Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing Flashcards

A client is newly prescribed phenelzine (Nardil), an MAOI. Which dietary teaching is most important?

Answer: Avoid tyramine-rich foods such as aged cheese and cured meats

MAOIs inhibit the breakdown of tyramine; consuming tyramine-rich foods can cause a hypertensive crisis, which is potentially life-threatening.

Which of the following is the therapeutic serum level for lithium carbonate in maintenance therapy?

Answer: 0.6–1.2 mEq/L

The therapeutic range for lithium maintenance is 0.6–1.2 mEq/L; levels above 1.5 mEq/L are associated with toxicity.

A client with borderline personality disorder becomes verbally aggressive when the nurse mentions a limit on phone calls. Which nursing response is most appropriate?

Answer: 'I understand you're upset. The limit remains in place, and I'm here to support you.'

Consistent, calm limit-setting while acknowledging the client's emotions is therapeutic for borderline personality disorder and prevents reinforcing splitting or manipulation.

A client taking haloperidol (Haldol) develops muscle rigidity, hyperthermia, and altered consciousness. The nurse suspects:

Answer: Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS)

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome is a rare but life-threatening reaction to antipsychotics, characterized by the classic tetrad of hyperthermia, muscle rigidity, altered consciousness, and autonomic instability.

A client with dementia becomes increasingly confused and agitated after sundown each evening. The nurse documents this as:

Answer: Sundowner's syndrome (sundowning)

Sundowning is a well-recognized pattern in dementia where confusion, agitation, and behavioral changes worsen in the late afternoon and evening.

Which symptom is classified as a POSITIVE symptom of schizophrenia?

Answer: Delusions

Positive symptoms represent an excess or distortion of normal function and include hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized speech; negative symptoms represent a loss of normal function.

A client with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) spends 3 hours each morning performing handwashing rituals. Which therapeutic approach is evidence-based first-line treatment?

Answer: Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is the gold-standard cognitive-behavioral therapy for OCD, involving gradual exposure to feared stimuli while preventing the compulsive ritual.