ATI Mental Health Nursing Proctored Exam : Verified Q&A with Explanations for Passing Score Guarantee

ATI Mental Health: questions and answers with explanations
b b b b b b b b




2026-2027 update b b




A nurse is assisting with the planning of a therapeutic support group for individuals who have bulimia n
b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b


ervosa. Which of the following tasks should the nurse include during the orientation phase of group dev
b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b


elopment?



A. determine the rules that the group will follow b b b b b b b




B. address disagreements among group members
b b b b




C. help clients work through the grief response
b b b b b b




D. transition from the role of leader to facilitator -
b b b b b b b b


✔✔ANS determine the rules that the group will follow
b b b b b b b b b




*during the orientation phase of group development, the nurse should determine the rules that apply to t
b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b


he group and ensure that all members understand these rules. Examples of rules to be discussed include c
b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b


onfidentiality and meeting times. b b b




A nurse is providing support for a client who is grieving the loss of her mother who died from Alzeimer's
b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b


disease. Which of the following statements should the nurse offer?
b b b b b b b b b




A. "I know how you must be feeling. I recently lost my father."
b b b b b b b b b b b




B. "Dealing with your mother's death must be difficult for you."
b b b b b b b b b

,C. "Knowing your mother is in a better place provides you with some comfort."
b b b b b b b b b b b b




D. "I want you to let me know what I can do to help you cope with your mother's death." -
b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b



✔✔ANS "Dealing with your mother's death must be difficult for you."
b b b b b b b b b b b




*The nurse should use therapeutic communication when supporting a client who is grieving. This state
b b b b b b b b b b b b b b


ment keeps the focus of the conversation on the client by acknowledging her grief and encourages furth
b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b


er communication."
b




A nurse in the emergency room is collecting data from a client who has heroin intoxication. Which of th
b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b


e following findings should the nurse expect?
b b b b b b




A. Seizure activity b




B. Respiratory depression b




C. Hypersensitivity to pain b b




D. Increased mental alertness - ✔✔ANS Respiratory depression
b b b b b b




*Heroin is an opioid; therefore, the nurse should expect this client who has heroin intoxication to exhibit r
b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b


espiratory depression. b




A nurse on a mental health unit is caring for a client who is displaying signs of anger. Which of the follow
b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b


ing pieces of information about the client is the strongest indicator that the client might become aggres
b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b


sive?



A. The client has marginal coping skills
b b b b b




B. The client has a history of violence
b b b b b b

,C. The client feels powerless after being hospitalized
b b b b b b




D. The client blames others for her problems - ✔✔ANS The client has a history of violence
b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b




*The client's history of violence is the most important indicator that this client might become violent; th
b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b


erefore, this is the strongest indicator of potential aggressiveness.
b b b b b b b b




A nurse is reinforcing teaching with the caregiver of a client who has dementia. Which of the following i
b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b


nstructions should the nurse include in the teaching?
b b b b b b b




A. Offer the client a list of activities to choose from
b b b b b b b b b




B. Offer finger foods to the client
b b b b b




C. Discourage naps throughout the day b b b b




D. Turn on the television when the client is in the room - ✔✔ANS
b b b b b b b b b b b b


Offer finger foods to the client
b b b b b




*The caregiver should offer finger foods that the client can eat without sitting down. Clients who have de
b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b


mentia often like to wander and walk off nervous energy, which can decrease anxiety and calm the client.
b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b




A nurse is contributing to the plan of care for a client with bipolar disorder who has acute mania. Which
b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b


of the following interventions should the nurse recommend including in the plan?
b b b b b b b b b b b




A. Provide the client with a low-calorie, low-fat diet
b b b b b b b




B. Encourage the client to have frequent rest periods
b b b b b b b

, C. Escort the client to daily group therapy b b b b b b




D. Limit the client's intake of caffeinated beverages to 12 oz per day -
b b b b b b b b b b b b



b ✔✔ANS Encourage the client to have frequent rest periods
b b b b b b b b




*The nurse should recommend encouraging frequent rest periods throughout the day to decrease the
b b b b b b b b b b b b b b


client's risk of exhaustion from the constant activity associated with acute mania.
b b b b b b b b b b b




A nurse is reviewing the plan of care for a client who has bipolar disorder. Which of the following is an effe
b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b


ct of using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for a client who has bipolar disorder?
b b b b b b b b b b b b b




A. Prevents the need for mood-stabilizing medications b b b b b




B. Helps the client deal with distorted thought processes
b b b b b b b




C. Aids in communication among family members
b b b b b




D. Replaces the need for lifestyle interventions - b b b b b b



b ✔✔ANS Helps the client deal with distorted thought processes
b b b b b b b b




*CBT assists the client with recognizing distorted thought processes that are maladaptive with regards t
b b b b b b b b b b b b b b


o recovery. When experiencing mania, the client tends to view the future unrealistically as highly favora
b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b


ble. CBT assists the client in recognizing and challenging such unrealistic or "automatic" thoughts and ca
b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b


n help the client and the health care team recognize early trends toward mania
b b b b b b b b b b b b b




A nurse is caring for a client in a mental health facility and overhears the client discussing plans to harm he
b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b


r father-in-
b


law physically when she is discharged. Which of the following interventions should the nurse take?
b b b b b b b b b b b b b b