ATI RN MENTAL HEALTH NURSING
//2025/2026/ EXAMINATION //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 a
need for further teaching?
A. "To assess cognitive ability, I should ask the client to count backward by 7."
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."
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises - ANSWER-
D. "To assess remote memory, I should have the client repeat a list of objects."
Asking the client to repeat a list of objects is appropriate to assess immediate,
rather than remote, memory.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises
A nurse is planning care for a client who has a mental health disorder. Which of the
following is appropriate to 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.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises - ANSWER-
D. Monitor the client for adverse effects of medications.
Assisting with systematic desensitization therapy is a cognitive and behavioral.
Teaching appropriate coping mechanisms is a counseling or health teaching.
Assessing for comorbid health conditions is health promotion and maintenance.
D. Monitoring for adverse effects of medications is an example of a
psychobiological intervention.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises
A nurse in an outpatient mental health clinic is preparing to conduct an initial client
interview. When conducting the interview, which of the following is the highest
priority action?
A. Respect the client's need for personal space.
B. Identify the client's perception of her mental health status.
C. Include the client's family in the interview.
,D. Teach the client about her current mental health disorder.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises - ANSWER-
*B. Identify the client's perception of her mental health status.*
A. Appropriate, but not highest priority.
B. Assessment is the priority action when taking the nursing process approach.
Identifying the client's perception of her mental health status provides important
information about the client's psychosocial history.
C. Appropriate, but not highest priority.
D. Appropriate, but not highest priority.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises
A nurse is told during change-of-shift report that a client is stuporous. When
assessing the client, which of the following is an expected finding?
A. The client arouses briefly in response to a sternal rib.
B. The client has a Glasgow Coma Scale score less than 7.
C. The client exhibits decorticate rigidity.
D. The client is alert but disoriented to time and place.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises - ANSWER-
*A. The client arouses briefly in response to a sternal rib.*
, A. A client who is stuporous requires vigorous or painful stimuli to elicit a
response.
B. <7 on GCS indicates comatose, not stuporous, level of consciousness.
C. Abnormal posturing = comatose.
D. Stuporous /= alert.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises
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 is
appropriate to include in the discussion? (SATA)
A. The DSM-5 is used to identify mental health disorders.
B. The DSM-5 establishes diagnostic criteria.
C. The DSM-5 indicates recommended pharmacological treatment.
D. The DSM-5 assists nurses in planning care.
E. The DSM-5 indicates expected assessment findings.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises - ANSWER-
A, B, D, E.
The DSM-5 is used as a diagnostic tool, establishes diagnostic criteria, used by
nurses to plan, implement, and evaluate care, and identifies expected findings for
mental health disorders.
//2025/2026/ EXAMINATION //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 a
need for further teaching?
A. "To assess cognitive ability, I should ask the client to count backward by 7."
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."
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises - ANSWER-
D. "To assess remote memory, I should have the client repeat a list of objects."
Asking the client to repeat a list of objects is appropriate to assess immediate,
rather than remote, memory.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises
A nurse is planning care for a client who has a mental health disorder. Which of the
following is appropriate to 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.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises - ANSWER-
D. Monitor the client for adverse effects of medications.
Assisting with systematic desensitization therapy is a cognitive and behavioral.
Teaching appropriate coping mechanisms is a counseling or health teaching.
Assessing for comorbid health conditions is health promotion and maintenance.
D. Monitoring for adverse effects of medications is an example of a
psychobiological intervention.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises
A nurse in an outpatient mental health clinic is preparing to conduct an initial client
interview. When conducting the interview, which of the following is the highest
priority action?
A. Respect the client's need for personal space.
B. Identify the client's perception of her mental health status.
C. Include the client's family in the interview.
,D. Teach the client about her current mental health disorder.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises - ANSWER-
*B. Identify the client's perception of her mental health status.*
A. Appropriate, but not highest priority.
B. Assessment is the priority action when taking the nursing process approach.
Identifying the client's perception of her mental health status provides important
information about the client's psychosocial history.
C. Appropriate, but not highest priority.
D. Appropriate, but not highest priority.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises
A nurse is told during change-of-shift report that a client is stuporous. When
assessing the client, which of the following is an expected finding?
A. The client arouses briefly in response to a sternal rib.
B. The client has a Glasgow Coma Scale score less than 7.
C. The client exhibits decorticate rigidity.
D. The client is alert but disoriented to time and place.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises - ANSWER-
*A. The client arouses briefly in response to a sternal rib.*
, A. A client who is stuporous requires vigorous or painful stimuli to elicit a
response.
B. <7 on GCS indicates comatose, not stuporous, level of consciousness.
C. Abnormal posturing = comatose.
D. Stuporous /= alert.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises
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 is
appropriate to include in the discussion? (SATA)
A. The DSM-5 is used to identify mental health disorders.
B. The DSM-5 establishes diagnostic criteria.
C. The DSM-5 indicates recommended pharmacological treatment.
D. The DSM-5 assists nurses in planning care.
E. The DSM-5 indicates expected assessment findings.
ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 1 Application Exercises - ANSWER-
A, B, D, E.
The DSM-5 is used as a diagnostic tool, establishes diagnostic criteria, used by
nurses to plan, implement, and evaluate care, and identifies expected findings for
mental health disorders.
