©SOPHIABENNETT@2024-2025 Sunday, August 18, 2024 6:00 PM
Varcarolis: Chapter 7 - The Nursing Process and Standards of
Care for Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Exam Practice
Questions and Answers (100% Pass)
A new staff nurse completes an orientation to the psychiatric unit. This
nurse will expect to ask an advanced practice nurse to perform which
action for patients?
a. Perform mental health assessment interviews.
b. Prescribe psychotropic medication.
c. Establish therapeutic relationships.
d. Individualize nursing care plans. - Answer✔️✔️-ANS: B
Prescriptive privileges are granted to master's-prepared nurse practitioners
who have taken special courses on prescribing medication. The nurse
prepared at the basic level performs mental health assessments, establishes
relationships, and provides individualized care planning. Note that this
question was also offered for Chapter 1.
Page 1 of 35
,©SOPHIABENNETT@2024-2025 Sunday, August 18, 2024 6:00 PM
A newly admitted patient diagnosed with major depression has gained 20
pounds over a few months and has suicidal ideation. The patient has taken
an antidepressant medication for 1 week without remission of symptoms.
Select the priority nursing diagnosis.
a. Imbalanced nutrition: more than body requirements
b. Chronic low self-esteem
c. Risk for suicide
d. Hopelessness - Answer✔️✔️-ANS: C
Risk for suicide is the priority diagnosis when the patient has both suicidal
ideation and a plan to carry out the suicidal intent. Imbalanced nutrition,
hopelessness, and chronic low self-esteem may be applicable nursing
diagnoses, but these problems do not affect patient safety as urgently as
would a suicide attempt.
A patient diagnosed with major depression has lost 20 pounds in one
month, has chronic low self-esteem, and a plan for suicide. The patient has
taken an antidepressant medication for 1 week. Which nursing intervention
has the highest priority?
Page 2 of 35
,©SOPHIABENNETT@2024-2025 Sunday, August 18, 2024 6:00 PM
a. Implement suicide precautions.
b. Offer high-calorie snacks and fluids frequently.
c. Assist the patient to identify three personal strengths.
d. Observe patient for therapeutic effects of antidepressant medication. -
Answer✔️✔️-ANS: A
Implementing suicide precautions is the only option related to patient
safety. The other options, related to nutrition, self-esteem, and medication
therapy, are important but are not priorities.
The desired outcome for a patient experiencing insomnia is, "Patient will
sleep for a minimum of 5 hours nightly within 7 days." At the end of 7
days, review of sleep data shows the patient sleeps an average of 4 hours
nightly and takes a 2-hour afternoon nap. The nurse will document the
outcome as:
a. consistently demonstrated.
b. often demonstrated.
c. sometimes demonstrated.
Page 3 of 35
, ©SOPHIABENNETT@2024-2025 Sunday, August 18, 2024 6:00 PM
d. never demonstrated. - Answer✔️✔️-ANS: D
Although the patient is sleeping 6 hours daily, the total is not one
uninterrupted session at night. Therefore, the outcome must be evaluated
as never demonstrated. See relationship to audience response question.
The desired outcome for a patient experiencing insomnia is, "Patient will
sleep for a minimum of 5 hours nightly within 7 days." At the end of 7
days, review of sleep data shows the patient sleeps an average of 4 hours
nightly and takes a 2-hour afternoon nap. What is the nurse's next action?
a. Continue the current plan without changes.
b. Remove this nursing diagnosis from the plan of care.
c. Write a new nursing diagnosis that better reflects the problem.
d. Examine interventions for possible revision of the target date. -
Answer✔️✔️-ANS: D
Sleeping a total of 5 hours at night remains a reasonable outcome.
Extending the period for attaining the outcome may be appropriate.
Examining interventions might result in planning an activity during the
afternoon rather than permitting a nap. Continuing the current plan
Page 4 of 35
Varcarolis: Chapter 7 - The Nursing Process and Standards of
Care for Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Exam Practice
Questions and Answers (100% Pass)
A new staff nurse completes an orientation to the psychiatric unit. This
nurse will expect to ask an advanced practice nurse to perform which
action for patients?
a. Perform mental health assessment interviews.
b. Prescribe psychotropic medication.
c. Establish therapeutic relationships.
d. Individualize nursing care plans. - Answer✔️✔️-ANS: B
Prescriptive privileges are granted to master's-prepared nurse practitioners
who have taken special courses on prescribing medication. The nurse
prepared at the basic level performs mental health assessments, establishes
relationships, and provides individualized care planning. Note that this
question was also offered for Chapter 1.
Page 1 of 35
,©SOPHIABENNETT@2024-2025 Sunday, August 18, 2024 6:00 PM
A newly admitted patient diagnosed with major depression has gained 20
pounds over a few months and has suicidal ideation. The patient has taken
an antidepressant medication for 1 week without remission of symptoms.
Select the priority nursing diagnosis.
a. Imbalanced nutrition: more than body requirements
b. Chronic low self-esteem
c. Risk for suicide
d. Hopelessness - Answer✔️✔️-ANS: C
Risk for suicide is the priority diagnosis when the patient has both suicidal
ideation and a plan to carry out the suicidal intent. Imbalanced nutrition,
hopelessness, and chronic low self-esteem may be applicable nursing
diagnoses, but these problems do not affect patient safety as urgently as
would a suicide attempt.
A patient diagnosed with major depression has lost 20 pounds in one
month, has chronic low self-esteem, and a plan for suicide. The patient has
taken an antidepressant medication for 1 week. Which nursing intervention
has the highest priority?
Page 2 of 35
,©SOPHIABENNETT@2024-2025 Sunday, August 18, 2024 6:00 PM
a. Implement suicide precautions.
b. Offer high-calorie snacks and fluids frequently.
c. Assist the patient to identify three personal strengths.
d. Observe patient for therapeutic effects of antidepressant medication. -
Answer✔️✔️-ANS: A
Implementing suicide precautions is the only option related to patient
safety. The other options, related to nutrition, self-esteem, and medication
therapy, are important but are not priorities.
The desired outcome for a patient experiencing insomnia is, "Patient will
sleep for a minimum of 5 hours nightly within 7 days." At the end of 7
days, review of sleep data shows the patient sleeps an average of 4 hours
nightly and takes a 2-hour afternoon nap. The nurse will document the
outcome as:
a. consistently demonstrated.
b. often demonstrated.
c. sometimes demonstrated.
Page 3 of 35
, ©SOPHIABENNETT@2024-2025 Sunday, August 18, 2024 6:00 PM
d. never demonstrated. - Answer✔️✔️-ANS: D
Although the patient is sleeping 6 hours daily, the total is not one
uninterrupted session at night. Therefore, the outcome must be evaluated
as never demonstrated. See relationship to audience response question.
The desired outcome for a patient experiencing insomnia is, "Patient will
sleep for a minimum of 5 hours nightly within 7 days." At the end of 7
days, review of sleep data shows the patient sleeps an average of 4 hours
nightly and takes a 2-hour afternoon nap. What is the nurse's next action?
a. Continue the current plan without changes.
b. Remove this nursing diagnosis from the plan of care.
c. Write a new nursing diagnosis that better reflects the problem.
d. Examine interventions for possible revision of the target date. -
Answer✔️✔️-ANS: D
Sleeping a total of 5 hours at night remains a reasonable outcome.
Extending the period for attaining the outcome may be appropriate.
Examining interventions might result in planning an activity during the
afternoon rather than permitting a nap. Continuing the current plan
Page 4 of 35
