ANCC PMHNP Psych-Mental Health NP TEST
1, 2 and 3 Exam Review | Complete Practice
Questions Test Bank with Verified Correct
Answers and Detailed Rationales | Latest Update
2026/2027 Edition
TEST 1
Question 1
Your patient, whose wife died a few months ago, appears to be very unkempt and
apathetic. Although several months have passed since his wife's death he has not
progressed at all through his grieving. You assess this condition as which of the
following?
A. Disenfranchised grief
B. Panic disorder
C. Complicated grief
D. Physiologic grief
Answer: C
Rationale: A person has uncomplicated grief when he or she has normal physical,
psychological, cognitive and spiritual responses to the death of a significant other.
But when the person shows persistent maladaptive behaviors such as not taking
care of personal hygiene and/or appearance and does not progress through the
mourning process, this is complicated grief.
Question 2
If a patient has had a myocardial infarction, which of the following atypical
antidepressants should not be prescribed within the recovery phase?
A. Trazodone
B. Duloxetine
C. Bupropion
pg. 1
,D. Desvenlafaxine
Answer: A
Rationale: If a patient has had a myocardial infarction, during the recovery phase,
the patient should not be prescribed trazodone (Desyrel). Trazodone can cause the
patient to develop orthostatic hypotension and priapism.
Question 3
To get your teaching ideas and concepts across to a poor reader which of the
following would be most appropriate?
A. Use longer sentences
B. Use abstract concepts
C. Discourage questioning
D. Use examples and review
Answer: D
Rationale: To get the idea across to a poor reader use examples and review. The
other choices are not helpful. You should use short sentences and easy to read
layouts, be concrete rather than abstract; and teach them how to ask questions
about their health. Also, tell context first and use visual, use common words and
examples, and explain meaning.
Question 4
A 21-year-old woman presents with complaints of milky discharge from her
breasts. She doesn't have any other symptoms and is not pregnant, nor has been
before. She tells the nurse about each medication that she takes. Which of these
drugs may be implicated as the cause of the symptom?
A. Aspirin
B. Lamotrigine
C. Risperidone
D. Sertraline
Answer: C
Rationale: Risperidone can cause the greatest prolactin elevation among atypical
psychotics. A milky white discharge known as galactorrhea could be a sign of an
underlying condition. The fact that the woman takes risperidone, an atypical
antipsychotic, would likely point to the cause and should be switched with one less
likely to have that same side effect.
pg. 2
,Question 5
Which of the following would be considered one of the main things that is
responsible for about 2/3 of psychiatric hospital readmissions?
A. Not sufficient care
B. Medication noncompliance
C. Biophysical assessments
D. None of the above
Answer: B
Rationale: Medication noncompliance is a major problem with psychiatric mental
health patients. The home health nurse assists by helping the patients to see the
relationship between their compliance with their medication regimen and control
of their symptoms.
Question 6
Which of the following would be considered an important form of communication
that can help to promote consistency in the care of the patient at the same time that
it justifies their stay in the hospital?
A. Review of care
B. Documentation
C. Verbal reporting
D. None of the above
Answer: B
Rationale: One of the most important aspects of nursing is documentation.
Documentation can promote consistency in the care of the patient and is also used
to help justify the patient remaining in the hospital.
Question 7
Effects of an overdose of LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide) can include all of the
following except?
A. Vomiting
B. Respiratory failure
C. Hypertensive crisis
D. Seizures
Answer: C
pg. 3
, Rationale: Hypertensive crisis would be considered a symptom of PCP overdose.
Vomiting, respiratory failure and seizures would be considered an effect of LSD
overdose.
Question 8
Symptoms of serotonin syndrome include all of the following EXCEPT:
A. Insomnia
B. Nausea
C. Loss of coordination
D. Sweating or shivering with goose bumps
Answer: B
Rationale: Symptoms of serotonin syndrome can present in patients that have drug
combinations that are contraindicated. They can vary from restlessness and
agitation to tremors, chills, headaches, and insomnia as well as loss of
coordination. Nausea has not been implicated in serotonin syndrome.
Question 9
What is the rate of suicide attempts for patients having dissociative identity
disorder?
A. 30%
B. 45%
C. 70%
D. 60%
Answer: C
Rationale: People with dissociative identity disorder have one of the highest risks
for suicide. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders (DSM-5), more than 70% of outpatients with DID have attempted
suicide, and multiple suicide attempts are common.
Question 10
Of the following, which would not be considered a phase of schizophrenia
treatment?
A. Maintenance
B. Acute
C. Cognitive
pg. 4
1, 2 and 3 Exam Review | Complete Practice
Questions Test Bank with Verified Correct
Answers and Detailed Rationales | Latest Update
2026/2027 Edition
TEST 1
Question 1
Your patient, whose wife died a few months ago, appears to be very unkempt and
apathetic. Although several months have passed since his wife's death he has not
progressed at all through his grieving. You assess this condition as which of the
following?
A. Disenfranchised grief
B. Panic disorder
C. Complicated grief
D. Physiologic grief
Answer: C
Rationale: A person has uncomplicated grief when he or she has normal physical,
psychological, cognitive and spiritual responses to the death of a significant other.
But when the person shows persistent maladaptive behaviors such as not taking
care of personal hygiene and/or appearance and does not progress through the
mourning process, this is complicated grief.
Question 2
If a patient has had a myocardial infarction, which of the following atypical
antidepressants should not be prescribed within the recovery phase?
A. Trazodone
B. Duloxetine
C. Bupropion
pg. 1
,D. Desvenlafaxine
Answer: A
Rationale: If a patient has had a myocardial infarction, during the recovery phase,
the patient should not be prescribed trazodone (Desyrel). Trazodone can cause the
patient to develop orthostatic hypotension and priapism.
Question 3
To get your teaching ideas and concepts across to a poor reader which of the
following would be most appropriate?
A. Use longer sentences
B. Use abstract concepts
C. Discourage questioning
D. Use examples and review
Answer: D
Rationale: To get the idea across to a poor reader use examples and review. The
other choices are not helpful. You should use short sentences and easy to read
layouts, be concrete rather than abstract; and teach them how to ask questions
about their health. Also, tell context first and use visual, use common words and
examples, and explain meaning.
Question 4
A 21-year-old woman presents with complaints of milky discharge from her
breasts. She doesn't have any other symptoms and is not pregnant, nor has been
before. She tells the nurse about each medication that she takes. Which of these
drugs may be implicated as the cause of the symptom?
A. Aspirin
B. Lamotrigine
C. Risperidone
D. Sertraline
Answer: C
Rationale: Risperidone can cause the greatest prolactin elevation among atypical
psychotics. A milky white discharge known as galactorrhea could be a sign of an
underlying condition. The fact that the woman takes risperidone, an atypical
antipsychotic, would likely point to the cause and should be switched with one less
likely to have that same side effect.
pg. 2
,Question 5
Which of the following would be considered one of the main things that is
responsible for about 2/3 of psychiatric hospital readmissions?
A. Not sufficient care
B. Medication noncompliance
C. Biophysical assessments
D. None of the above
Answer: B
Rationale: Medication noncompliance is a major problem with psychiatric mental
health patients. The home health nurse assists by helping the patients to see the
relationship between their compliance with their medication regimen and control
of their symptoms.
Question 6
Which of the following would be considered an important form of communication
that can help to promote consistency in the care of the patient at the same time that
it justifies their stay in the hospital?
A. Review of care
B. Documentation
C. Verbal reporting
D. None of the above
Answer: B
Rationale: One of the most important aspects of nursing is documentation.
Documentation can promote consistency in the care of the patient and is also used
to help justify the patient remaining in the hospital.
Question 7
Effects of an overdose of LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide) can include all of the
following except?
A. Vomiting
B. Respiratory failure
C. Hypertensive crisis
D. Seizures
Answer: C
pg. 3
, Rationale: Hypertensive crisis would be considered a symptom of PCP overdose.
Vomiting, respiratory failure and seizures would be considered an effect of LSD
overdose.
Question 8
Symptoms of serotonin syndrome include all of the following EXCEPT:
A. Insomnia
B. Nausea
C. Loss of coordination
D. Sweating or shivering with goose bumps
Answer: B
Rationale: Symptoms of serotonin syndrome can present in patients that have drug
combinations that are contraindicated. They can vary from restlessness and
agitation to tremors, chills, headaches, and insomnia as well as loss of
coordination. Nausea has not been implicated in serotonin syndrome.
Question 9
What is the rate of suicide attempts for patients having dissociative identity
disorder?
A. 30%
B. 45%
C. 70%
D. 60%
Answer: C
Rationale: People with dissociative identity disorder have one of the highest risks
for suicide. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders (DSM-5), more than 70% of outpatients with DID have attempted
suicide, and multiple suicide attempts are common.
Question 10
Of the following, which would not be considered a phase of schizophrenia
treatment?
A. Maintenance
B. Acute
C. Cognitive
pg. 4
