Mental Health Nursing
Comprehensive Quiz Guide: 100% Verified Questions with Answers
Section 1: Therapeutic Communication and Relationship (Questions 1-15)
1. What is therapeutic communication?
• Answer: Purposeful, goal-directed communication that promotes patient
insight, problem-solving, and behavioral change. Focuses on patient needs,
uses specific techniques, and maintains professional boundaries while
building trust.
2. What are examples of therapeutic communication techniques?
• Answer: Open-ended questions, reflection, clarification, focusing, silence,
summarizing, giving information, offering self, active listening, validation,
restating. These encourage patient expression and exploration.
3. What are examples of non-therapeutic communication?
• Answer: Giving advice, false reassurance, changing subject, asking "why"
questions, defensive responses, minimizing feelings, excessive questioning,
judging, giving approval/disapproval, stereotyping. These block
communication and decrease trust.
4. Why should nurses avoid asking "why" questions?
• Answer: "Why" questions can feel accusatory, make patients defensive,
imply judgment, and patients often don't know "why" they feel or act
certain ways. Instead, ask "what" or "how" questions: "What were you
feeling when that happened?"
5. What is active listening?
• Answer: Fully concentrating on the patient's verbal and non-verbal
messages, maintaining eye contact, using appropriate body language,
, providing feedback, avoiding interruptions, and demonstrating genuine
interest and empathy.
6. What are the phases of the therapeutic nurse-patient relationship?
• Answer: Pre-interaction (preparation), Orientation/Introductory (contract,
build trust, assess), Working (problem-solving, goal achievement),
Termination (evaluate outcomes, process feelings about ending, promote
independence).
7. What is transference?
• Answer: Patient unconsciously redirects feelings about significant people
from their past onto the nurse. Example: Patient treats nurse like critical
parent. Nurse should recognize pattern, maintain boundaries, discuss with
patient therapeutically.
8. What is countertransference?
• Answer: Nurse unconsciously redirects personal feelings onto patient, often
triggered by patient reminding nurse of someone from their past. Requires
self-awareness, supervision, and addressing personal issues to maintain
therapeutic relationship.
9. What are appropriate professional boundaries?
• Answer: Maintaining focus on patient needs (not nurse's needs), keeping
relationship professional (not social/personal), protecting confidentiality,
avoiding self-disclosure unless therapeutic, no dual relationships, consistent
limits, appropriate touch, time boundaries.
10. What is empathy vs. sympathy?
• Answer: Empathy: understanding and experiencing patient's feelings from
their perspective while maintaining objectivity ("I understand this is difficult
for you"). Sympathy: feeling sorry for patient, sharing their emotions, can
cloud judgment ("I feel so bad for you").
11. What is confidentiality in mental health nursing?
, • Answer: Protecting patient information and only sharing with treatment
team. Exceptions: duty to warn/protect (threat to harm self/others),
child/elder abuse, court order. Always inform patient of confidentiality
limits upfront.
12. What is the duty to warn and protect?
• Answer: Legal and ethical obligation to breach confidentiality when patient
poses serious, imminent threat to identifiable person. Based on Tarasoff
case. Nurse must notify intended victim and authorities to prevent harm.
13. What is informed consent in psychiatry?
• Answer: Patient's voluntary agreement to treatment after receiving
information about diagnosis, treatment options, risks/benefits, alternatives,
and right to refuse. Requires patient competency and understanding.
Exceptions: emergencies, involuntary commitment.
14. What is voluntary vs. involuntary commitment?
• Answer: Voluntary: patient consents to hospitalization, can typically leave
with notice. Involuntary: court-ordered hospitalization when patient is
danger to self/others or gravely disabled (unable to care for self). Requires
legal process, specific criteria, time limits.
15. What are patient rights in psychiatric settings?
• Answer: Right to treatment in least restrictive environment, informed
consent, refuse treatment (except emergencies), confidentiality,
communication access, personal possessions, dignity, safe environment,
advocate, legal counsel, freedom from restraint/seclusion except when
necessary.
Section 2: Anxiety Disorders (Questions 16-30)
16. What is the difference between normal anxiety and an anxiety disorder?
Comprehensive Quiz Guide: 100% Verified Questions with Answers
Section 1: Therapeutic Communication and Relationship (Questions 1-15)
1. What is therapeutic communication?
• Answer: Purposeful, goal-directed communication that promotes patient
insight, problem-solving, and behavioral change. Focuses on patient needs,
uses specific techniques, and maintains professional boundaries while
building trust.
2. What are examples of therapeutic communication techniques?
• Answer: Open-ended questions, reflection, clarification, focusing, silence,
summarizing, giving information, offering self, active listening, validation,
restating. These encourage patient expression and exploration.
3. What are examples of non-therapeutic communication?
• Answer: Giving advice, false reassurance, changing subject, asking "why"
questions, defensive responses, minimizing feelings, excessive questioning,
judging, giving approval/disapproval, stereotyping. These block
communication and decrease trust.
4. Why should nurses avoid asking "why" questions?
• Answer: "Why" questions can feel accusatory, make patients defensive,
imply judgment, and patients often don't know "why" they feel or act
certain ways. Instead, ask "what" or "how" questions: "What were you
feeling when that happened?"
5. What is active listening?
• Answer: Fully concentrating on the patient's verbal and non-verbal
messages, maintaining eye contact, using appropriate body language,
, providing feedback, avoiding interruptions, and demonstrating genuine
interest and empathy.
6. What are the phases of the therapeutic nurse-patient relationship?
• Answer: Pre-interaction (preparation), Orientation/Introductory (contract,
build trust, assess), Working (problem-solving, goal achievement),
Termination (evaluate outcomes, process feelings about ending, promote
independence).
7. What is transference?
• Answer: Patient unconsciously redirects feelings about significant people
from their past onto the nurse. Example: Patient treats nurse like critical
parent. Nurse should recognize pattern, maintain boundaries, discuss with
patient therapeutically.
8. What is countertransference?
• Answer: Nurse unconsciously redirects personal feelings onto patient, often
triggered by patient reminding nurse of someone from their past. Requires
self-awareness, supervision, and addressing personal issues to maintain
therapeutic relationship.
9. What are appropriate professional boundaries?
• Answer: Maintaining focus on patient needs (not nurse's needs), keeping
relationship professional (not social/personal), protecting confidentiality,
avoiding self-disclosure unless therapeutic, no dual relationships, consistent
limits, appropriate touch, time boundaries.
10. What is empathy vs. sympathy?
• Answer: Empathy: understanding and experiencing patient's feelings from
their perspective while maintaining objectivity ("I understand this is difficult
for you"). Sympathy: feeling sorry for patient, sharing their emotions, can
cloud judgment ("I feel so bad for you").
11. What is confidentiality in mental health nursing?
, • Answer: Protecting patient information and only sharing with treatment
team. Exceptions: duty to warn/protect (threat to harm self/others),
child/elder abuse, court order. Always inform patient of confidentiality
limits upfront.
12. What is the duty to warn and protect?
• Answer: Legal and ethical obligation to breach confidentiality when patient
poses serious, imminent threat to identifiable person. Based on Tarasoff
case. Nurse must notify intended victim and authorities to prevent harm.
13. What is informed consent in psychiatry?
• Answer: Patient's voluntary agreement to treatment after receiving
information about diagnosis, treatment options, risks/benefits, alternatives,
and right to refuse. Requires patient competency and understanding.
Exceptions: emergencies, involuntary commitment.
14. What is voluntary vs. involuntary commitment?
• Answer: Voluntary: patient consents to hospitalization, can typically leave
with notice. Involuntary: court-ordered hospitalization when patient is
danger to self/others or gravely disabled (unable to care for self). Requires
legal process, specific criteria, time limits.
15. What are patient rights in psychiatric settings?
• Answer: Right to treatment in least restrictive environment, informed
consent, refuse treatment (except emergencies), confidentiality,
communication access, personal possessions, dignity, safe environment,
advocate, legal counsel, freedom from restraint/seclusion except when
necessary.
Section 2: Anxiety Disorders (Questions 16-30)
16. What is the difference between normal anxiety and an anxiety disorder?
