing the education at a time when the patient is
emotionally calm and relaxed
d. Encouraging the patient to crush or dissolve the medication
to help with swallowing - correct answer- a. Including the
patients caregiver in the education
The physician tells the nurse, The medication Im prescribing for
the patient enhances the g-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system.
Which patient behavior will provide evidence that the
medication therapy is successful?
a. The patient is actively involved in playing cards with other
patients.
b. The patient reports that, I don't feel as anxious as I did a
couple of days ago.
