ESSENTIALS OF PSYCHIATRIC NURSING,
3RD EDITION
MARY ANN BOYD; REBECCA LUEBBERT
TEST BANK
1. Question 1 — Chapter 1: Foundations of Psychiatric
Nursing, Therapeutic Relationship
Type: Clinical scenario
Stem: A 28-year-old with major depressive disorder is
tearful during the first nursing session and says, “No one
understands me.” The nurse sits at eye level, maintains
open posture, and says, “I hear how painful this is for you.”
What therapeutic response best demonstrates empathy
and supports rapport?
Options:
A. “At least you have people who care about you.”
B. “You feel misunderstood and that’s painful.”
C. “Everyone feels like that sometimes; it will pass.”
D. “You need to try to be more positive.”
Correct Answer: B
Rationale — Correct: Statement B labels the patient’s
, emotion and mirrors content, demonstrating empathy and
fostering trust—key to the therapeutic relationship.
(Essentials of Psychiatric Nursing, 3rd Ed. — Chapter 1:
Therapeutic Relationship)
Rationales — Incorrect:
A. Minimizes the patient’s feeling and may feel dismissive.
C. Trivializes emotional pain and offers false reassurance.
D. Imposes advice and judgment, hindering rapport.
NCLEX/HESI applicability: Tests therapeutic
communication and psychosocial integrity—core skills for
psychiatric nursing.
Teaching Point: Empathic reflection validates feelings and
builds rapport.
2. Question 2 — Chapter 1: Foundations, Therapeutic
Communication
Type: Conceptual recall
Stem: Which statement best reflects the primary goal of
therapeutic communication in psychiatric nursing?
Options:
A. To entertain the patient.
B. To change the patient’s values.
C. To facilitate patient-centered insight and coping.
D. To diagnose mental disorders.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale — Correct: Therapeutic communication aims to
, help patients gain insight, express feelings, and develop
coping — central to nursing care. (Chapter 1: Therapeutic
Communication)
Rationales — Incorrect:
A. Entertainment is not a therapeutic goal.
B. Changing values is neither ethical nor realistic as a
primary goal.
D. Diagnosis is a clinical function but not the
communication’s primary purpose.
NCLEX/HESI applicability: Relates to psychosocial integrity
and therapeutic communication competencies.
Teaching Point: Communication should center patient
growth and coping.
3. Question 3 — Chapter 2: Psychiatric Assessment, Mental
Status Exam
Type: Application
Stem: During the mental status exam, a patient speaks
rapidly, shifts topics quickly, and shows flight of ideas.
Which area of the MSE is primarily being assessed?
Options:
A. Mood
B. Thought process/form
C. Perception
D. Insight and judgment
Correct Answer: B
, Rationale — Correct: Flight of ideas and rapid, tangential
speech describe thought process (form), not mood or
perception. (Chapter 2: Mental Status Exam)
Rationales — Incorrect:
A. Mood describes sustained affective state, not speech
pattern.
C. Perception refers to hallucinations or distortions, not
thought form.
D. Insight/judgment concern awareness of illness and
decision-making.
NCLEX/HESI applicability: Tests psychiatric assessment
skills (MSE) and clinical reasoning.
Teaching Point: Thought form = how ideas are organized
and expressed.
4. Question 4 — Chapter 2: Psychiatric Assessment, Risk
Assessment
Type: Clinical scenario
Stem: A patient recently discharged after a suicide attempt
reports hopelessness and has a plan with access to pills.
Which immediate nursing action is most appropriate?
Options:
A. Schedule outpatient follow-up in 2 weeks.
B. Place the patient on one-to-one observation and notify
the provider.
C. Encourage the patient to call family if feeling worse.
3RD EDITION
MARY ANN BOYD; REBECCA LUEBBERT
TEST BANK
1. Question 1 — Chapter 1: Foundations of Psychiatric
Nursing, Therapeutic Relationship
Type: Clinical scenario
Stem: A 28-year-old with major depressive disorder is
tearful during the first nursing session and says, “No one
understands me.” The nurse sits at eye level, maintains
open posture, and says, “I hear how painful this is for you.”
What therapeutic response best demonstrates empathy
and supports rapport?
Options:
A. “At least you have people who care about you.”
B. “You feel misunderstood and that’s painful.”
C. “Everyone feels like that sometimes; it will pass.”
D. “You need to try to be more positive.”
Correct Answer: B
Rationale — Correct: Statement B labels the patient’s
, emotion and mirrors content, demonstrating empathy and
fostering trust—key to the therapeutic relationship.
(Essentials of Psychiatric Nursing, 3rd Ed. — Chapter 1:
Therapeutic Relationship)
Rationales — Incorrect:
A. Minimizes the patient’s feeling and may feel dismissive.
C. Trivializes emotional pain and offers false reassurance.
D. Imposes advice and judgment, hindering rapport.
NCLEX/HESI applicability: Tests therapeutic
communication and psychosocial integrity—core skills for
psychiatric nursing.
Teaching Point: Empathic reflection validates feelings and
builds rapport.
2. Question 2 — Chapter 1: Foundations, Therapeutic
Communication
Type: Conceptual recall
Stem: Which statement best reflects the primary goal of
therapeutic communication in psychiatric nursing?
Options:
A. To entertain the patient.
B. To change the patient’s values.
C. To facilitate patient-centered insight and coping.
D. To diagnose mental disorders.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale — Correct: Therapeutic communication aims to
, help patients gain insight, express feelings, and develop
coping — central to nursing care. (Chapter 1: Therapeutic
Communication)
Rationales — Incorrect:
A. Entertainment is not a therapeutic goal.
B. Changing values is neither ethical nor realistic as a
primary goal.
D. Diagnosis is a clinical function but not the
communication’s primary purpose.
NCLEX/HESI applicability: Relates to psychosocial integrity
and therapeutic communication competencies.
Teaching Point: Communication should center patient
growth and coping.
3. Question 3 — Chapter 2: Psychiatric Assessment, Mental
Status Exam
Type: Application
Stem: During the mental status exam, a patient speaks
rapidly, shifts topics quickly, and shows flight of ideas.
Which area of the MSE is primarily being assessed?
Options:
A. Mood
B. Thought process/form
C. Perception
D. Insight and judgment
Correct Answer: B
, Rationale — Correct: Flight of ideas and rapid, tangential
speech describe thought process (form), not mood or
perception. (Chapter 2: Mental Status Exam)
Rationales — Incorrect:
A. Mood describes sustained affective state, not speech
pattern.
C. Perception refers to hallucinations or distortions, not
thought form.
D. Insight/judgment concern awareness of illness and
decision-making.
NCLEX/HESI applicability: Tests psychiatric assessment
skills (MSE) and clinical reasoning.
Teaching Point: Thought form = how ideas are organized
and expressed.
4. Question 4 — Chapter 2: Psychiatric Assessment, Risk
Assessment
Type: Clinical scenario
Stem: A patient recently discharged after a suicide attempt
reports hopelessness and has a plan with access to pills.
Which immediate nursing action is most appropriate?
Options:
A. Schedule outpatient follow-up in 2 weeks.
B. Place the patient on one-to-one observation and notify
the provider.
C. Encourage the patient to call family if feeling worse.
