LPN Psychosocial Integrity 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An older adult patient with dementia becomes agitated every evening around dusk. The nurse recognizes this as:
- Sundowning syndrome (Correct answer)
- Confabulation
- Perseveration
- Tangentiality
Correct answer: Sundowning syndrome
Sundowning is increased confusion and agitation in dementia patients occurring in the late afternoon or evening hours.
Question 2: A patient states, 'I feel like I'm watching myself from across the room.' The LPN recognizes this as:
- Depersonalization (Correct answer)
- Hallucination
- Derealization
- Illusion
Correct answer: Depersonalization
Depersonalization is the feeling of being detached from or an outside observer of one's own thoughts, feelings, or body.
Question 3: Which therapeutic communication technique is the LPN using when asking, 'What do you think is causing you to feel this way?'
- Exploring (Correct answer)
- Clarifying
- Reflecting
- Summarizing
Correct answer: Exploring
Exploring encourages the patient to examine their own thoughts more deeply, promoting insight.
Question 4: A patient with anorexia nervosa refuses to eat, saying, 'I look fat even though everyone says I don't.' This distorted body image is best described as:
- A cognitive distortion (Correct answer)
- A hallucination
- An obsession
- A delusion of reference
Correct answer: A cognitive distortion
Distorted body image in anorexia is a cognitive distortion where perception of one's body does not match reality.
Question 5: A patient recovering from alcohol use disorder says, 'One drink won't hurt.' The LPN recognizes this as which defense mechanism?
- Rationalization (Correct answer)
- Projection
- Sublimation
- Reaction formation
Correct answer: Rationalization
Rationalization involves creating logical-sounding justifications for behaviors driven by other, less acceptable motives.
Question 6: Which action by the LPN best supports a patient's self-esteem during a depressive episode?
- Assign simple, achievable tasks and offer genuine praise for completion (Correct answer)
- Encourage the patient to socialize with others immediately
- Avoid discussing the depression to prevent reinforcing negative thoughts
- Tell the patient to focus on positive things in their life
Correct answer: Assign simple, achievable tasks and offer genuine praise for completion
Small successes build confidence and self-efficacy, which are impaired during depression.
Question 7: A suicidal patient is on 1:1 observation. The patient asks the LPN to use the restroom privately. The LPN should:
- Accompany the patient to the restroom and maintain observation per protocol (Correct answer)
- Allow brief privacy as a show of trust
- Ask the charge nurse to grant an exception
- Notify the physician before making any decision
Correct answer: Accompany the patient to the restroom and maintain observation per protocol
1:1 observation means continuous line-of-sight contact; no exceptions should be made regardless of the patient's request.
LPN Psychosocial Integrity 3
An older adult patient with dementia becomes agitated every evening around dusk.
The nurse recognizes this as: