Free Mental Health Nursing Questions and Answers â Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which nursing intervention should be prioritized when a client with generalized anxiety disorder values their mood at 3/10, their anxiety at 8/10, and says, "I'm thinking about suicide."
- Ask the patient, âDo you have a plan to commit suicide?â (Correct answer)
- Call the physician to obtain a PRN order for an anxiolytic medication.
- Encourage the patient to participate in group activities
- Teach the client relaxation techniques.
Correct answer: Ask the patient, âDo you have a plan to commit suicide?â
To intervene quickly, it is critical for the nurse to inquire with the patient about any potential suicide plans. Patients who have made intentions to commit suicide run a larger danger than others who may only have hazy suicidal thoughts.
Question 2: Which educational requirement is crucial when buspirone (BuSpar) 5 mg tid is first prescribed to a patient?
- Encourage the patient to monitor for signs and symptoms of anxiety to determine need for additional buspirone (BuSpar) PRN.
- Encourage the patient to be compliant with monthly lab tests to monitor for medication toxicity.
- Encourage the patient to avoid drinking alcohol while taking this medication because of the additive central nervous system depressant effects.
- Encourage the patient to take the medication continually as prescribed because onset of action is delayed 2 to 3 weeks. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Encourage the patient to take the medication continually as prescribed because onset of action is delayed 2 to 3 weeks.
Unlike benzodiazepines, which depress the central nervous system, buspirone (BuSpar) is an anti-anxiety drug. The drug's exact mechanism of action is unknown, however it is thought to interact with serotonin, dopamine, and other neurotransmitter receptors to achieve the intended effects. It is crucial to inform the client that buspirone (BuSpar) takes 2â3 weeks to start working. Because of the benzodiazepine's early beginning of action, the nurse may frequently observe the prescription of clonazepam before the buspirone starts to take effect.
Question 3: In the mental health clinic, a nurse is evaluating a client. The client has a lengthy history of being an introvert with few close friends. Schizophrenia has been identified as the father of this client. What stage of schizophrenia does the nurse think this client is experiencing?
- Phase IVâresidual phase
- Phase IIIâschizophrenia.
- Phase IIâprodromal phase.
- Phase Iâschizoid personality. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Phase Iâschizoid personality.
Schizoid personality disorder is frequently found in loners who present as cold , distant and uninterested in social interactions. Although not everyone who exhibits the symptoms of schizoid personality disorder develops into schizophrenia, this client's chance for developing the illness rises from 1% in the general population to 10% as a result of a family history of the condition.
Question 4: The nurse is evaluating a patient with schizophrenia who is disorganized. Which signs should the nurse anticipate the patient displaying?
- The patient is exhibiting delusions of persecution or grandeur. Auditory hallucinations related to a persecutory theme are present. The client is tense, suspicious, and guarded, and may be argumentative, hostile, and aggressive.
- The patient has a history of active psychotic symptoms, but prominent psychotic symptoms are currently not exhibited.
- Markedly regressive, primitive behavior, and extremely poor contact with reality. Affect is flat or grossly inappropriate. Personal appearance is neglected, and social impairment is extreme. (Correct answer)
- Marked abnormalities in motor behavior manifested in extreme psychomotor retardation with pronounced decreases in spontaneous movements and activity. Waxy flexibility is exhibited.
Correct answer: Markedly regressive, primitive behavior, and extremely poor contact with reality. Affect is flat or grossly inappropriate. Personal appearance is neglected, and social impairment is extreme.
A patient is most likely to be diagnosed with disorganized schizophrenia if they display clearly regressive and primitive conduct and have very little interaction with reality. A client's affect is flat or blatantly wrong in this subcategory. Social impairment is severe, and personal hygiene is disregarded.
Question 5: An admission assessment is being done by the nurse on a patient who has paranoid schizophrenia. Which should the nurse take into account in order to get the most accurate evaluation information?
- Much data will need to be gained by reviewing old records and talking with family members and significant others. (Correct answer)
- Assessment of this client will be simple because of the commonly occurring nature of the disease process of schizophrenia.
- The nurse will refer to the clientâs global assessment of functioning score to determine client problems and nursing interventions.
- This client will be able to make a significant contribution to history data collection.
Correct answer: Much data will need to be gained by reviewing old records and talking with family members and significant others.
Information for a background check must be acquired from a variety of sources, such as relatives and old documents. Due to communication and thinking deficiencies, a client experiencing an acute episode would be unable to provide accurate and insightful assessment data.
Question 6: A patient who has been diagnosed with a thinking disorder and is taking clozapine (Clozaril) 25 mg QD is having his or her lab results reviewed by the nurse. RBC 4.7 million/mcL, WBC 2000/mcL, and TSH 1.3 mc-IU levels are recorded. Considering these values, which would the nurse anticipate the doctor to prescribe?
- âFerrous sulfate (Feosol) 100 mg tid.â
- âDiscontinue clozapine (Clozaril).â (Correct answer)
- âDiscontinue clozapine (Clozaril) and start levothyroxine sodium (Synthroid) 150 mcg QD.â
- âLevothyroxine sodium (Synthroid) 150 mcg QD.â
Correct answer: âDiscontinue clozapine (Clozaril).â
White blood cell (WBC) counts in adults should range between 4500 to 10,000/mcL. The WBC count for this patient is 2000/mcL, which denotes agranulocytosis, a potentially lethal blood condition. Therapy with the antipsychotic drug clozapine (Clozaril) carries a substantial risk for agranulocytosis. The nurse would anticipate that the doctor will stop prescribing clozapine (Clozaril).
Question 7: The patient has had schizophrenia for a very long time, and it has been treated with haloperidol (Haldol). The nurse observes persistent restlessness and fidgeting during an entrance exam brought on by a worsening of the condition. Which drug would the nurse anticipate the doctor to recommend for this patient?
- Fluphenazine decanoate (Prolixin Decanoate).
- Clozapine (Clozaril).
- Benztropine mesylate (Cogentin) (Correct answer)
- Haloperidol (Haldol).
Correct answer: Benztropine mesylate (Cogentin)
An anticholinergic drug called benztropine mesylate (Cogentin) is used to treat extrapyramidal symptoms like akathisia. The client's complaints of restlessness and fidgeting would lead the nurse to anticipate that the doctor would prescribe this medication.
Free Mental Health Nursing Questions and Answers
Which nursing intervention should be prioritized when a client with generalized anxiety disorder values their mood at 3/10, their anxiety at 8/10, and says, "I'm thinking about suicide."