Mental and Behavioral Health Nursing (NUR2459): NUR 2459 Exam 1 Review Guide: Questions & Answers | Latest Fall 2026 - Rasmussen.

Mental and Behavioral Health Nursing (NUR2459): NUR 2459 Exam 1 Review Guide: Questions & Answers | Latest Fall 2026 - Rasmussen. Exam 1 — Mental and Behavioral Health Nursing (NUR2459) A nurse assists a physician with Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) on a client who has refused to give consent. What legal action could the nurse potentially be charged with? A. Defamation of character B. Breach of confidentiality C. Battery D. Assault A client was involuntarily admitted after attempting self-harm. Which of the following statements by the client indicates a need for further education regarding their rights? A. “I still have the right to vote even though I am here.” B. “I can leave anytime I tell you I’m not going to hurt myself.” C. “I understand why I was restrained when I threatened the staff.” D. “You are not allowed to tell my employer that I attempted suicide.” During group therapy, a nurse notes a client with a history of panic attacks begins tapping their foot and pushing away from the group. The nurse instructs the client to stay seated and offers a journal for their thoughts. Which phase of crisis care is being implemented? A. Phase one – assessment B. Phase two – planning C. Phase three – intervention D. Phase four – evaluation A nurse is using crisis intervention strategies for a victim of violence. What is the primary focus of these strategies? A. Providing legal assistance B. Offering long-term resolution of issues C. Promoting individual growth D. Supporting emotional security Which of the following communication techniques is considered non-therapeutic and could negatively impact the client-centered interaction? A. Clarification B. Exploring C. Restating D. Advising A nurse is conducting a family therapy session. Which statement should the nurse identify as an example of manipulation? A. “If you keep saying that, I will tell everyone what you did last night.” B. “She is always bossing me around. Should she be doing that?” C. “Please do not raise your voice; I am the one who left the dishes.” D. “Can you tell me why you get so upset when I go to the mall?” During an interdisciplinary meeting, which of the following is an appropriately formatted SMART goal for a client with depressive symptoms? A. The client will express feeling less depressed by the end of the first day. B. The client will demonstrate increased interaction with other clients by discharge. C. The client will express and demonstrate increased energy by the third day. D. The client will reduce their self-rating on a depression scale by 10% by day two. Community mental health nurses are sent to an area devastated by a hurricane to provide crisis intervention. This is an example of which type of prevention strategy? A. Primary B. Interventional C. Tertiary D. Secondary Which of the following behaviors by a nurse represents a breach of professional boundaries? A. Allowing a client to hold the nurse's hand before a procedure. B. Reading a get-well card to a client. C. Making plans to have lunch with a client after they are discharged. D. Practicing within the nurse's own scope of practice. A client with a phobia of horses has progressed from looking at photos to eventually petting a real horse over several months. This is an example of which behavioral therapy? A. Flooding B. Systematic desensitization C. Modeling D. Positive reinforcement A client becomes agitated and shouts, “If you come any closer, I will hit you.” Which is the most appropriate response by the nurse? A. “I am not planning to come any closer. What is happening now?” B. “I am calling for assistance. You have until then to get it together.” C. “I am going to get your medication. Try to relax while I am gone.” D. “You need to stay calm because you are responsible for your behavior.” A nurse is preparing to administer buspirone 15 mg PO. The available tablets are 30 mg. How many tablets will the nurse administer? A. 1 tablet B. 0.5 tablets C. 1.5 tablets D. 2 tablets Which of the following statements clearly reflects the stigma associated with mental illness? A. Mental illness can be evidence of a brain disorder. B. Many mental illnesses are known to be hereditary. C. If people with mental illness went to church, they would be fine. D. Mental illness requires a successful adaptation to internal stressors. During the orientation phase of the nurse-client relationship, which of the following is a primary task? A. Examining one's own personal feelings. B. Identifying problem-solving skills. C. Establishing rapport. D. Obtaining client information from the medical chart. What is the name of the defense mechanism used when a client rechannels unacceptable impulses into constructive and socially acceptable activities? A. Regression B. Sublimation C. Suppression D. Undoing A client expresses concerns about returning to school. Which is the most therapeutic response for the nurse to provide? A. “I think that is a wonderful idea.” B. “Your parents will be very proud of you.” C. “Can you afford to go back right now?” D. “Tell me more about your plan.” A nurse is caring for a client who uses traditional healing practices that differ from Western medicine. What is the best action for the nurse to take? A. Tell the client to stop the practices as they may be harmful. B. Ask the client why they feel the need to use such processes. C. Respect and allow the practices if they are not harmful to the client's health. D. Explain that healing practices can only be continued at home. What is considered the most significant trigger for the development of nurse-focused countertransference? A. The nature of the client's specific psychiatric diagnosis. B. The degree of authority the nurse holds over the client. C. The similarities between the client and the nurse's mother. D. The similar socio-economic histories of the nurse and client. A nurse is demonstrating an understanding of nonverbal communication. Which of the following concepts is most important for the nurse to consider? A. Most human communication is verbal rather than nonverbal. B. It is important to check for congruence between verbal and nonverbal responses. C. Nonverbal communication is always easier to interpret than verbal. D. Avoiding others is a definitive nonverbal sign of clinical depression. A client states that his assigned nurse reminds him of a very stern aunt. This is an example of which phenomenon in the nurse-client relationship? A. Countertransference B. Giving recognition C. Transference D. Making a judgment Even when involuntarily admitted, which of the following rights does a psychiatric client typically maintain? A. The right to leave against medical advice. B. The right to keep all personal belongings regardless of safety. C. The right to refuse daily medication. D. The right to choose their own physician. Which of the following is identified as one of Jahoda’s indicators of mental health? A. Love and belonging B. Dependency C. Environmental mastery D. Financial stability While working with a client in crisis, which of the following interventions is the absolute priority? A. Identifying previous coping methods. B. Decreasing the client's current anxiety level. C. Ensuring the client's safety. D. Calling the client's support system. A client uses a condescending tone of voice with the nurse. According to the study guide, which response is the most appropriate? A. “I feel angry when I hear that tone of voice.” B. “You make me so angry when you talk to me that way.” C. “Why do you use that condescending tone with me?” D. “Are you trying to make me angry?” A client asks if information shared with the nurse will remain confidential. Which is the nurse's best response? A. “All of your information is strictly confidential and kept only between us.” B. “Some things, like suicidal thinking, must be reported to the treatment team.” C. “I will only share information with staff members if you give me approval.” D. “You may select which staff members I am allowed to discuss your care with.” A client reports being afraid of a possible cancer diagnosis while waiting for a biopsy report. How should the nurse respond? A. “Worrying is not going to help the situation right now.” B. “It is very upsetting to have to wait for a biopsy report.” C. “Let's just wait until we hear what the report actually says.” D. “Operations are not performed unless there are no other options.” A client with a fear of dogs avoids counseling by insisting they must finish admission paperwork and get organized first. The nurse understands this is which defense mechanism? A. Reaction formation – adaptive B. Displacement – adaptive C. Altruism – maladaptive D. Suppression – maladaptive A nurse is performing a priority assessment on a client presenting with symptoms of mental illness for the first time. What is the nurse's first action? A. Identify the expected outcome. B. Diagnose the specific problem. C. Collect comprehensive data. D. Plan alternatives to attain the outcome. Which of the following nursing actions constitutes an intentional tort? A. Recommending a dangerous client be admitted voluntarily. B. Changing a client's status from involuntary to voluntary after improvement. C. Failing to complete a plan of care within the first 24 hours of admission. D. Giving a PRN dose of a neuroleptic to a client to prevent acting out because the unit is short-staffed. An adult client is grieving the loss of a spouse. Which statement warrants immediate nursing intervention? A. “I often feel a tightness throughout my body.” B. “I would be better off dead.” C. “I feel so guilty about her death.” D. “What causes my constant headaches?” A nurse is preparing to administer benztropine 4 mg IM. The medication is available in 2 mg/mL. How many mL will the nurse administer? A. 1 mL B. 2 mL C. 0.5 mL D. 4 mL Under what condition can a client be kept in the hospital after a 72-hour involuntary hold has expired? A. The client is unwilling to accept the treatment being offered. B. The client plans to move out of state immediately upon discharge. C. The client is a threat to themselves or others. D. The client refuses to sign the discharge paperwork. Which statement regarding informed consent is correct? A. Informed consent requires concealing known risks to prevent patient anxiety. B. Informed consent is mandated by federal law but not by state law. C. Informed consent allows the RN to discuss information needed to obtain consent. D. Informed consent must only reveal the expected benefits of the treatment. A nurse tells the local newspaper that the mayor has been admitted to the hospital because “he is an alcoholic.” What legal action may the nurse be charged with? A. False imprisonment B. Breach of confidentiality C. Battery D. Defamation of character A client in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is learning about automatic thoughts. Which statement best explains this concept? A. Automatic thoughts are typically positive and based on logical facts. B. Automatic thoughts are an example of severe psychological disorders. C. Automatic thoughts occur rapidly in a situation and without rational analysis. D. Automatic thoughts are primarily influenced by our childhood experiences. Who is credited with initiating psychoanalytical therapy to assist in understanding defense mechanisms? A. Sigmund Freud B. Erik Erikson C. Hildegard Peplau D. Dorothea Dix Which ethical principle is at stake when a nurse questions why one self-mutilating client is restrained while another is given one-on-one supervision? A. Autonomy B. Justice C. Veracity D. Beneficence A nurse is preparing to administer lithium syrup 1800 mg PO. Available is lithium syrup 600 mg/5 mL. How many mL will the nurse administer? A. 10 mL B. 5 mL C. 15 mL D. 20 mL A nurse places a client in a seclusion room until the client admits responsibility for a fight. This action is viewed as: A. Assault B. Malpractice C. False imprisonment D. Battery Under which situation is it legally permissible to breach HIPAA rules? A. When the client's family asks for information regarding self-harm. B. To inform a spiritual counselor of the client's desire for self-harm. C. Once the client has already harmed others, the law no longer applies. D. When there is a duty to warn a client's potential victim of harm. A nurse is teaching a client about the side effects of ECT. What information should be included? A. There are no side effects that should cause any concern. B. Tachycardia and dyspnea occur but are not monitored. C. Agitation and permanent confusion are the most common results. D. You may have memory loss and disorientation immediately after the treatment. Which action by a nurse demonstrates an understanding of a therapeutic milieu? A. Allowing clients to watch television past scheduled times to improve mood. B. Orienting clients to their rights and responsibilities. C. Having the clients decide when group therapy sessions should occur. D. Refusing a client's request for time to pray. A nurse is working with a client who has neurocognitive decline. The client falsely claims to have had breakfast with grandchildren who live in another state. The nurse responds by validating the happiness that breakfast with children brings. This is known as: A. Validation therapy B. Flooding therapy C. Guided therapy D. Diversion therapy Which nursing action demonstrates the ethical principle of autonomy? A. Refusing to administer a placebo to a client. B. Staying with a client who is experiencing high levels of anxiety. C. Respecting the client’s decision not to have treatments. D. Taking a course to increase knowledge of client rights. A nurse is preparing clozapine 300 mg PO. The available tablets are 200 mg. How many tablets will be given? A. 1 tablet B. 2 tablets C. 1.5 tablets D. 0.5 tablets A nurse states, “I will stay with you until you go for your ECT.” Which therapeutic communication technique is this? A. Giving recognition B. Offering self C. Formulating a plan D. Accepting A client asks a male nurse about his personal social activities and girlfriend. Which is the best response? A. The nurse shares information to be polite and build rapport. B. The nurse explains that if she continues, he cannot work with her. C. The nurse limits personal information and focuses on client-centered conversation. D. The nurse requests to be reassigned to same-gender clients only. A client states, “I used to believe in God but I do not anymore. I do not understand how God can allow terrible things to keep happening to me.” Which nursing diagnosis is most appropriate? A. Risk for impaired religiosity B. Risk for lack of faith C. Risk for spiritual distress D. Risk for impaired spirituality According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which action demonstrates the highest achievement in terms of mental health? A. Achieving a sense of purpose and mastery of skills. B. Forming intense, long-lasting relationships. C. Possessing a feeling of self-fulfillment and realizing full potential. D. Developing a basic sense of trust leading to hope. The nurse understands that an increase in which neurotransmitter is associated with Schizophrenia and Mania? A. Serotonin B. GABA C. Norepinephrine D. Dopamine