ATI Mental Health Nursing Review 2026
Questions with Verified Answers
A charge nurse is discussing mental status examinations with a newly licensed
nurse. Which of the following statements by the newly licensed nurse indicates an
understanding of the teaching? (select all that apply)
A. To assess cognitive ability, I should ask the client to count backward by sevens.
B. To assess affect, I should observe the client's facial expression.
C. To assess language ability, I should instruct the client to write a sentence.
D. To assess remote memory, I should have the client repeat a list of objects.
E. To assess the client's abstract thinking, I should as the client to identify our most
recent presidents.
- CORRECT ANSWER ❤❤: A, B, C
A nurse is planning care for a client who has a mental health disorder. Which of the
following actions should the nurse include as a psychobiological intervention?
A. Assist the client with systematic desensitization therapy.
B. Teach the client appropriate coping mechanisms.
C. Assess the client for comorbid health conditions
D. Monitor the client for adverse effects of medications.
- CORRECT ANSWER ❤❤: D.
Monitoring for adverse effects of medications is an example of psychobiological
intervention
,A nurse in an outpatient mental health clinic is preparing to conduct an initial client
interview. When conducting the interview, which of the following actions should
the nurse identify as the priority?
A. Coordinate holistic care with social services.
B. Identify the client's perception of their mental health status.
C. Include the client's family in the interview.
D. Teach the client about their current mental health disorder.
- CORRECT ANSWER ❤❤: B.
Assessment is the priority action when using the nursing process approach to client
care. Identifying the client's perception of their mental health status provides
important information bout the client's psychosocial history.
A nurse is planning a peer group discussion about the diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5). Which of the following
information is appropriate to include in the discussion? (select all that apply)
A. The DSM-5 includes client education handouts for mental health disorders
B. The DSM-5 establishes diagnostic criteria for individual mental health disorders
C. The DSM-5 indicates recommended pharmacological treatment for mental
health disorders.
D. The DSM-5 assists nurses in planning care for clients who have mental health
disorders.
E. The DSM-5 indicates expected assessment findings of mental health disorders.
- CORRECT ANSWER ❤❤: B, D, E
A nurse in an emergency mental health facility is caring for a group of clients. the
nurse should identify that which of the following clients requires a temporary
emergency admission?
A. a client who has schizophrenia with delusions of grandeur
,B. a client who has manifestations of depression and attempted suicide a year ago
C. a client who has borderline personality disorder and assaulted a homeless man
with a metal rod
D. a client who has bipolar disorder and paces quickly around the room while
talking to himself
- CORRECT ANSWER ❤❤: C.
A client who is a current danger to self or others is a candidate for a temporary
emergency admission.
A nurse decides to put a client who has a psychotic disorder in seclusion overnight
because the unit is very short-staffed, and the client frequently fights with other
clients. the nurse's actions are an example of which of the following torts?
A. invasion of privacy
B. False imprisonment
C. assault
D. Battery
- CORRECT ANSWER ❤❤: B.
A civil wrong that violates a client's civil rights is a tort. in this case, it is false
imprisonment, which is the confining of a client to a specific area, such as a
seclusion room, if the reason for such confinement is for the convenience of staff.
A client tells a nurse "don't tell anyone, but i hid a sharp knife under my mattress in
order to protect myself from my roommate, who is always yelling at me and
threatening me." Which of the following actions should the nurse take?
A. Keep the client's communication confidential, but talk to the client daily, using
therapeutic communication to convince him to admit to hiding the knife.
, B. Keep the client's communication confidential, but watch the client and his
roommate closely.
C. tell the client that this must be reported to the health care team because it
concerns the health and safety of the client and others.
D. Report the incident to the health care team, but do not inform the client of the
intention to do so.
- CORRECT ANSWER ❤❤: C.
The information presented by the client is a serious safety issue that the nurse must
report to the health care team. using the ethical principle of veracity, the student
tells the client truthfully what must be done regarding the issue.
A nurse is caring for a client who is in mechanical restraints. Which of the
following statements should the nurse include in the documentation? (select all that
apply.)
A. "client ate most of his breakfast."
B. "client was offered 8 oz of water every hr."
C. "client shouted obscenities at assistive personnel."
D. "client received chlorpromazine 15 mg by mouth at 1000."
E. "client acted out after lunch.
- CORRECT ANSWER ❤❤: B, C, D
b. CORRECT: how much water was offered and how often it was offered is
objective data that the nurse should document when caring for a client in
mechanical restraints.
c. CORRECT: a description of the client's verbal communication is objective data
that the nurse should document when caring for a client in mechanical restraints.
d. CORRECT: the dosage and time of medication administration is objective data
that the nurse should document when caring for a client in mechanical restraints
Questions with Verified Answers
A charge nurse is discussing mental status examinations with a newly licensed
nurse. Which of the following statements by the newly licensed nurse indicates an
understanding of the teaching? (select all that apply)
A. To assess cognitive ability, I should ask the client to count backward by sevens.
B. To assess affect, I should observe the client's facial expression.
C. To assess language ability, I should instruct the client to write a sentence.
D. To assess remote memory, I should have the client repeat a list of objects.
E. To assess the client's abstract thinking, I should as the client to identify our most
recent presidents.
- CORRECT ANSWER ❤❤: A, B, C
A nurse is planning care for a client who has a mental health disorder. Which of the
following actions should the nurse include as a psychobiological intervention?
A. Assist the client with systematic desensitization therapy.
B. Teach the client appropriate coping mechanisms.
C. Assess the client for comorbid health conditions
D. Monitor the client for adverse effects of medications.
- CORRECT ANSWER ❤❤: D.
Monitoring for adverse effects of medications is an example of psychobiological
intervention
,A nurse in an outpatient mental health clinic is preparing to conduct an initial client
interview. When conducting the interview, which of the following actions should
the nurse identify as the priority?
A. Coordinate holistic care with social services.
B. Identify the client's perception of their mental health status.
C. Include the client's family in the interview.
D. Teach the client about their current mental health disorder.
- CORRECT ANSWER ❤❤: B.
Assessment is the priority action when using the nursing process approach to client
care. Identifying the client's perception of their mental health status provides
important information bout the client's psychosocial history.
A nurse is planning a peer group discussion about the diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5). Which of the following
information is appropriate to include in the discussion? (select all that apply)
A. The DSM-5 includes client education handouts for mental health disorders
B. The DSM-5 establishes diagnostic criteria for individual mental health disorders
C. The DSM-5 indicates recommended pharmacological treatment for mental
health disorders.
D. The DSM-5 assists nurses in planning care for clients who have mental health
disorders.
E. The DSM-5 indicates expected assessment findings of mental health disorders.
- CORRECT ANSWER ❤❤: B, D, E
A nurse in an emergency mental health facility is caring for a group of clients. the
nurse should identify that which of the following clients requires a temporary
emergency admission?
A. a client who has schizophrenia with delusions of grandeur
,B. a client who has manifestations of depression and attempted suicide a year ago
C. a client who has borderline personality disorder and assaulted a homeless man
with a metal rod
D. a client who has bipolar disorder and paces quickly around the room while
talking to himself
- CORRECT ANSWER ❤❤: C.
A client who is a current danger to self or others is a candidate for a temporary
emergency admission.
A nurse decides to put a client who has a psychotic disorder in seclusion overnight
because the unit is very short-staffed, and the client frequently fights with other
clients. the nurse's actions are an example of which of the following torts?
A. invasion of privacy
B. False imprisonment
C. assault
D. Battery
- CORRECT ANSWER ❤❤: B.
A civil wrong that violates a client's civil rights is a tort. in this case, it is false
imprisonment, which is the confining of a client to a specific area, such as a
seclusion room, if the reason for such confinement is for the convenience of staff.
A client tells a nurse "don't tell anyone, but i hid a sharp knife under my mattress in
order to protect myself from my roommate, who is always yelling at me and
threatening me." Which of the following actions should the nurse take?
A. Keep the client's communication confidential, but talk to the client daily, using
therapeutic communication to convince him to admit to hiding the knife.
, B. Keep the client's communication confidential, but watch the client and his
roommate closely.
C. tell the client that this must be reported to the health care team because it
concerns the health and safety of the client and others.
D. Report the incident to the health care team, but do not inform the client of the
intention to do so.
- CORRECT ANSWER ❤❤: C.
The information presented by the client is a serious safety issue that the nurse must
report to the health care team. using the ethical principle of veracity, the student
tells the client truthfully what must be done regarding the issue.
A nurse is caring for a client who is in mechanical restraints. Which of the
following statements should the nurse include in the documentation? (select all that
apply.)
A. "client ate most of his breakfast."
B. "client was offered 8 oz of water every hr."
C. "client shouted obscenities at assistive personnel."
D. "client received chlorpromazine 15 mg by mouth at 1000."
E. "client acted out after lunch.
- CORRECT ANSWER ❤❤: B, C, D
b. CORRECT: how much water was offered and how often it was offered is
objective data that the nurse should document when caring for a client in
mechanical restraints.
c. CORRECT: a description of the client's verbal communication is objective data
that the nurse should document when caring for a client in mechanical restraints.
d. CORRECT: the dosage and time of medication administration is objective data
that the nurse should document when caring for a client in mechanical restraints
