HESI PSYCH MENTAL HEALTH
EXAMINATION TEST BANK 2026
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
⩥ A client begins taking an atypical antipsychotic medication. The nurse
must provide informed consent and education about common medication
side effects. Which client education will be most important?
A.Maintain a balanced diet and adequate exercise.
B.Be sure that the diet is adequate in salt intake.
C.Monitor for any changes in sleep pattern.
D.Report any unusual facial movements? Answer: ANS: A
Several atypical antipsychotic medications can cause significant weight
gain, so the client should be advised to maintain a balanced diet and
adequate exercise (A). (B) is important with lithium, a mood stabilizer.
(C and D) are less common than weight gain.
⩥ A 35-year-old client admitted to the psychiatric unit of an acute care
hospital tells the nurse that someone is trying to poison her. The client's
delusions are most likely related to which factor?
,A.Authority issues in childhood
B.Anger about being hospitalized
C.Low self-esteem
D.Phobia of food. Answer: ANS: C
Delusional clients have difficulty with trust and have low self-esteem
(C). Nursing care should be directed at building trust and promoting
positive self-esteem. Activities with limited concentration and no
competition should be encouraged to build self-esteem. (A, B, and D)
are not specifically related to the development of delusions.
⩥ Clients are preparing to leave the mental health unit for an outdoor
smoke break. A client on constant observation cannot leave and becomes
agitated and demands to smoke a cigarette. Which action should the
nurse take first?
A.Remind the client to wear the nicotine (NicoDerm) patch.
B.Determine if the client still needs constant observation.
C.Encourage the client to attend the smoking cessation group.
D.Explain that clients on constant observation cannot smoke.. Answer:
ANS: B
The nurse should continually reassess the need for constant observation
(B) so that the client can have unit privileges such as outdoor breaks. (A
,and C) do not meet the client's need and desire to smoke. (D) will cause
more agitation.
⩥ When planning care for the client undergoing electroconvulsive
therapy (ECT), which equipment should the nurse make available?
(Select all that apply.)
A.Oxygen
B.Suction equipment
C.Continuous passive range-of-motion (CPM) machine
D.Crash cart
E.Chest tube drainage system. Answer: ANS: A, B, D
Because aspiration is a potential complication, emergency equipment
such as oxygen, suction, and a crash cart should be available (A, B, and
D). The client is only unconscious for a short period; therefore, there is
no need for a CPM machine (C). ECT does not put the client at risk for a
pneumothorax; therefore, a chest tube drainage system is not needed (E).
⩥ A nurse working in the emergency department of a children's hospital
admits a child whose injuries could have been the result of abuse. Which
statement most accurately describes the nurse's responsibility in cases of
suspected child abuse?
A.Obtain objective data such as radiographs before reporting suspicions.
, B.Confirm suspicions of abuse with the health care provider.
C.Report any case of suspected child abuse.
D.Document injuries to confirm suspected abuse.. Answer: ANS: C
It is the nurse's legal responsibility to report all suspected cases of child
abuse (C), and notifying the nurse manager or charge nurse starts the
legal reporting process. (A, B, and D) delay the first step in reporting the
abuse.
⩥ A child is brought to the emergency department with a broken arm.
Because of other injuries, the nurse suspects that the child may be a
victim of abuse. When the nurse tries to give the child an injection, the
child's mother becomes very loud and shouts, "I won't leave my son!
Don't you touch him! You'll hurt my child!" What is the best
interpretation of the mother's statements?
A.She is regressing to an earlier behavior pattern.
B.She is sublimating her anger.
C.She is projecting her feelings onto the nurse.
D.She is suppressing her fear.. Answer: ANS: C
Projection is attributing one's own thoughts, impulses, or behaviors onto
another; it is the mother who is probably harming the child, and she is
attributing her actions to the nurse (C). The mother may be immature,
but (A) is not the best description of her behavior. (B) is substituting a
EXAMINATION TEST BANK 2026
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
⩥ A client begins taking an atypical antipsychotic medication. The nurse
must provide informed consent and education about common medication
side effects. Which client education will be most important?
A.Maintain a balanced diet and adequate exercise.
B.Be sure that the diet is adequate in salt intake.
C.Monitor for any changes in sleep pattern.
D.Report any unusual facial movements? Answer: ANS: A
Several atypical antipsychotic medications can cause significant weight
gain, so the client should be advised to maintain a balanced diet and
adequate exercise (A). (B) is important with lithium, a mood stabilizer.
(C and D) are less common than weight gain.
⩥ A 35-year-old client admitted to the psychiatric unit of an acute care
hospital tells the nurse that someone is trying to poison her. The client's
delusions are most likely related to which factor?
,A.Authority issues in childhood
B.Anger about being hospitalized
C.Low self-esteem
D.Phobia of food. Answer: ANS: C
Delusional clients have difficulty with trust and have low self-esteem
(C). Nursing care should be directed at building trust and promoting
positive self-esteem. Activities with limited concentration and no
competition should be encouraged to build self-esteem. (A, B, and D)
are not specifically related to the development of delusions.
⩥ Clients are preparing to leave the mental health unit for an outdoor
smoke break. A client on constant observation cannot leave and becomes
agitated and demands to smoke a cigarette. Which action should the
nurse take first?
A.Remind the client to wear the nicotine (NicoDerm) patch.
B.Determine if the client still needs constant observation.
C.Encourage the client to attend the smoking cessation group.
D.Explain that clients on constant observation cannot smoke.. Answer:
ANS: B
The nurse should continually reassess the need for constant observation
(B) so that the client can have unit privileges such as outdoor breaks. (A
,and C) do not meet the client's need and desire to smoke. (D) will cause
more agitation.
⩥ When planning care for the client undergoing electroconvulsive
therapy (ECT), which equipment should the nurse make available?
(Select all that apply.)
A.Oxygen
B.Suction equipment
C.Continuous passive range-of-motion (CPM) machine
D.Crash cart
E.Chest tube drainage system. Answer: ANS: A, B, D
Because aspiration is a potential complication, emergency equipment
such as oxygen, suction, and a crash cart should be available (A, B, and
D). The client is only unconscious for a short period; therefore, there is
no need for a CPM machine (C). ECT does not put the client at risk for a
pneumothorax; therefore, a chest tube drainage system is not needed (E).
⩥ A nurse working in the emergency department of a children's hospital
admits a child whose injuries could have been the result of abuse. Which
statement most accurately describes the nurse's responsibility in cases of
suspected child abuse?
A.Obtain objective data such as radiographs before reporting suspicions.
, B.Confirm suspicions of abuse with the health care provider.
C.Report any case of suspected child abuse.
D.Document injuries to confirm suspected abuse.. Answer: ANS: C
It is the nurse's legal responsibility to report all suspected cases of child
abuse (C), and notifying the nurse manager or charge nurse starts the
legal reporting process. (A, B, and D) delay the first step in reporting the
abuse.
⩥ A child is brought to the emergency department with a broken arm.
Because of other injuries, the nurse suspects that the child may be a
victim of abuse. When the nurse tries to give the child an injection, the
child's mother becomes very loud and shouts, "I won't leave my son!
Don't you touch him! You'll hurt my child!" What is the best
interpretation of the mother's statements?
A.She is regressing to an earlier behavior pattern.
B.She is sublimating her anger.
C.She is projecting her feelings onto the nurse.
D.She is suppressing her fear.. Answer: ANS: C
Projection is attributing one's own thoughts, impulses, or behaviors onto
another; it is the mother who is probably harming the child, and she is
attributing her actions to the nurse (C). The mother may be immature,
but (A) is not the best description of her behavior. (B) is substituting a
