Halter: Varcarolis’ Foundations of Psychiatric
Mental Health Nursing: A Clinical Approach, 8th
Edition Test Bank
Chapter /01: /Mental /Health /and /Mental /Illness
Halter: /Varcarolis’ /Foundations /of /Psychiatric /Mental /Health /Nursing: /A
/Clinical/Approach, /8th /Edition
MULTIPLE /CHOICE
1. A /staff /nurse /completes /orientation /to /a /psychiatric /unit. /This /nurse /may /expect /an
/advanced/practice /nurse /to /perform /which /additional /intervention? /a. Conduct /mental
/health /assessments.
b. Prescribe /psychotropic /medication.
c. Establish /therapeutic /relationships.
d. Individualize /nursing /care /plans.
ANS: /B
In /most /states, /prescriptive /privileges /are /granted /to /master‘s-prepared /nurse /practitioners
/and/clinical /nurse /specialists /who /have /taken /special /courses /on /prescribing /medication. /The
/nurse/prepared /at /the /basic /level /is /permitted /to /perform /mental /health /assessments, /establish
/relationships, /and /provide /individualized /care /planning.
PTS: /1 /DIF: /Cognitive /Level: /Understand /(Comprehension) /REF: /Page /1-23
/TOP:/Nursing /Process: /Implementation
MSC: /Client /Needs: /Safe, /Effective /Care /Environment
2. A /nursing /student /expresses /concerns /that /mental /health /nurses /―lose /all /their /clinical
/nursing/skills.‖ /Select /the /best /response /by /the /mental /health /nurse.
a. ―Psychiatric /nurses /practice /in /safer /environments /than /other /specialties. /Nurse-to-
patient/ratios /must /be /better /because /of /the /nature /of /the /patients‘ /problems.‖
b. ―Psychiatric /nurses /use /complex /communication /skills /as /well /as /critical /thinking /to
/solve/multidimensional /problems. /I /am /challenged /by /those /situations.‖
c. ―That‘s /a /misconception. /Psychiatric /nurses /frequently /use /high /technology
/monitoring/equipment /and /manage /complex /intravenous /therapies.‖
d. ―Psychiatric /nurses /do /not /have /to /deal /with /as /much /pain /and /suffering /as
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, /medical–/surgical /nurses /do. /That /appeals /to /me.‖
ANS: /B
The /practice /of /psychiatric /nursing /requires /a /different /set /of /skills /than /medical–surgical
/nursing, /though /there /is /substantial /overlap. /Psychiatric /nurses /must /be /able /to /help
/patients /with /medical /as /well /as /mental /health /problems, /reflecting /the /holistic
/perspective /these /nurses /must /have. /Nurse–patient /ratios /and /workloads /in /psychiatric
/settings /have /increased,/just /like /other /specialties. /Psychiatric /nursing /involves /clinical
/practice, /not /just /documentation. /Psychosocial /pain /and /suffering /are /as /real /as /physical
/pain /and /suffering.
PTS: /1 DIF: /Cognitive /Level: /Apply /(Application)
REF: /Pages /1-2, /21 TOP: /Nursing /Process:
/Implementation/MSC: /Client /Needs: /Safe, /Effective /Care /Environment
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, 3. When /a /new /bill /introduced /in /Congress /reduces /funding /for /care /of /persons /diagnosed
/with /mental /illness, /a /group /of /nurses /write /letters /to /their /elected /representatives /in
/opposition /to/the /legislation. /Which /role /have /the /nurses /fulfilled?
a. Recovery
b. Attending
c. Advocacy
d. Evidence-based /practice
ANS: /C
An /advocate /defends /or /asserts /another‘s /cause, /particularly /when /the /other /person /lacks
/the /ability /to /do /that /for /self. /Examples /of /individual /advocacy /include /helping /patients
/understand /their /rights /or /make /decisions. /On /a /community /scale, /advocacy /includes
/political/activity, /public /speaking, /and /publication /in /the /interest /of /improving /the /human
/condition.
Since /funding /is /necessary /to /deliver /quality /programming /for /persons /with /mental /illness,
/the/letter-writing /campaign /advocates /for /that /cause /on /behalf /of /patients /who /are /unable
/to /articulate /their /own /needs.
PTS: /1 /DIF: /Cognitive /Level: /Understand /(Comprehension) /REF: /Page /1-26
/TOP:/Nursing /Process: /Evaluation
MSC: /Client /Needs: /Safe, /Effective /Care /Environment
4. A /family /has /a /long /history /of /conflicted /relationships /among /the /members. /Which
/family/member‘s /comment /best /reflects /a /mentally /healthy /perspective?
a. ―I‘ve /made /mistakes /but /everyone /else /in /this /family /has /also.‖
b. ―I /remember /joy /and /mutual /respect /from /our /early /years /together.‖
c. ―I /will /make /some /changes /in /my /behavior /for /the /good /of /the /family.‖
d. ―It‘s /best /for /me /to /move /away /from /my /family. /Things /will /never /change.‖
ANS: /C
The /correct /response /demonstrates /the /best /evidence /of /a /healthy /recognition /of /the
/importance /of /relationships. /Mental /health /includes /rational /thinking, /communication
/skills, /learning, /emotional /growth, /resilience, /and /self-esteem. /Recalling /joy /from /earlier
/in /life /may/be /healthy, /but /the /correct /response /shows /a /higher /level /of /mental /health. /The
/other /incorrect/responses /show /blaming /and /avoidance.
PTS: /1 DIF: /Cognitive /Level: /Analyze /(Analysis)
REF: /Pages /1-2, /3, /32 /(Figure /1-1) TOP: / Nursing / Process: / Assessment
/ MSC:/Client /Needs: /Psychosocial /Integrity
5. Which /assessment /finding /most /clearly /indicates /that /a /patient /may /be /experiencing /a
/mental/illness? /The /patient
a. reports /occasional /sleeplessness /and /anxiety.
b. reports /a /consistently /sad, /discouraged, /and /hopeless /mood.
c. is /able /to /describe /the /difference /between /―as /if‖ /and /―for /real.‖
d. perceives /difficulty /making /a /decision /about /whether /to /change /jobs.
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, ANS: /B
The /correct /response /describes /a /mood /alteration, /which /reflects /mental /illness. /The
/distracters /describe /behaviors /that /are /mentally /healthy /or /within /the /usual /scope /of
/human/experience.
PTS: /1 DIF: /Cognitive /Level: /Apply /(Application)
REF: /Pages /1-2 /to /4 TOP: /Nursing /Process:
/Assessment/MSC: /Client /Needs: /Psychosocial /Integrity
6. Which /finding /best /indicates /that /the /goal /“Demonstrate /mentally /healthy /behavior‖
/was/achieved /for /an /adult /patient? /The /patient
a. sees /self /as /capable /of /achieving /ideals /and /meeting /demands.
b. behaves /without /considering /the /consequences /of /personal /actions.
c. aggressively /meets /own /needs /without /considering /the /rights /of /others.
d. seeks /help /from /others /when /assuming /responsibility /for /major /areas /of /own /life.
ANS: /A
The /correct /response /describes /an /adaptive, /healthy /behavior. /The /distracters
/describe/maladaptive /behaviors.
PTS: /1 DIF: /Cognitive /Level: /Apply /(Application)
REF: /Pages /1-2 /to /4 TOP: /Nursing /Process:
/Evaluation/MSC: /Client /Needs: /Psychosocial /Integrity
7. A /nurse / encounters / an /unfamiliar /psychiatric / disorder / on /a /new / patient‘s / admission / form.
/Which /resource /should /the /nurse /consult /to /determine /criteria /used /to /establish /this
/diagnosis? /a.
International /Statistical /Classification /of /Diseases /and /Related /Health
/Problems/(ICD-10)
b. The /ANA‟s /Psychiatric-Mental /Health /Nursing /Scope /and /Standards /of /Practice
c. Diagnostic /and /Statistical /Manual /of /Mental /Disorders /(DSM-V)
d. A /behavioral /health /reference /manual
ANS: /C
The /DSM-V /gives /the /criteria /used /to /diagnose /each /mental /disorder. /It /is /the /official
/guideline/for /diagnosing /psychiatric /disorders. /The /distracters /may /not /contain /diagnostic
/criteria /for /a /psychiatric /illness.
PTS: /1 DIF: /Cognitive /Level: /Apply /(Application)
REF: /Pages /1-18, /19 TOP: /Nursing /Process:
/Assessment/MSC: /Client /Needs: /Safe, /Effective /Care /Environment
8. A /nurse /wants /to /find /a /description /of /diagnostic /criteria /for /anxiety /disorders. /Which
/resource/would /have /the /most /complete /information?
a. Nursing /Outcomes /Classification /(NOC)
b. DSM-V
c. The /ANA‟s /Psychiatric-Mental /Health /Nursing /Scope /and /Standards /of /Practice /d. /ICD-10
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