NUR2459 Exam 1 V2 | NUR 2459 Mental and
Behavioral Health Nursing Exam Q&A |
Rasmussen University
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This study guide is intended to provide comprehensive preparation for psychiatric nursing
examinations by focusing on behavioral health disorders, therapeutic interventions, and safe
nursing care management. The content reflects practical mental health nursing concepts
frequently tested in nursing assessments.
This version contains realistic exam-style questions designed to strengthen understanding of
psychiatric assessment findings, communication strategies, and therapeutic nursing interventions.
Detailed expert explanations support deeper understanding and practical clinical application.
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The Exam Covers:
• Psychiatric nursing foundations
• Communication barriers in mental health
• Coping and defense mechanisms
• Therapeutic nurse-patient relationships
• Anxiety and stress disorders
• Crisis intervention basics
• Documentation in psychiatric nursing
• Mental health promotion strategies
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1. A nurse is caring for a client who has been voluntarily admitted to a mental health facility.
The client decides they want to leave the facility against medical advice. Which action should
the nurse take first?
A. Notify the provider and prepare for a legal review if the client is a danger.
B. Place the client in restraints to prevent them from leaving.
,C. Immediately discharge the client as they have the right to leave.
D. Administer a sedative to keep the client calm.
Correct Answer: A
Expert Explanation: When a voluntarily admitted client requests discharge, the nurse
must first assess for safety risks to self or others. If a risk exists, the facility may initiate an
involuntary hold for further evaluation. This process ensures that the client’s right to leave
is balanced with the ethical duty of non-maleficence.
2. Which ethical principle is the nurse demonstrating when they spend extra time with a
client who is feeling especially anxious?
A. Beneficence
B. Justice
C. Autonomy
D. Fidelity
Correct Answer: A
Expert Explanation: Beneficence is the duty to act in a way that benefits others and
promotes good. By spending extra time with an anxious client, the nurse is actively working
to improve the client’s well-being. This principle is fundamental to establishing a
therapeutic nurse-client relationship.
, 3. A client is shouting and throwing chairs in the dayroom. Which of the following is the
nurse’s priority intervention?
A. Administering PRN medication.
B. Ensuring the safety of other clients and staff.
C. Documenting the behavior in the medical record.
D. Placing the client in seclusion immediately.
Correct Answer: B
Expert Explanation: The safety of all individuals in the environment is the absolute
priority in any psychiatric emergency. The nurse must first move other clients away from
the danger before addressing the escalating individual. De-escalation and least-restrictive
measures should follow once the environment is secure.
4. During the orientation phase of the nurse-patient relationship, which of the following tasks
should be completed?
A. Establishing the parameters of the relationship and confidentiality.
B. Promoting the patient’s problem-solving skills.
C. Evaluating the progress toward goal attainment.
D. Overcoming resistance behaviors.
Correct Answer: A
Behavioral Health Nursing Exam Q&A |
Rasmussen University
────────────────────────────────────
This study guide is intended to provide comprehensive preparation for psychiatric nursing
examinations by focusing on behavioral health disorders, therapeutic interventions, and safe
nursing care management. The content reflects practical mental health nursing concepts
frequently tested in nursing assessments.
This version contains realistic exam-style questions designed to strengthen understanding of
psychiatric assessment findings, communication strategies, and therapeutic nursing interventions.
Detailed expert explanations support deeper understanding and practical clinical application.
════════════════════════════════════
The Exam Covers:
• Psychiatric nursing foundations
• Communication barriers in mental health
• Coping and defense mechanisms
• Therapeutic nurse-patient relationships
• Anxiety and stress disorders
• Crisis intervention basics
• Documentation in psychiatric nursing
• Mental health promotion strategies
════════════════════════════════════
1. A nurse is caring for a client who has been voluntarily admitted to a mental health facility.
The client decides they want to leave the facility against medical advice. Which action should
the nurse take first?
A. Notify the provider and prepare for a legal review if the client is a danger.
B. Place the client in restraints to prevent them from leaving.
,C. Immediately discharge the client as they have the right to leave.
D. Administer a sedative to keep the client calm.
Correct Answer: A
Expert Explanation: When a voluntarily admitted client requests discharge, the nurse
must first assess for safety risks to self or others. If a risk exists, the facility may initiate an
involuntary hold for further evaluation. This process ensures that the client’s right to leave
is balanced with the ethical duty of non-maleficence.
2. Which ethical principle is the nurse demonstrating when they spend extra time with a
client who is feeling especially anxious?
A. Beneficence
B. Justice
C. Autonomy
D. Fidelity
Correct Answer: A
Expert Explanation: Beneficence is the duty to act in a way that benefits others and
promotes good. By spending extra time with an anxious client, the nurse is actively working
to improve the client’s well-being. This principle is fundamental to establishing a
therapeutic nurse-client relationship.
, 3. A client is shouting and throwing chairs in the dayroom. Which of the following is the
nurse’s priority intervention?
A. Administering PRN medication.
B. Ensuring the safety of other clients and staff.
C. Documenting the behavior in the medical record.
D. Placing the client in seclusion immediately.
Correct Answer: B
Expert Explanation: The safety of all individuals in the environment is the absolute
priority in any psychiatric emergency. The nurse must first move other clients away from
the danger before addressing the escalating individual. De-escalation and least-restrictive
measures should follow once the environment is secure.
4. During the orientation phase of the nurse-patient relationship, which of the following tasks
should be completed?
A. Establishing the parameters of the relationship and confidentiality.
B. Promoting the patient’s problem-solving skills.
C. Evaluating the progress toward goal attainment.
D. Overcoming resistance behaviors.
Correct Answer: A
