NR 548 PSYCHIATRIC ASSESSMENT 150PRACTICE
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS AND DETAILED RATIONALES
Chamberlain Nursing 2026/2027 Study Review
1. Which statement best describes the role of a Psychiatric-Mental
Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)?
A. Provides only medication administration
B. Provides psychiatric assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and health
promotion
C. Performs only psychotherapy
D. Works exclusively with hospitalized psychiatric clients
Answer: B. Provides psychiatric assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and
health promotion.
Rationale: The PMHNP is an advanced practice registered nurse
trained to assess, diagnose, treat, and promote mental health across the
lifespan.
2. Which activity is most appropriate for a PMHNP during an initial
psychiatric evaluation?
A. Immediately prescribe medication without assessment
B. Obtain a comprehensive psychiatric and medical history
C. Focus only on the client's chief complaint
D. Ask only yes-or-no questions
Answer: B. Obtain a comprehensive psychiatric and medical history.
Rationale: A thorough assessment establishes the client's psychiatric,
medical, substance-use, social, developmental, and family history before
treatment decisions are made.
3. A PMHNP asks a client, "Can you tell me more about what has
been happening?" Which interviewing technique is being used?
,A. Leading question
B. Open-ended question
C. Confrontation
D. Interpretation
Answer: B. Open-ended question.
Rationale: Open-ended questions encourage clients to describe their
experiences in their own words and provide richer clinical information.
4. Which behavior best demonstrates therapeutic communication?
A. Changing the subject when the client becomes emotional
B. Giving immediate advice
C. Listening attentively and reflecting the client's concerns
D. Telling the client what decision to make
Answer: C. Listening attentively and reflecting the client's concerns.
Rationale: Therapeutic communication promotes trust, encourages
disclosure, and helps the clinician understand the client's perspective.
5. What is the primary purpose of establishing a therapeutic
alliance?
A. To make the client dependent on the provider
B. To create a collaborative relationship that supports treatment
C. To eliminate the need for assessment
D. To convince the client to accept medication
Answer: B. To create a collaborative relationship that supports
treatment.
Rationale: A strong therapeutic alliance promotes trust, collaboration,
engagement, and adherence to an individualized treatment plan.
6. Which statement by the PMHNP demonstrates empathy?
,A. "You should not feel that way."
B. "I know exactly how you feel."
C. "That sounds like a very difficult experience for you."
D. "You need to think more positively."
Answer: C. "That sounds like a very difficult experience for you."
Rationale: Empathy communicates understanding of the client's
emotional experience without minimizing or assuming identical personal
experience.
7. Which component of the mental status examination evaluates the
client's emotional state as described by the client?
A. Affect
B. Mood
C. Thought process
D. Cognition
Answer: B. Mood.
Rationale: Mood is the client's subjective description of their emotional
state, whereas affect is the clinician's observation of emotional
expression.
8. Which finding represents a constricted affect?
A. Rapidly changing emotional expression
B. Very limited range of emotional expression
C. Complete absence of consciousness
D. Excessively elevated mood
Answer: B. Very limited range of emotional expression.
Rationale: Constricted affect refers to a reduced range and intensity of
observable emotional expression.
, 9. A client reports feeling "extremely happy and full of energy"
while the clinician observes excessive excitement. Which mood state
is most likely?
A. Euthymic
B. Euphoric
C. Dysphoric
D. Apathetic
Answer: B. Euphoric.
Rationale: Euphoria is an unusually elevated or intensely positive mood
that may occur in manic states.
10. Which question is most appropriate when assessing suicidal
ideation?
A. "You aren't thinking about suicide, are you?"
B. "Have you had thoughts of killing yourself?"
C. "Why would you want to die?"
D. "Your family would be devastated, wouldn't they?"
Answer: B. "Have you had thoughts of killing yourself?"
Rationale: Direct, clear questions about suicide are appropriate and do
not cause suicidal behavior. Assessment should include ideation, plan,
intent, means, and protective factors.
11. A client reports suicidal thoughts and states that they have a
specific plan and access to the method. What is the priority?
A. Schedule routine follow-up
B. Assess immediate safety and initiate appropriate safety measures
C. End the interview
D. Tell the client to promise not to attempt suicide
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS AND DETAILED RATIONALES
Chamberlain Nursing 2026/2027 Study Review
1. Which statement best describes the role of a Psychiatric-Mental
Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)?
A. Provides only medication administration
B. Provides psychiatric assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and health
promotion
C. Performs only psychotherapy
D. Works exclusively with hospitalized psychiatric clients
Answer: B. Provides psychiatric assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and
health promotion.
Rationale: The PMHNP is an advanced practice registered nurse
trained to assess, diagnose, treat, and promote mental health across the
lifespan.
2. Which activity is most appropriate for a PMHNP during an initial
psychiatric evaluation?
A. Immediately prescribe medication without assessment
B. Obtain a comprehensive psychiatric and medical history
C. Focus only on the client's chief complaint
D. Ask only yes-or-no questions
Answer: B. Obtain a comprehensive psychiatric and medical history.
Rationale: A thorough assessment establishes the client's psychiatric,
medical, substance-use, social, developmental, and family history before
treatment decisions are made.
3. A PMHNP asks a client, "Can you tell me more about what has
been happening?" Which interviewing technique is being used?
,A. Leading question
B. Open-ended question
C. Confrontation
D. Interpretation
Answer: B. Open-ended question.
Rationale: Open-ended questions encourage clients to describe their
experiences in their own words and provide richer clinical information.
4. Which behavior best demonstrates therapeutic communication?
A. Changing the subject when the client becomes emotional
B. Giving immediate advice
C. Listening attentively and reflecting the client's concerns
D. Telling the client what decision to make
Answer: C. Listening attentively and reflecting the client's concerns.
Rationale: Therapeutic communication promotes trust, encourages
disclosure, and helps the clinician understand the client's perspective.
5. What is the primary purpose of establishing a therapeutic
alliance?
A. To make the client dependent on the provider
B. To create a collaborative relationship that supports treatment
C. To eliminate the need for assessment
D. To convince the client to accept medication
Answer: B. To create a collaborative relationship that supports
treatment.
Rationale: A strong therapeutic alliance promotes trust, collaboration,
engagement, and adherence to an individualized treatment plan.
6. Which statement by the PMHNP demonstrates empathy?
,A. "You should not feel that way."
B. "I know exactly how you feel."
C. "That sounds like a very difficult experience for you."
D. "You need to think more positively."
Answer: C. "That sounds like a very difficult experience for you."
Rationale: Empathy communicates understanding of the client's
emotional experience without minimizing or assuming identical personal
experience.
7. Which component of the mental status examination evaluates the
client's emotional state as described by the client?
A. Affect
B. Mood
C. Thought process
D. Cognition
Answer: B. Mood.
Rationale: Mood is the client's subjective description of their emotional
state, whereas affect is the clinician's observation of emotional
expression.
8. Which finding represents a constricted affect?
A. Rapidly changing emotional expression
B. Very limited range of emotional expression
C. Complete absence of consciousness
D. Excessively elevated mood
Answer: B. Very limited range of emotional expression.
Rationale: Constricted affect refers to a reduced range and intensity of
observable emotional expression.
, 9. A client reports feeling "extremely happy and full of energy"
while the clinician observes excessive excitement. Which mood state
is most likely?
A. Euthymic
B. Euphoric
C. Dysphoric
D. Apathetic
Answer: B. Euphoric.
Rationale: Euphoria is an unusually elevated or intensely positive mood
that may occur in manic states.
10. Which question is most appropriate when assessing suicidal
ideation?
A. "You aren't thinking about suicide, are you?"
B. "Have you had thoughts of killing yourself?"
C. "Why would you want to die?"
D. "Your family would be devastated, wouldn't they?"
Answer: B. "Have you had thoughts of killing yourself?"
Rationale: Direct, clear questions about suicide are appropriate and do
not cause suicidal behavior. Assessment should include ideation, plan,
intent, means, and protective factors.
11. A client reports suicidal thoughts and states that they have a
specific plan and access to the method. What is the priority?
A. Schedule routine follow-up
B. Assess immediate safety and initiate appropriate safety measures
C. End the interview
D. Tell the client to promise not to attempt suicide
