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PSYCH HESI Questions and Answers
Latest 2026
Imipramine Ans: tricyclic antidepressant
Amitriptyline Ans: tricyclic antidepressant
Nortriptyline Ans: tricyclic antidepressant
Phenelzine Ans: MAOI
Isocarboxazid Ans: MAOI
Tranyclypromine Ans: MAOI
What should the nurse instruct a patient switching
antidepressants from imipramine to phenelzineu to do?
Ans: Taper down the imipramine (TCA), then discontinue
for two weeks before starting phenelzine (MAOI) to allow
for a washout period
If a patient doesn't allow for a washout period between
switching antidepressants, what could they experience?
Ans: Hypertensive crisis (blurred vision, dizzy, H/A, SOB)
--> discontinuation syndrome
The nurse should instruct the patient taking MAOI's to
maintain what kind of diet? WHY? Ans: Tyramine
restricted diet to reduce risk of hypertensive crisis
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What two antidepressants cannot be taken at the same
time due to risk of a hypertensive crisis? Ans: TCA's and
MAOI's
Clozapine Ans: atypical antipsychotic used for
schizophrenia
Clozapine S/E Ans: agranulocytosis, tachycardia and
seizures, myocarditis, increased ROI (fever, sore throat,
flu like symptoms), weight gain, hyper salivation and
drooling
What should a nurse assess for in a patient taking
Clozapine? Ans: agranulocytosis- which increases risk of
infection. Patient should be monitored for S/S of
infection (fever, flu like)
SSRI and MAOI should not be combined to to risk of Ans:
serotonin syndrome
wait 14 days before starting a new antidepressant
Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome Ans: Adverse reaction
to antipsychotics with severe muscle rigidty, FEVER, AMS,
sweating, hypertension, tachy
NMS is most often seen with which antipsychotics Ans:
Atypical Antipsychotics
Haldol, fluphenazine, clozapine, risperidone, olanzapine
Bentropine (Cogentin) Ans: anticholinergic medication
used to treat EPE (pseudoparkinsonism, dystonia)
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Pseudoparkinsonism Ans: mask like face, tremor,
shuffling gait, drooling, rigidity, bradykinesia
Dystonia Ans: abnormal muscle movements of the face,
neck, and trunk that caused by sustained muscle
contractions & impairs voluntary muscle movement
Tangentiality Ans: Abrupt changing of focus to a loosely
associated topic seen in schizophrenia
wavy flexibility Ans: -motor disturbance seen in
schizophrenia
-tendency to remain in an immobile posture
Lithium Ans: treatment of bipolar mania
Lithium toxicity Ans: >1.5 mEq/L
diaphoresis, weakness, nausea, diarrhea, tremor,
confusion, SZR, encephalopathy
expected s/e of lithium Ans: dry mouth and thirst
Lithium therapeutic range Ans: 0.6-1.2 mEq/L for
maintenance
1.0-1.5 for treatment of acute mania
>1.5 = toxic
What electrolyte imbalance increases risk of Lithium
Toxicity Ans: low sodium
© 2025 All rights reserved
PSYCH HESI Questions and Answers
Latest 2026
Imipramine Ans: tricyclic antidepressant
Amitriptyline Ans: tricyclic antidepressant
Nortriptyline Ans: tricyclic antidepressant
Phenelzine Ans: MAOI
Isocarboxazid Ans: MAOI
Tranyclypromine Ans: MAOI
What should the nurse instruct a patient switching
antidepressants from imipramine to phenelzineu to do?
Ans: Taper down the imipramine (TCA), then discontinue
for two weeks before starting phenelzine (MAOI) to allow
for a washout period
If a patient doesn't allow for a washout period between
switching antidepressants, what could they experience?
Ans: Hypertensive crisis (blurred vision, dizzy, H/A, SOB)
--> discontinuation syndrome
The nurse should instruct the patient taking MAOI's to
maintain what kind of diet? WHY? Ans: Tyramine
restricted diet to reduce risk of hypertensive crisis
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 2 | Page
What two antidepressants cannot be taken at the same
time due to risk of a hypertensive crisis? Ans: TCA's and
MAOI's
Clozapine Ans: atypical antipsychotic used for
schizophrenia
Clozapine S/E Ans: agranulocytosis, tachycardia and
seizures, myocarditis, increased ROI (fever, sore throat,
flu like symptoms), weight gain, hyper salivation and
drooling
What should a nurse assess for in a patient taking
Clozapine? Ans: agranulocytosis- which increases risk of
infection. Patient should be monitored for S/S of
infection (fever, flu like)
SSRI and MAOI should not be combined to to risk of Ans:
serotonin syndrome
wait 14 days before starting a new antidepressant
Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome Ans: Adverse reaction
to antipsychotics with severe muscle rigidty, FEVER, AMS,
sweating, hypertension, tachy
NMS is most often seen with which antipsychotics Ans:
Atypical Antipsychotics
Haldol, fluphenazine, clozapine, risperidone, olanzapine
Bentropine (Cogentin) Ans: anticholinergic medication
used to treat EPE (pseudoparkinsonism, dystonia)
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 3 | Page
Pseudoparkinsonism Ans: mask like face, tremor,
shuffling gait, drooling, rigidity, bradykinesia
Dystonia Ans: abnormal muscle movements of the face,
neck, and trunk that caused by sustained muscle
contractions & impairs voluntary muscle movement
Tangentiality Ans: Abrupt changing of focus to a loosely
associated topic seen in schizophrenia
wavy flexibility Ans: -motor disturbance seen in
schizophrenia
-tendency to remain in an immobile posture
Lithium Ans: treatment of bipolar mania
Lithium toxicity Ans: >1.5 mEq/L
diaphoresis, weakness, nausea, diarrhea, tremor,
confusion, SZR, encephalopathy
expected s/e of lithium Ans: dry mouth and thirst
Lithium therapeutic range Ans: 0.6-1.2 mEq/L for
maintenance
1.0-1.5 for treatment of acute mania
>1.5 = toxic
What electrolyte imbalance increases risk of Lithium
Toxicity Ans: low sodium
© 2025 All rights reserved
