2026 RN Mental Health Final Exam
Practice Questions with Answers
Latest Update
1. A nursing student new to psychiatric-mental health nursing asks a peer what resources he can
use to figure out which symptoms are present in a specific psychiatric disorder. The best answer
would be:
a. Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC)
b. Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC)
c. NANDA-I nursing diagnoses
d. DSM-5
2. Epidemiological studies contribute to improvements in care for individuals with mental
disorders by:
a. Providing information about effective nursing techniques.
b. Identifying risk factors that contribute to the development of a disorder.
c. Identifying individuals in the general population who will develop a specific disorder.
d. Identifying which individuals will respond favorably to a specific treatment.
3. Besides antianxiety agents, which classification of drugs is also commonly given to treat
anxiety and anxiety disorders? CORRECT ANSWER>>
a. Antipsychotics
b. Mood stabilizers
c. Antidepressants
d. Cholinesterase inhibitors
4. What assessment question will provide the nurse with information regarding the effects of a
woman’s circadian rhythms on her quality of life? CORRECT ANSWER>>
a. “How much sleep do you usually get each night? CORRECT ANSWER>>”
b. “Does your heart ever seem to skip a beat? CORRECT ANSWER>>”
c. “When was the last time you had a fever? CORRECT ANSWER>>”
, d. “Do you have problems urinating? CORRECT ANSWER>>”
5. You realize that your patient (client) who is being treated for a major depressive disorder
requires more teaching when she makes the following statement:
a. “I have been on this antidepressant for 3 days. I realize that the full effect may not
happen for a period of weeks.”
b. “I am going to ask my nurse practitioner to discontinue my Prozac today and let me
start taking a monoamine oxidase inhibitor tomorrow.”
c. “I may ask to have my medication changed to Wellbutrin due to the problems I am
having being romantic with my wife.”
d. “I realize that there are many antidepressants and it might take a while until we find the
one that works best for me.”
6. A patient (client) being treated for insomnia is prescribed ramel-teon (Rozerem). Which
comorbid mental health condition would make this medication the hypnotic of choice for this
particular patient (client)? CORRECT ANSWER>>
a. Obsessive-compulsive disorder
b. Generalized anxiety disorder
c. Persistent depressive disorder
d. Substance use disorder
7. Which statement made by a patient (client) prescribed bupropion (Wellbutrin) demonstrates
that the medication education the patient (client) received was effective? CORRECT
ANSWER>> Select all that apply.
a. “I hope Wellbutrin will help my depression and also help me to finally quit smoking.”
b. “I’m happy to hear that I won’t need to worry too much about weight gain.”
c. “It’s okay to take Wellbutrin since I haven’t had a seizure in 6 months.”
d. “I need to be careful about driving since the medication could make me drowsy.”
e. “My partner and I have discussed the possible effects this medication could have on
our sex life.”
8. Which drug group calls for nursing assessment for development of abnormal movement
disorders among individuals who take therapeutic dosages? CORRECT ANSWER>>
, a. SSRIs
b. antipsychotics
c. benzodiazepines
d. tricyclic antidepressants
9. The nurse administers each of the following drugs to various patient (client)s. The patient
(client) who should be most carefully assessed for fluid and electrolyte imbalance is the one
receiving:
a. lithium (Eskalith)
b. clozapine (Clozaril)
c. diazepam (Valium)
d. amitriptyline
10. A psychiatric nurse is reviewing prescriptions for a patient (client) with major depression at
the county clinic. Since the patient (client) has a mild intellectual disability, the nurse would
question which classification of antidepressant drugs:
a. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
b. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors
c. Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors
d. All of the above
11. The mental health team is determining treatment options for a male patient (client)
who is experiencing psychotic symptoms. Which question(s) should the team answer to
determine whether a community outpatient (client) or inpatient (client) setting is most
appropriate? CORRECT ANSWER>> Select all that apply.
a. “Is the patient (client) expressing suicidal thoughts? CORRECT ANSWER>>”
b. “Does the patient (client) have intact judgment and insight into his situation? CORRECT
ANSWER>>”
c. “Does the patient (client) have experiences with either community or inpatient
(client) mental healthcare facilities? CORRECT ANSWER>>”
d. “Does the patient (client) require a therapeutic environment to support the
management of psychotic symptoms? CORRECT ANSWER>>”
, e. “Does the patient (client) require the regular involvement of their family/significant
other in planning and executing the plan of care? CORRECT ANSWER>>”
12. Pablo is a homeless adult who has no family connection. Pablo passed out on the street and
emergency medical services took him to the hospital where he expresses a wish to die. The
physician recognizes evidence of substance use problems and mental health issues and
recommends inpatient (client) treatment for Pablo. What is the rationale for this treatment
choice? CORRECT ANSWER>> Select all that apply.
a. Intermittent supervision is available in inpatient (client) settings.
b. He requires stabilization of multiple symptoms.
c. He has nutritional and self-care needs.
d. Medication adherence will be mandated.
e. He is in imminent danger of harming himself.
1. Which statement made by the nurse demonstrates the best understanding of nonverbal
communication? CORRECT ANSWER>>
a. “The patient (client)’s verbal and nonverbal communication is often different.”
b. “When my patient (client) responds to my question, I check for congruence between
verbal and nonverbal communication to help validate the response.”
c. “If a patient (client) is slumped in the chair, I can be sure he’s angry or depressed.”
d. “It’s easier to understand verbal communication that nonverbal communication.”
2. Which nursing statement is an example of reflection? CORRECT ANSWER>>
a. “I think this feeling will pass.”
b. “So you are saying that life has no meaning.”
c. “I’m not sure I understand what you mean.”
d. “You look sad.”
3. When should a nurse be most alert to the possibility of communication errors resulting in harm
to the patient (client)? CORRECT ANSWER>>
Practice Questions with Answers
Latest Update
1. A nursing student new to psychiatric-mental health nursing asks a peer what resources he can
use to figure out which symptoms are present in a specific psychiatric disorder. The best answer
would be:
a. Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC)
b. Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC)
c. NANDA-I nursing diagnoses
d. DSM-5
2. Epidemiological studies contribute to improvements in care for individuals with mental
disorders by:
a. Providing information about effective nursing techniques.
b. Identifying risk factors that contribute to the development of a disorder.
c. Identifying individuals in the general population who will develop a specific disorder.
d. Identifying which individuals will respond favorably to a specific treatment.
3. Besides antianxiety agents, which classification of drugs is also commonly given to treat
anxiety and anxiety disorders? CORRECT ANSWER>>
a. Antipsychotics
b. Mood stabilizers
c. Antidepressants
d. Cholinesterase inhibitors
4. What assessment question will provide the nurse with information regarding the effects of a
woman’s circadian rhythms on her quality of life? CORRECT ANSWER>>
a. “How much sleep do you usually get each night? CORRECT ANSWER>>”
b. “Does your heart ever seem to skip a beat? CORRECT ANSWER>>”
c. “When was the last time you had a fever? CORRECT ANSWER>>”
, d. “Do you have problems urinating? CORRECT ANSWER>>”
5. You realize that your patient (client) who is being treated for a major depressive disorder
requires more teaching when she makes the following statement:
a. “I have been on this antidepressant for 3 days. I realize that the full effect may not
happen for a period of weeks.”
b. “I am going to ask my nurse practitioner to discontinue my Prozac today and let me
start taking a monoamine oxidase inhibitor tomorrow.”
c. “I may ask to have my medication changed to Wellbutrin due to the problems I am
having being romantic with my wife.”
d. “I realize that there are many antidepressants and it might take a while until we find the
one that works best for me.”
6. A patient (client) being treated for insomnia is prescribed ramel-teon (Rozerem). Which
comorbid mental health condition would make this medication the hypnotic of choice for this
particular patient (client)? CORRECT ANSWER>>
a. Obsessive-compulsive disorder
b. Generalized anxiety disorder
c. Persistent depressive disorder
d. Substance use disorder
7. Which statement made by a patient (client) prescribed bupropion (Wellbutrin) demonstrates
that the medication education the patient (client) received was effective? CORRECT
ANSWER>> Select all that apply.
a. “I hope Wellbutrin will help my depression and also help me to finally quit smoking.”
b. “I’m happy to hear that I won’t need to worry too much about weight gain.”
c. “It’s okay to take Wellbutrin since I haven’t had a seizure in 6 months.”
d. “I need to be careful about driving since the medication could make me drowsy.”
e. “My partner and I have discussed the possible effects this medication could have on
our sex life.”
8. Which drug group calls for nursing assessment for development of abnormal movement
disorders among individuals who take therapeutic dosages? CORRECT ANSWER>>
, a. SSRIs
b. antipsychotics
c. benzodiazepines
d. tricyclic antidepressants
9. The nurse administers each of the following drugs to various patient (client)s. The patient
(client) who should be most carefully assessed for fluid and electrolyte imbalance is the one
receiving:
a. lithium (Eskalith)
b. clozapine (Clozaril)
c. diazepam (Valium)
d. amitriptyline
10. A psychiatric nurse is reviewing prescriptions for a patient (client) with major depression at
the county clinic. Since the patient (client) has a mild intellectual disability, the nurse would
question which classification of antidepressant drugs:
a. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
b. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors
c. Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors
d. All of the above
11. The mental health team is determining treatment options for a male patient (client)
who is experiencing psychotic symptoms. Which question(s) should the team answer to
determine whether a community outpatient (client) or inpatient (client) setting is most
appropriate? CORRECT ANSWER>> Select all that apply.
a. “Is the patient (client) expressing suicidal thoughts? CORRECT ANSWER>>”
b. “Does the patient (client) have intact judgment and insight into his situation? CORRECT
ANSWER>>”
c. “Does the patient (client) have experiences with either community or inpatient
(client) mental healthcare facilities? CORRECT ANSWER>>”
d. “Does the patient (client) require a therapeutic environment to support the
management of psychotic symptoms? CORRECT ANSWER>>”
, e. “Does the patient (client) require the regular involvement of their family/significant
other in planning and executing the plan of care? CORRECT ANSWER>>”
12. Pablo is a homeless adult who has no family connection. Pablo passed out on the street and
emergency medical services took him to the hospital where he expresses a wish to die. The
physician recognizes evidence of substance use problems and mental health issues and
recommends inpatient (client) treatment for Pablo. What is the rationale for this treatment
choice? CORRECT ANSWER>> Select all that apply.
a. Intermittent supervision is available in inpatient (client) settings.
b. He requires stabilization of multiple symptoms.
c. He has nutritional and self-care needs.
d. Medication adherence will be mandated.
e. He is in imminent danger of harming himself.
1. Which statement made by the nurse demonstrates the best understanding of nonverbal
communication? CORRECT ANSWER>>
a. “The patient (client)’s verbal and nonverbal communication is often different.”
b. “When my patient (client) responds to my question, I check for congruence between
verbal and nonverbal communication to help validate the response.”
c. “If a patient (client) is slumped in the chair, I can be sure he’s angry or depressed.”
d. “It’s easier to understand verbal communication that nonverbal communication.”
2. Which nursing statement is an example of reflection? CORRECT ANSWER>>
a. “I think this feeling will pass.”
b. “So you are saying that life has no meaning.”
c. “I’m not sure I understand what you mean.”
d. “You look sad.”
3. When should a nurse be most alert to the possibility of communication errors resulting in harm
to the patient (client)? CORRECT ANSWER>>
