ATI RN MENTAL HEALTH NURSING
CERTIFICATION EVALUATION EXAMS 2026
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS
◉What are the components of the Psychosocial History? Answer: 1)
perception of own health, beliefs about illness and wellness
2) activity/leisure activities and how the client likes to pass their time
3) use of substances or substance use disorder
4) Stress level and coping abilities
-what are their coping strategies?
-what are their support systems?
5) cultural beliefs and practices
6) spiritual beliefs
7) (MSE) Mental Status Exam
◉Mental Status Examination: . Answer: the level of consciousness is
describes used the following terms and observed behavior included in
documentation.
1) Alert: the client is responsive and able to fully respond by opening her
eyes and attending to a normal tone of voice and speech
,-she answers questions spontaneously and appropriately
2) Lethargy: the client is able to open her eyes and respond but is
drowsy and falls asleep readily
3) Stupor: the client requires vigorous or painful stimuli (pinching a
tendon or rubbing the sternum) to elicit a brief response. She may not be
able to response verbally
4) Coma:
-no response can be achieved from repeated painful stimuli
*abnormal posturing in the client who is comatose
a) DECORTICATE RIGIDITY: flexion and internal rotation of upper-
extremity joints and legs
b) DECERIBATE RIGIDITY: neck and elbow extension, wrist and
finger flexion
* assessing appearance: exam includes the assessment of personal
hygiene, grooming, and clothing choice
*Behavior: assess voluntary and involuntary body movements:
a) mood: provides info about EMOTIONS client is feeling
, b) affect: a client's affect is an OBJECTIVE EXPRESSION OF MOOD
such as a flat affect or a lack of facial expression
^ these "SIGNS" can be detected and evaluated as an objective
assessment
* cognitive and intellectual abilities:
-assess the client's orientation to time, person, and place
-assess client memory, both recent and remote
a) Immediate: ask the client to repeat a series of numbers or a list of
objects ( can the client count from 1-10 w/o losing their place or
forgetting what they were saying/that they were in the midst of counting
to 10; do they lose immediate sight of their task in the middle of doing
it???)
b) Recent: ask the client to recall recent events (ex: visitors from earlier
on in the day)
(not immediate
c) Remote
◉Standardized screening tools? . Answer: * Mini-Mental State Exam:
-used to objectively assess a client's cognitive status by evaluating the
following:
CERTIFICATION EVALUATION EXAMS 2026
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS
◉What are the components of the Psychosocial History? Answer: 1)
perception of own health, beliefs about illness and wellness
2) activity/leisure activities and how the client likes to pass their time
3) use of substances or substance use disorder
4) Stress level and coping abilities
-what are their coping strategies?
-what are their support systems?
5) cultural beliefs and practices
6) spiritual beliefs
7) (MSE) Mental Status Exam
◉Mental Status Examination: . Answer: the level of consciousness is
describes used the following terms and observed behavior included in
documentation.
1) Alert: the client is responsive and able to fully respond by opening her
eyes and attending to a normal tone of voice and speech
,-she answers questions spontaneously and appropriately
2) Lethargy: the client is able to open her eyes and respond but is
drowsy and falls asleep readily
3) Stupor: the client requires vigorous or painful stimuli (pinching a
tendon or rubbing the sternum) to elicit a brief response. She may not be
able to response verbally
4) Coma:
-no response can be achieved from repeated painful stimuli
*abnormal posturing in the client who is comatose
a) DECORTICATE RIGIDITY: flexion and internal rotation of upper-
extremity joints and legs
b) DECERIBATE RIGIDITY: neck and elbow extension, wrist and
finger flexion
* assessing appearance: exam includes the assessment of personal
hygiene, grooming, and clothing choice
*Behavior: assess voluntary and involuntary body movements:
a) mood: provides info about EMOTIONS client is feeling
, b) affect: a client's affect is an OBJECTIVE EXPRESSION OF MOOD
such as a flat affect or a lack of facial expression
^ these "SIGNS" can be detected and evaluated as an objective
assessment
* cognitive and intellectual abilities:
-assess the client's orientation to time, person, and place
-assess client memory, both recent and remote
a) Immediate: ask the client to repeat a series of numbers or a list of
objects ( can the client count from 1-10 w/o losing their place or
forgetting what they were saying/that they were in the midst of counting
to 10; do they lose immediate sight of their task in the middle of doing
it???)
b) Recent: ask the client to recall recent events (ex: visitors from earlier
on in the day)
(not immediate
c) Remote
◉Standardized screening tools? . Answer: * Mini-Mental State Exam:
-used to objectively assess a client's cognitive status by evaluating the
following:
