10/16/24, 12:40 Test Bank Chapter 05- Mental Status
PM Assessment
Chapter 05: Mental Status Assessment
Jarvis: Physical Examination & Health Assessment, 7th
Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. During an examination, the nurse can assess mental
status by which activity?
a. Examining the patients electroencephalogram
Observing the patient as he or she performs an intelligence
b. quotient (IQ) test
c. Observing the patient and inferring health or dysfunction
d. Examining the patients response to a specific set of questions
ANS: C
Mental status cannot be directly scrutinized like the
characteristics of skin or heart sounds. Its functioning is
inferred through an assessment of an individuals behaviors,
such as consciousness, language, mood and affect, and other
aspects.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
REF: p. 67 MSC: Client Needs: Psychosocial Integrity
2. The nurse is assessing the mental status of a child. Which
statement about children and mental status is true?
a. All aspects of mental status in children are interdependent.
b. Children are highly labile and unstable until the age of 2 years.
Childrens mental status is largely a function of their parents level
of
c. functioning until the age of 7 years.
A childs mental status is impossible to assess until the child
d. develops the ability to concentrate.
ANS: A
Separating and tracing the development of only one aspect of
mental status is difficult. All aspects are interdependent. For
example, consciousness is rudimentary at birth because the
cerebral cortex is not yet developed. The infant cannot
distinguish the self from the mothers body. The other statements
are not true.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
REF: p. 6ffi MSC: Client Needs: Psychosocial Integrity
3. The nurse is assessing a 75ffyearffold man. As the nurse begins the
mental status portion of the assessment, the nurse expects that this
patient:
a. Will have no decrease in any of his abilities, including response
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,10/16/24, 12:40 Test Bank Chapter 05- Mental Status
PM Assessment
time.
Will have difficulty on tests of remote memory because this ability
b. typically decreases with age.
May take a little longer to respond, but his general knowledge and
c. abilities should not have declined.
Will exhibit had a decrease in his response time because of the
loss
d. of language and a decrease in general knowledge.
ANS: C
The aging process leaves the parameters of mental status mostly
intact. General knowledge does not decrease, and little or no loss
in vocabulary occurs. Response time is slower than in a youth. It
takes a little longer for the brain to process information and to
react to it. Recent memory, which requires some processing, is
somewhat decreased with aging, but remote memory is not
affected.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Analyzing (Analysis)
REF: p. 6ffi MSC: Client Needs: Psychosocial
Integrity
4. When assessing aging adults, the nurse knows that one of the
first things that should be assessed before making judgments
about their mental status is:
a. Presence of phobias
b. General intelligence
c. Presence of irrational thinking patterns
d. Sensoryffperceptive abilities
ANS: D
Ageffrelated changes in sensory perception can affect mental
status. For example, vision loss (as detailed in Chapter 14) may
result in apathy, social isolation, and depression. Hearing changes
are common in older adults, which produces frustration, suspicion,
and social isolation and makes the person appear confused.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Analyzing (Analysis)
REF: p. 6ffi MSC: Client Needs: Psychosocial Integrity
5. The nurse is preparing to conduct a mental status examination.
Which statement is true regarding the mental status
examination? A patients family is the best resource for
information about the
a. patients coping skills.
Gathering mental status information during the health history
b. interview is usually sufficient.
c. Integrating the mental status examination into the health history
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, 10/16/24, 12:40 Test Bank Chapter 05- Mental Status
PM Assessment
interview takes an enormous amount of extra time.
To get a good idea of the patients level of functioning, performing a
d. complete mental status examination is usually necessary.
ANS: B
The full mental status examination is a systematic check of
emotional and cognitive functioning. The steps described,
however, rarely need to be taken in their entirety. Usually, one
can assess mental status through the context of the health history
interview. PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Applying (Application)
REF: p. 6ffi MSC: Client Needs: Psychosocial Integrity
6. A woman brings her husband to the clinic for an examination.
She is particularly worried because after a recent fall, he seems
to have lost a great deal of his memory of recent events. Which
statement reflects the nurses best course of action?
a. Perform a complete mental status examination.
b. Refer him to a psychometrician.
Plan to integrate the mental status examination into the history
and
c. physical examination.
Reassure his wife that memory loss after a physical shock is
normal
d. and will soon subside.
ANS: A
Performing a complete mental status examination is necessary
when any abnormality in affect or behavior is discovered or
when family members are concerned about a persons
behavioral changes (e.g., memory loss, inappropriate social
interaction) or after trauma, such as a head injury.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Applying
(Application) REF: p. 69 MSC: Client Needs:
Psychosocial Integrity
7. The nurse is conducting a patient interview. Which statement
made by the patient should the nurse more fully explore during
the interview?
a. I sleep like a baby.
b. I have no health problems.
c. I never did too good in school.
d. I am not currently taking any medications.
ANS: C
In every mental status examination, the following factors from
the health history that could affect the findings should be
noted: any
about:blan 3/
k 18
PM Assessment
Chapter 05: Mental Status Assessment
Jarvis: Physical Examination & Health Assessment, 7th
Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. During an examination, the nurse can assess mental
status by which activity?
a. Examining the patients electroencephalogram
Observing the patient as he or she performs an intelligence
b. quotient (IQ) test
c. Observing the patient and inferring health or dysfunction
d. Examining the patients response to a specific set of questions
ANS: C
Mental status cannot be directly scrutinized like the
characteristics of skin or heart sounds. Its functioning is
inferred through an assessment of an individuals behaviors,
such as consciousness, language, mood and affect, and other
aspects.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
REF: p. 67 MSC: Client Needs: Psychosocial Integrity
2. The nurse is assessing the mental status of a child. Which
statement about children and mental status is true?
a. All aspects of mental status in children are interdependent.
b. Children are highly labile and unstable until the age of 2 years.
Childrens mental status is largely a function of their parents level
of
c. functioning until the age of 7 years.
A childs mental status is impossible to assess until the child
d. develops the ability to concentrate.
ANS: A
Separating and tracing the development of only one aspect of
mental status is difficult. All aspects are interdependent. For
example, consciousness is rudimentary at birth because the
cerebral cortex is not yet developed. The infant cannot
distinguish the self from the mothers body. The other statements
are not true.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
REF: p. 6ffi MSC: Client Needs: Psychosocial Integrity
3. The nurse is assessing a 75ffyearffold man. As the nurse begins the
mental status portion of the assessment, the nurse expects that this
patient:
a. Will have no decrease in any of his abilities, including response
about:blan 1/
k 18
,10/16/24, 12:40 Test Bank Chapter 05- Mental Status
PM Assessment
time.
Will have difficulty on tests of remote memory because this ability
b. typically decreases with age.
May take a little longer to respond, but his general knowledge and
c. abilities should not have declined.
Will exhibit had a decrease in his response time because of the
loss
d. of language and a decrease in general knowledge.
ANS: C
The aging process leaves the parameters of mental status mostly
intact. General knowledge does not decrease, and little or no loss
in vocabulary occurs. Response time is slower than in a youth. It
takes a little longer for the brain to process information and to
react to it. Recent memory, which requires some processing, is
somewhat decreased with aging, but remote memory is not
affected.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Analyzing (Analysis)
REF: p. 6ffi MSC: Client Needs: Psychosocial
Integrity
4. When assessing aging adults, the nurse knows that one of the
first things that should be assessed before making judgments
about their mental status is:
a. Presence of phobias
b. General intelligence
c. Presence of irrational thinking patterns
d. Sensoryffperceptive abilities
ANS: D
Ageffrelated changes in sensory perception can affect mental
status. For example, vision loss (as detailed in Chapter 14) may
result in apathy, social isolation, and depression. Hearing changes
are common in older adults, which produces frustration, suspicion,
and social isolation and makes the person appear confused.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Analyzing (Analysis)
REF: p. 6ffi MSC: Client Needs: Psychosocial Integrity
5. The nurse is preparing to conduct a mental status examination.
Which statement is true regarding the mental status
examination? A patients family is the best resource for
information about the
a. patients coping skills.
Gathering mental status information during the health history
b. interview is usually sufficient.
c. Integrating the mental status examination into the health history
about:blan 2/
k 18
, 10/16/24, 12:40 Test Bank Chapter 05- Mental Status
PM Assessment
interview takes an enormous amount of extra time.
To get a good idea of the patients level of functioning, performing a
d. complete mental status examination is usually necessary.
ANS: B
The full mental status examination is a systematic check of
emotional and cognitive functioning. The steps described,
however, rarely need to be taken in their entirety. Usually, one
can assess mental status through the context of the health history
interview. PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Applying (Application)
REF: p. 6ffi MSC: Client Needs: Psychosocial Integrity
6. A woman brings her husband to the clinic for an examination.
She is particularly worried because after a recent fall, he seems
to have lost a great deal of his memory of recent events. Which
statement reflects the nurses best course of action?
a. Perform a complete mental status examination.
b. Refer him to a psychometrician.
Plan to integrate the mental status examination into the history
and
c. physical examination.
Reassure his wife that memory loss after a physical shock is
normal
d. and will soon subside.
ANS: A
Performing a complete mental status examination is necessary
when any abnormality in affect or behavior is discovered or
when family members are concerned about a persons
behavioral changes (e.g., memory loss, inappropriate social
interaction) or after trauma, such as a head injury.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Applying
(Application) REF: p. 69 MSC: Client Needs:
Psychosocial Integrity
7. The nurse is conducting a patient interview. Which statement
made by the patient should the nurse more fully explore during
the interview?
a. I sleep like a baby.
b. I have no health problems.
c. I never did too good in school.
d. I am not currently taking any medications.
ANS: C
In every mental status examination, the following factors from
the health history that could affect the findings should be
noted: any
about:blan 3/
k 18
