MENTAL HEALTH HESI RN testbank Question
and Answer (2026/2027) | Newly Updated
with Detailed Rationales | A+ Verified
• A 44-year-old client has been unable to function since her husband asked for a
divorce 2 weeks ago. She is brought to the crisis intervention center by a friend.
What type of crisis is this situation?
1. Social
2. Situational
3. Maturational
4. Developmental -✓✓ 2. Situational
Situational crises involve an unanticipated loss, such as a divorce, that is
threatening to the client. Social crises involve multiple losses such as those
occurring during major disasters. Maturational crises occur in response to stress
experienced as one struggles with developmental tasks. Developmental
(maturational) crises are associated with developmental tasks; divorce is not a
developmental task.
• A resident in a nursing home recently immigrated to the United States from
Italy. How does the nurse plan to provide emotional support?
1. By offering choices consistent with the client's heritage
2. By ensuring that the client understands American beliefs
3. By assisting the client in adjusting to the American culture
4. By correcting the client's misconceptions about appropriate health practices -
✓✓ 1. By offering choices consistent with the client's heritage
,Adherence to a plan of care is enhanced by the nurse's providing choices
consistent with the client's cultural beliefs and practices. The nurse's cultural or
personal beliefs and biases should not influence or interfere with the
implementation of appropriate care. Helping the client adjust to the American
culture is not the priority at this time; care should be adapted to the client's
needs and culture. The person's cultural practices should not be addressed unless
they are detrimental to the person's health.
• A nurse should reassess an older adult client's needs and current plan of care
when the client's behavior indicates the development of what symptom?
1. Confusion
2. Hypochondriasis
3. Additional complaints
4. Increased socialization -✓✓ 1. Confusion
The development of confusion indicates that the client's ability to maintain
equilibrium has not been achieved and that further disequilibrium is occurring.
Hypochondriasis and additional complaints do not indicate that the plan needs to
be changed unless the client's history demonstrates no prior use of these
defenses. Increased socialization is a positive response to the plan of care that
does not require reassessment.
• An injured child is brought to the emergency department by the parents. While
interviewing the parents, the nurse begins to suspect child abuse. Which parental
behaviors might support this conclusion? Select all that apply.
1. Demonstrating concern for the injured child
,2. Focusing on the child's role in sustaining the injury
3. Changing the story of how the child sustained the injury
4. Asking questions about the injury and the child's prognosis
5. Giving an explanation of how the injury occurred that is not consistent with the
injury -✓✓ 2. Focusing on the child's role in sustaining the injury
3. Changing the story of how the child sustained the injury
5. Giving an explanation of how the injury occurred that is not consistent with the
injury
The child is often made the scapegoat in the situation; the parents blame the
child because they have unrealistic expectations of the child. Discrepancies or
inconsistencies in the history result from attempts to present a story that is not
based in fact. Discrepancies between the parental explanation for the child's
injuries and the physical findings or discrepancies in the history that each parent
gives are common because the information that is being provided is not based in
fact. Abusive parents usually do not ask questions about the injury or prognosis
and demonstrate little or no interest in their child's well-being.
• A nurse is planning to teach a client about self-care. What level of anxiety will
best enhance the client's learning abilities?
1. Mild
2. Panic
3. Severe
4. Moderate -✓✓ 1. Mild
Mild anxiety motivates one to action, such as learning or making changes. Higher
levels of anxiety tend to blur the individual's perceptions and interfere with
, functioning. Attention is severely reduced by panic. The perceptual field is greatly
reduced with severe anxiety and narrowed with moderate anxiety.
• A nurse is caring for depressed older adults. What precipitating factors for
depression are most common in the older adult without cognitive problems?
Select all that apply.
1. Dementia
2. Multiple losses
3. Declines in health
4. A milestone birthday
5. An injury requiring hospitalization -✓✓ 2. Multiple losses
3. Declines in health
Depression in the older adult is most often associated with the loss of family
members and friends (e.g., death, relocation) and declines in mobility, health, and
income. A decline in health, particularly when associated with a chronic illness,
frequently precipitates depression in older adults. Dementia is a cognitive
problem. Research does not correlate the onset of depression with a milestone
birthday in older adults. A traumatic injury does not precipitate the onset of
depression in the older adult as often as does a chronic illness.
• The nurse observes biting, rocking, sucking, and lags in intellectual development
in a child. She also concludes the child is suffering from sleep disorders. What
could be the reason for the child's condition?
1. Physical neglect
2. Sexual abuse
and Answer (2026/2027) | Newly Updated
with Detailed Rationales | A+ Verified
• A 44-year-old client has been unable to function since her husband asked for a
divorce 2 weeks ago. She is brought to the crisis intervention center by a friend.
What type of crisis is this situation?
1. Social
2. Situational
3. Maturational
4. Developmental -✓✓ 2. Situational
Situational crises involve an unanticipated loss, such as a divorce, that is
threatening to the client. Social crises involve multiple losses such as those
occurring during major disasters. Maturational crises occur in response to stress
experienced as one struggles with developmental tasks. Developmental
(maturational) crises are associated with developmental tasks; divorce is not a
developmental task.
• A resident in a nursing home recently immigrated to the United States from
Italy. How does the nurse plan to provide emotional support?
1. By offering choices consistent with the client's heritage
2. By ensuring that the client understands American beliefs
3. By assisting the client in adjusting to the American culture
4. By correcting the client's misconceptions about appropriate health practices -
✓✓ 1. By offering choices consistent with the client's heritage
,Adherence to a plan of care is enhanced by the nurse's providing choices
consistent with the client's cultural beliefs and practices. The nurse's cultural or
personal beliefs and biases should not influence or interfere with the
implementation of appropriate care. Helping the client adjust to the American
culture is not the priority at this time; care should be adapted to the client's
needs and culture. The person's cultural practices should not be addressed unless
they are detrimental to the person's health.
• A nurse should reassess an older adult client's needs and current plan of care
when the client's behavior indicates the development of what symptom?
1. Confusion
2. Hypochondriasis
3. Additional complaints
4. Increased socialization -✓✓ 1. Confusion
The development of confusion indicates that the client's ability to maintain
equilibrium has not been achieved and that further disequilibrium is occurring.
Hypochondriasis and additional complaints do not indicate that the plan needs to
be changed unless the client's history demonstrates no prior use of these
defenses. Increased socialization is a positive response to the plan of care that
does not require reassessment.
• An injured child is brought to the emergency department by the parents. While
interviewing the parents, the nurse begins to suspect child abuse. Which parental
behaviors might support this conclusion? Select all that apply.
1. Demonstrating concern for the injured child
,2. Focusing on the child's role in sustaining the injury
3. Changing the story of how the child sustained the injury
4. Asking questions about the injury and the child's prognosis
5. Giving an explanation of how the injury occurred that is not consistent with the
injury -✓✓ 2. Focusing on the child's role in sustaining the injury
3. Changing the story of how the child sustained the injury
5. Giving an explanation of how the injury occurred that is not consistent with the
injury
The child is often made the scapegoat in the situation; the parents blame the
child because they have unrealistic expectations of the child. Discrepancies or
inconsistencies in the history result from attempts to present a story that is not
based in fact. Discrepancies between the parental explanation for the child's
injuries and the physical findings or discrepancies in the history that each parent
gives are common because the information that is being provided is not based in
fact. Abusive parents usually do not ask questions about the injury or prognosis
and demonstrate little or no interest in their child's well-being.
• A nurse is planning to teach a client about self-care. What level of anxiety will
best enhance the client's learning abilities?
1. Mild
2. Panic
3. Severe
4. Moderate -✓✓ 1. Mild
Mild anxiety motivates one to action, such as learning or making changes. Higher
levels of anxiety tend to blur the individual's perceptions and interfere with
, functioning. Attention is severely reduced by panic. The perceptual field is greatly
reduced with severe anxiety and narrowed with moderate anxiety.
• A nurse is caring for depressed older adults. What precipitating factors for
depression are most common in the older adult without cognitive problems?
Select all that apply.
1. Dementia
2. Multiple losses
3. Declines in health
4. A milestone birthday
5. An injury requiring hospitalization -✓✓ 2. Multiple losses
3. Declines in health
Depression in the older adult is most often associated with the loss of family
members and friends (e.g., death, relocation) and declines in mobility, health, and
income. A decline in health, particularly when associated with a chronic illness,
frequently precipitates depression in older adults. Dementia is a cognitive
problem. Research does not correlate the onset of depression with a milestone
birthday in older adults. A traumatic injury does not precipitate the onset of
depression in the older adult as often as does a chronic illness.
• The nurse observes biting, rocking, sucking, and lags in intellectual development
in a child. She also concludes the child is suffering from sleep disorders. What
could be the reason for the child's condition?
1. Physical neglect
2. Sexual abuse
