2025 Exam 1 Comprehensive Review – Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Practice with 60 Questions with Detailed Rationales

• Comprehensive review for psychiatric and mental health nursing
• 60 practice questions with detailed rationales
• Designed for nursing students preparing for 2025 exams
• Enhances understanding of mental health concepts
• Supports critical thinking for exam success

Preview

A patient tells the nurse, “I don’t think I’ll ever get out of here.” Select the nurse’s most
therapeutic response.
a. “Don’t talk that way. Of course you will leave here!”
b. “Keep up the good work, and you certainly will.”
c. “You don’t think you’re making progress?”
d. “Everyone feels that way sometimes.” – – correct ans- -ANS: C
By asking if the patient does not believe that progress has been made, the nurse is reflecting by
putting into words what the patient is hinting. By making communication more explicit, issues
are easier to identify and resolve. The remaining options are nontherapeutic techniques. Telling
the patient not to “talk that way” is disapproving. Saying that everyone feels that way at times
minimizes feelings. Telling the patient that good work will always result in success is falsely
reassuring.
Documentation in a patient’s chart shows, “Throughout a 5-minute interaction, patient fidgeted
and tapped left foot, periodically covered face with hands, and looked under chair while stating,
‘I enjoy spending time with you.'” Which analysis is most accurate?
a. The patient is giving positive feedback about the nurse’s communication techniques.
b. The nurse is viewing the patient’s behavior through a cultural filter.
c. The patient’s verbal and nonverbal messages are incongruent.
d. The patient is demonstrating psychotic behaviors. – – correct ans- -ANS: C
When a verbal message is not reinforced with nonverbal behavior, the message is confusing and
incongruent. Some clinicians call it a “mixed message.” It is inaccurate to say that the patient is
giving positive feedback about the nurse’s communication techniques. The concept of a cultural
f
ilter is not relevant to the situation because a cultural filter determines what we will pay
attention to and what we will ignore. Data are insufficient to draw the conclusion that the
patient is demonstrating psychotic behaviors.
While talking with a patient diagnosed with major depression, a nurse notices the patient is
unable to maintain eye contact. The patient’s chin lowers to the chest, while the patient looks at
the floor. Which aspect of communication has the nurse assessed? a. Nonverbal communication
b. A message filter
c. A cultural barrier
d. Social skills – – correct ans- -ANS: A
Eye contact and body movements are considered nonverbal communication. There are
insufficient data to determine the level of the patient’s social skills or whether a cultural barrier
exists.