PSYCHIATRIC-MENTAL HEALTH NURSING
10TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)SHEILA L. VIDEBECK
TEST BANK
UNIT 1 — CURRENT THEORIES & PRACTICE
1
Reference: Ch. 1 — Foundations of Psychiatric–Mental Health
Nursing — Role & Scope of Practice
Stem: A newly graduated RN begins the psychiatric unit
orientation and is asked by the charge nurse to initiate an
admission assessment for a 28-year-old with new onset
psychosis. The RN is unsure which elements are priority for
psychiatric admission. Which action should the RN perform
first?
,A. Ask the patient about family psychiatric history.
B. Complete a focused risk assessment for harm to self or
others.
C. Review the patient’s social history and employment status.
D. Begin medication teaching for antipsychotic side effects.
Correct answer: B
Rationale — Correct: Conducting a focused risk assessment for
harm to self or others is the immediate priority on admission
because safety concerns guide unit placement, observation
level, and urgent interventions. Psychiatric nursing scope
emphasizes safety and stabilization before broader psychosocial
assessment or teaching. This aligns with Videbeck’s emphasis
on safety-driven priorities in initial assessments.
Rationale — Incorrect:
A. Family history is relevant but not the immediate safety
priority.
C. Social history is important for planning care but follows safety
stabilization.
D. Medication teaching is premature before confirming capacity,
diagnosis, and immediate safety needs.
Teaching point: Initial psychiatric assessments prioritize
immediate risk and safety.
Citation: Videbeck, S. L. (2025). Psychiatric–Mental Health
Nursing (10th ed.). Ch. 1.
,2
Reference: Ch. 1 — Foundations — Therapeutic Nurse–Patient
Relationship
Stem: A patient with major depressive disorder expresses
hopelessness and says, “No one understands me.” The nurse
believes the patient is isolated. Which nurse response best
reflects therapeutic communication and boundary awareness?
A. “I know exactly how you feel; my cousin has depression too.”
B. “Tell me more about what makes you feel that no one
understands.”
C. “You should try to be more positive and spend time with
friends.”
D. “If you keep saying that, I’ll have to document it in your
chart.”
Correct answer: B
Rationale — Correct: An open, exploratory statement invites
the patient to elaborate and demonstrates empathetic, patient-
centered therapeutic communication without self-disclosure. It
maintains professional boundaries while prioritizing assessment
of mood and thought content as Videbeck recommends.
Rationale — Incorrect:
A. Excessive personal self-disclosure breaches boundaries and
shifts focus from the patient.
C. Premature advice is nontherapeutic and minimizes the
patient’s feelings.
, D. A threatened administrative response is punitive and
nontherapeutic.
Teaching point: Use open-ended, empathic prompts while
maintaining professional boundaries.
Citation: Videbeck, S. L. (2025). Psychiatric–Mental Health
Nursing (10th ed.). Ch. 1.
3
Reference: Ch. 1 — Mental Health and Mental Illness —
Continuum Concept
Stem: During community health class, a nursing student asks
how to explain the difference between mental health and
mental illness to a parent. Which explanation should the nurse
use that best reflects the continuum model?
A. “Mental health equals happiness; mental illness equals
psychiatric diagnosis.”
B. “Mental health and mental illness are separate and unrelated
conditions.”
C. “Everyone exists on a dynamic continuum where stressors
can shift functioning.”
D. “You either have mental health or you have a mental
illness—there’s no middle.”
Correct answer: C
10TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)SHEILA L. VIDEBECK
TEST BANK
UNIT 1 — CURRENT THEORIES & PRACTICE
1
Reference: Ch. 1 — Foundations of Psychiatric–Mental Health
Nursing — Role & Scope of Practice
Stem: A newly graduated RN begins the psychiatric unit
orientation and is asked by the charge nurse to initiate an
admission assessment for a 28-year-old with new onset
psychosis. The RN is unsure which elements are priority for
psychiatric admission. Which action should the RN perform
first?
,A. Ask the patient about family psychiatric history.
B. Complete a focused risk assessment for harm to self or
others.
C. Review the patient’s social history and employment status.
D. Begin medication teaching for antipsychotic side effects.
Correct answer: B
Rationale — Correct: Conducting a focused risk assessment for
harm to self or others is the immediate priority on admission
because safety concerns guide unit placement, observation
level, and urgent interventions. Psychiatric nursing scope
emphasizes safety and stabilization before broader psychosocial
assessment or teaching. This aligns with Videbeck’s emphasis
on safety-driven priorities in initial assessments.
Rationale — Incorrect:
A. Family history is relevant but not the immediate safety
priority.
C. Social history is important for planning care but follows safety
stabilization.
D. Medication teaching is premature before confirming capacity,
diagnosis, and immediate safety needs.
Teaching point: Initial psychiatric assessments prioritize
immediate risk and safety.
Citation: Videbeck, S. L. (2025). Psychiatric–Mental Health
Nursing (10th ed.). Ch. 1.
,2
Reference: Ch. 1 — Foundations — Therapeutic Nurse–Patient
Relationship
Stem: A patient with major depressive disorder expresses
hopelessness and says, “No one understands me.” The nurse
believes the patient is isolated. Which nurse response best
reflects therapeutic communication and boundary awareness?
A. “I know exactly how you feel; my cousin has depression too.”
B. “Tell me more about what makes you feel that no one
understands.”
C. “You should try to be more positive and spend time with
friends.”
D. “If you keep saying that, I’ll have to document it in your
chart.”
Correct answer: B
Rationale — Correct: An open, exploratory statement invites
the patient to elaborate and demonstrates empathetic, patient-
centered therapeutic communication without self-disclosure. It
maintains professional boundaries while prioritizing assessment
of mood and thought content as Videbeck recommends.
Rationale — Incorrect:
A. Excessive personal self-disclosure breaches boundaries and
shifts focus from the patient.
C. Premature advice is nontherapeutic and minimizes the
patient’s feelings.
, D. A threatened administrative response is punitive and
nontherapeutic.
Teaching point: Use open-ended, empathic prompts while
maintaining professional boundaries.
Citation: Videbeck, S. L. (2025). Psychiatric–Mental Health
Nursing (10th ed.). Ch. 1.
3
Reference: Ch. 1 — Mental Health and Mental Illness —
Continuum Concept
Stem: During community health class, a nursing student asks
how to explain the difference between mental health and
mental illness to a parent. Which explanation should the nurse
use that best reflects the continuum model?
A. “Mental health equals happiness; mental illness equals
psychiatric diagnosis.”
B. “Mental health and mental illness are separate and unrelated
conditions.”
C. “Everyone exists on a dynamic continuum where stressors
can shift functioning.”
D. “You either have mental health or you have a mental
illness—there’s no middle.”
Correct answer: C
