MENTAL HEALTH NURSING EXAM
Rasmussen University
1. A patient with schizophrenia begins to talks about "volmers" or
about "frangularity" hiding in the warehouse at work. The term
"volmers" should be documented as.
A neologism.
2. A patient with suicidal impulses is placed on the highest level
of suicide precautions. Which measures should be incorporated
into the plan of care by the nurse caring for the patient? (More
than one answer is correct.)
A. Maintain arm's-length, one-on-one nursing observation around
the clock.
B. Allow no glass or metal on meal trays.
F. Remove all potentially harmful objects from the patient's
possession.
3. A patient diagnosed with schizophrenia anxiously says, "I can
see the left side of my body merging with the wall, then my face
appears and disappears in the mirror." While listening, the nurse
should:
maintain a normal social interaction distance from the patient.
4. Which statement indicates a patient with major depression is
most likely outlook on life during the acute phase of the illness?
During an acute phase of major depression, the client may feel
worthless and deserve bad things to happen personally.
5. A patient diagnosed with bipolar disorder is in the maintenance
phase of treatment. The patient asks, "Do I have to keep taking
this lithium even though my mood is stable now?" Select the
,nurse's appropriate response. "Taking the medication every
day helps reduce the risk of a relapse."
6. A person has had difficulty keeping a job because of arguing
with co-workers and accusing them of conspiracy. Today the
person shouts, "They're all plotting to destroy me. Isn't that true?"
Select the nurse's most therapeutic response.
"Feeling that people want to destroy you must be very
frightening."
7. A patient is undergoing a series of diagnostic tests. The patient
says, "Nothing is wrong with me except a stubborn chest cold."
The spouse reports the patient smokes and coughs a lot, has lost
15 pounds, and is easily fatigued. Which defense mechanism is
the patient using?
Denial
8. A cab driver, stuck in traffic, becomes lightheaded, tremulous,
diaphoretic, tachycardia and dyspneic. A workup in an emergency
department reveals no pathology. Which medical diagnosis should
a nurse suspect, and what nursing diagnosis should be the nurse's
first priority?
Panic disorder and a nursing diagnosis of anxiety
9. The nurse is providing health teaching for a patient who has
been prescribed Phenelzine (Nardil) for depression and
provides a written list of foods that should not be eaten while
taking this medication. What is the potential problem if the
patient is not compliant with these dietary restrictions?
hypertensive crisis
10. foods with tyramine in it
Aged meats or aged cheeses, protein extracts, sour
cream, alcohol, anchovies, liver, sausages, overripe figs,
, bananas, avocados, chocolate, soy sauce, bean curd,
natural yogurt, fava beans—
tyramine-containing foods—may precipitate hypertensive
crisis. Avoid chocolate or caffeine.
Herbal: Ginseng, ephedra, ma huang, St. John's wort may
cause hypertensive crisis.
11. For depression that is refractory to TCAs. Avoid certain foods
such as
cheese, sour cream, wine, beer, figs, anchovies, shrimp,
bananas, and chocolate, and avoid drugs (e.g., TCAs).
12. Risk for hypertensive crisis: Avoid self-medication.
WHY?
OTC preparations containing dextromethorphan,
sympathomimetic agents, or antihistamines
(e.g., cough, cold, and hay fever remedies, appetite suppressants)
can precipitate severe
hypertensive reactions if taken during therapy or within 2-3 wk
after discontinuation of an MAO
inhibitor.
13. Which piece of subjective data obtained during the
nurse's psychosocial assessment of a client experiencing
severe anxiety would indicate the possibility of obsessive-
compulsive disorder?
"I have to keep checking to see where my car keys are."
14. The nurse is evaluating the effectiveness of psychotropic
medication on negative symptoms of psychosis. The nurse looks
for a decrease in which of the following?
Rasmussen University
1. A patient with schizophrenia begins to talks about "volmers" or
about "frangularity" hiding in the warehouse at work. The term
"volmers" should be documented as.
A neologism.
2. A patient with suicidal impulses is placed on the highest level
of suicide precautions. Which measures should be incorporated
into the plan of care by the nurse caring for the patient? (More
than one answer is correct.)
A. Maintain arm's-length, one-on-one nursing observation around
the clock.
B. Allow no glass or metal on meal trays.
F. Remove all potentially harmful objects from the patient's
possession.
3. A patient diagnosed with schizophrenia anxiously says, "I can
see the left side of my body merging with the wall, then my face
appears and disappears in the mirror." While listening, the nurse
should:
maintain a normal social interaction distance from the patient.
4. Which statement indicates a patient with major depression is
most likely outlook on life during the acute phase of the illness?
During an acute phase of major depression, the client may feel
worthless and deserve bad things to happen personally.
5. A patient diagnosed with bipolar disorder is in the maintenance
phase of treatment. The patient asks, "Do I have to keep taking
this lithium even though my mood is stable now?" Select the
,nurse's appropriate response. "Taking the medication every
day helps reduce the risk of a relapse."
6. A person has had difficulty keeping a job because of arguing
with co-workers and accusing them of conspiracy. Today the
person shouts, "They're all plotting to destroy me. Isn't that true?"
Select the nurse's most therapeutic response.
"Feeling that people want to destroy you must be very
frightening."
7. A patient is undergoing a series of diagnostic tests. The patient
says, "Nothing is wrong with me except a stubborn chest cold."
The spouse reports the patient smokes and coughs a lot, has lost
15 pounds, and is easily fatigued. Which defense mechanism is
the patient using?
Denial
8. A cab driver, stuck in traffic, becomes lightheaded, tremulous,
diaphoretic, tachycardia and dyspneic. A workup in an emergency
department reveals no pathology. Which medical diagnosis should
a nurse suspect, and what nursing diagnosis should be the nurse's
first priority?
Panic disorder and a nursing diagnosis of anxiety
9. The nurse is providing health teaching for a patient who has
been prescribed Phenelzine (Nardil) for depression and
provides a written list of foods that should not be eaten while
taking this medication. What is the potential problem if the
patient is not compliant with these dietary restrictions?
hypertensive crisis
10. foods with tyramine in it
Aged meats or aged cheeses, protein extracts, sour
cream, alcohol, anchovies, liver, sausages, overripe figs,
, bananas, avocados, chocolate, soy sauce, bean curd,
natural yogurt, fava beans—
tyramine-containing foods—may precipitate hypertensive
crisis. Avoid chocolate or caffeine.
Herbal: Ginseng, ephedra, ma huang, St. John's wort may
cause hypertensive crisis.
11. For depression that is refractory to TCAs. Avoid certain foods
such as
cheese, sour cream, wine, beer, figs, anchovies, shrimp,
bananas, and chocolate, and avoid drugs (e.g., TCAs).
12. Risk for hypertensive crisis: Avoid self-medication.
WHY?
OTC preparations containing dextromethorphan,
sympathomimetic agents, or antihistamines
(e.g., cough, cold, and hay fever remedies, appetite suppressants)
can precipitate severe
hypertensive reactions if taken during therapy or within 2-3 wk
after discontinuation of an MAO
inhibitor.
13. Which piece of subjective data obtained during the
nurse's psychosocial assessment of a client experiencing
severe anxiety would indicate the possibility of obsessive-
compulsive disorder?
"I have to keep checking to see where my car keys are."
14. The nurse is evaluating the effectiveness of psychotropic
medication on negative symptoms of psychosis. The nurse looks
for a decrease in which of the following?
