NR548 Exam 2 Actual Exam Style V2 | NR
548 Psychiatric Assessment for
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse
Practitioner Chamberlain
1. A PMHNP is evaluating a patient who reports feeling ‘down in the dumps’ for the last
month. During the Mental Status Exam (MSE), the nurse practitioner notes the patient’s
emotional state as ‘depressed.’ This refers to which component?
A. Mood
B. Affect
C. Thought Content
D. Cognition
Answer: A
Rationale: Mood is defined as the patient’s internal, self-reported emotional state over a
period of time. Affect, conversely, is the clinician’s observation of the patient’s outward
emotional expression at a specific moment. Distinguishing between the two is a
fundamental skill in psychiatric assessment.
2. When assessing an adolescent using the HEADSS framework, which of the following areas
does the ‘S’ at the end specifically address?
A. Social Media and Screen time
,B. School and Sports
C. Suicide and Safety
D. Sexual Activity and STIs
Answer: C
Rationale: The HEADSS assessment is a systematic approach to interviewing adolescents
that covers Home, Education, Activities, Drugs, Sexuality, and Suicide/Safety. The final ‘S’
highlights the high-priority need to screen for self-harm, suicidal ideation, and
environmental safety. This screening tool helps the PMHNP build rapport while identifying
high-risk behaviors.
3. A patient describes a belief that the local news anchor is sending secret messages
specifically to them through the television. This is an example of:
A. Flight of ideas
B. Ideas of reference
C. Grandiosity
D. Tangentiality
Answer: B
Rationale: Ideas of reference involve the false belief that irrelevant or innocuous
occurrences in the world relate directly to the individual. This is a common finding in
, psychotic disorders and is categorized under thought content in the MSE. It differs from
flight of ideas, which describes a rapid shifting of topics in the thought process.
4. Which screening tool is specifically designed to assess for the presence and severity of
symptoms of Bipolar Disorder?
A. MDQ
B. GAD-7
C. PHQ-9
D. CAGE
Answer: A
Rationale: The Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) is a validated tool used to screen for
Bipolar Spectrum Disorders. It focuses on identifying lifetime history of manic or
hypomanic symptoms. While other tools like the PHQ-9 assess depression, the MDQ is
essential for differentiating unipolar depression from bipolar disorder.
5. During the psychiatric interview, a patient provides an excessive amount of detail and
takes a long time to reach the point, though they eventually answer the question. This
thought process is called:
A. Tangentiality
B. Word Salad
C. Derailment
548 Psychiatric Assessment for
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse
Practitioner Chamberlain
1. A PMHNP is evaluating a patient who reports feeling ‘down in the dumps’ for the last
month. During the Mental Status Exam (MSE), the nurse practitioner notes the patient’s
emotional state as ‘depressed.’ This refers to which component?
A. Mood
B. Affect
C. Thought Content
D. Cognition
Answer: A
Rationale: Mood is defined as the patient’s internal, self-reported emotional state over a
period of time. Affect, conversely, is the clinician’s observation of the patient’s outward
emotional expression at a specific moment. Distinguishing between the two is a
fundamental skill in psychiatric assessment.
2. When assessing an adolescent using the HEADSS framework, which of the following areas
does the ‘S’ at the end specifically address?
A. Social Media and Screen time
,B. School and Sports
C. Suicide and Safety
D. Sexual Activity and STIs
Answer: C
Rationale: The HEADSS assessment is a systematic approach to interviewing adolescents
that covers Home, Education, Activities, Drugs, Sexuality, and Suicide/Safety. The final ‘S’
highlights the high-priority need to screen for self-harm, suicidal ideation, and
environmental safety. This screening tool helps the PMHNP build rapport while identifying
high-risk behaviors.
3. A patient describes a belief that the local news anchor is sending secret messages
specifically to them through the television. This is an example of:
A. Flight of ideas
B. Ideas of reference
C. Grandiosity
D. Tangentiality
Answer: B
Rationale: Ideas of reference involve the false belief that irrelevant or innocuous
occurrences in the world relate directly to the individual. This is a common finding in
, psychotic disorders and is categorized under thought content in the MSE. It differs from
flight of ideas, which describes a rapid shifting of topics in the thought process.
4. Which screening tool is specifically designed to assess for the presence and severity of
symptoms of Bipolar Disorder?
A. MDQ
B. GAD-7
C. PHQ-9
D. CAGE
Answer: A
Rationale: The Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) is a validated tool used to screen for
Bipolar Spectrum Disorders. It focuses on identifying lifetime history of manic or
hypomanic symptoms. While other tools like the PHQ-9 assess depression, the MDQ is
essential for differentiating unipolar depression from bipolar disorder.
5. During the psychiatric interview, a patient provides an excessive amount of detail and
takes a long time to reach the point, though they eventually answer the question. This
thought process is called:
A. Tangentiality
B. Word Salad
C. Derailment
