Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing Flashcards
7 cards from real RPN practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing flashcards as text
A client with schizophrenia reports hearing voices telling them to harm others. What is the nurse's priority intervention?
Answer: Ensure the safety of the client and others by following facility protocols
Safety is always the priority; the nurse must protect the client and others according to established facility protocols when a client discloses command hallucinations with violent content.
Which therapeutic communication technique involves restating the client's words in the nurse's own words to confirm understanding?
Answer: Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing is restating the client's message in the nurse's own words to check understanding, while reflection mirrors the client's emotional tone.
A client with major depressive disorder states, 'There is no point in anything anymore.' Which nursing response is most therapeutic?
Answer: 'It sounds like you are feeling hopeless. Can you tell me more?'
Acknowledging the client's feeling and inviting them to elaborate demonstrates empathy and opens therapeutic dialogue without minimizing or redirecting.
Which defense mechanism is a client using when they say, 'My coworker is the one who is always angry, not me'?
Answer: Projection
Projection involves attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or impulses onto another person.
Which screening tool is most commonly used by nurses to assess for depression in adult clients?
Answer: PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9)
The PHQ-9 is a validated nine-item tool widely used to screen for and monitor the severity of depression in adults.
A nurse is caring for a client with bipolar disorder who is in a manic phase. Which nursing intervention is the priority?
Answer: Provide a calm, low-stimulation environment and ensure adequate rest
During a manic episode, reducing stimulation and ensuring rest and safety are priorities because clients are at risk for exhaustion, injury, and impaired judgment.
A client with generalized anxiety disorder is taught diaphragmatic breathing. What is the primary goal of this technique?
Answer: Activate the parasympathetic nervous system to reduce physiological arousal
Diaphragmatic (slow, deep) breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, counteracting the fight-or-flight response and reducing physical anxiety symptoms.
How this page was made: written with AI tools and published by Nathan Beja, founder of Practice Test Geeks, who is responsible for its content. Exam facts are checked against the official sources listed below. Not reviewed by a subject-matter expert. Editorial policy
Sources & references
Exam facts on this page (fees, format, dates, passing scores) are checked against these official sources; the date is our last check. Editorial policy