NFDN 2007 MENTAL HEALTH NURSING
MIDTERM REVIEW QUESTIONS AND
VERIFIED ANSWERS. JUST RELEASED
1. During a mental status examination, a client describes their current emotional state as
‘feeling like I am on top of the world.’ The nurse documents this under which category?
A. Affect
B. Thought Process
C. Mood
D. Cognition
Answer: C
Conceptual Explanation: Mood is the client’s self-reported subjective emotional state,
whereas affect is the nurse’s objective observation of the client’s emotional expression.
2. A patient taking a Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor (MAOI) reports a sudden, severe
headache, palpitations, and stiff neck. Which action should the nurse take first?
A. Assess the patient’s blood pressure.
B. Administer the next dose of MAOI as scheduled.
C. Provide a PRN dose of acetaminophen.
D. Ask the patient if they have eaten any high-protein foods.
,Answer: A
Conceptual Explanation: These symptoms are indicative of a hypertensive crisis, a life-
threatening interaction between MAOIs and tyramine. Assessing BP is the priority to
confirm medical urgency.
3. A patient with Schizophrenia is experiencing severe muscle rigidity, fever of 103°F (39.4°C),
and tachycardia. Which condition is the patient most likely experiencing?
A. Serotonin Syndrome
B. Anticholinergic Toxicity
C. Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS)
D. Tardive Dyskinesia
Answer: C
Conceptual Explanation: NMS is a medical emergency characterized by high fever, ‘lead-
pipe’ muscle rigidity, and autonomic instability following antipsychotic use.
4. Which therapeutic communication technique is being used when the nurse says, ‘You say
you are feeling nervous, but you are smiling’?
A. Restating
B. Confrontation
C. Exploring
D. Making observations
, Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: Making observations involves calling attention to the client’s
behavior (smiling) vs their verbalization (feeling nervous) without being judgmental.
5. A nurse is caring for a client who is voluntarily admitted to a psychiatric unit. The client
asks to leave the hospital against medical advice. What is the nurse’s priority action?
A. Restrict the client from leaving until the physician arrives.
B. Initiate an emergency involuntary hold immediately.
C. Call security to prevent the client from exiting the building.
D. Assess the client’s current risk for self-harm or harm to others.
Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: Voluntary clients generally have the right to leave unless they
are deemed a danger to themselves or others. A safety assessment must precede any legal
hold status change.
6. A client is prescribed Lithium Carbonate for Bipolar I Disorder. The nurse should instruct
the client to maintain a consistent intake of which substance?
A. Potassium
B. Vitamin K
C. Calcium
D. Sodium
MIDTERM REVIEW QUESTIONS AND
VERIFIED ANSWERS. JUST RELEASED
1. During a mental status examination, a client describes their current emotional state as
‘feeling like I am on top of the world.’ The nurse documents this under which category?
A. Affect
B. Thought Process
C. Mood
D. Cognition
Answer: C
Conceptual Explanation: Mood is the client’s self-reported subjective emotional state,
whereas affect is the nurse’s objective observation of the client’s emotional expression.
2. A patient taking a Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor (MAOI) reports a sudden, severe
headache, palpitations, and stiff neck. Which action should the nurse take first?
A. Assess the patient’s blood pressure.
B. Administer the next dose of MAOI as scheduled.
C. Provide a PRN dose of acetaminophen.
D. Ask the patient if they have eaten any high-protein foods.
,Answer: A
Conceptual Explanation: These symptoms are indicative of a hypertensive crisis, a life-
threatening interaction between MAOIs and tyramine. Assessing BP is the priority to
confirm medical urgency.
3. A patient with Schizophrenia is experiencing severe muscle rigidity, fever of 103°F (39.4°C),
and tachycardia. Which condition is the patient most likely experiencing?
A. Serotonin Syndrome
B. Anticholinergic Toxicity
C. Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS)
D. Tardive Dyskinesia
Answer: C
Conceptual Explanation: NMS is a medical emergency characterized by high fever, ‘lead-
pipe’ muscle rigidity, and autonomic instability following antipsychotic use.
4. Which therapeutic communication technique is being used when the nurse says, ‘You say
you are feeling nervous, but you are smiling’?
A. Restating
B. Confrontation
C. Exploring
D. Making observations
, Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: Making observations involves calling attention to the client’s
behavior (smiling) vs their verbalization (feeling nervous) without being judgmental.
5. A nurse is caring for a client who is voluntarily admitted to a psychiatric unit. The client
asks to leave the hospital against medical advice. What is the nurse’s priority action?
A. Restrict the client from leaving until the physician arrives.
B. Initiate an emergency involuntary hold immediately.
C. Call security to prevent the client from exiting the building.
D. Assess the client’s current risk for self-harm or harm to others.
Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: Voluntary clients generally have the right to leave unless they
are deemed a danger to themselves or others. A safety assessment must precede any legal
hold status change.
6. A client is prescribed Lithium Carbonate for Bipolar I Disorder. The nurse should instruct
the client to maintain a consistent intake of which substance?
A. Potassium
B. Vitamin K
C. Calcium
D. Sodium
