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Quizzes > Quizzes for Business > Healthcare

Psychiatric Nursing Knowledge Assessment Quiz

Assess Your Mental Health Nursing Knowledge

Difficulty: Moderate
Questions: 20
Learning OutcomesStudy Material
Colorful paper art promoting a quiz on Psychiatric Nursing Knowledge Assessment

Ready to elevate your psychiatric nursing expertise? This psychiatric nursing quiz is designed for nursing students and professionals aiming to strengthen their mental health assessment skills through real-world scenarios. By exploring questions on psychotropic medications and patient communication, participants will sharpen clinical decision-making and boost confidence. Like the Nursing Fundamentals Knowledge Assessment and Nursing Pharmacology Knowledge Quiz, this free assessment can be freely modified using our editor. Don't wait - dive into our quizzes library and start your learning journey!

Which of the following best describes a diagnostic criterion for Major Depressive Disorder?
Periods of abnormally elevated mood lasting at least a week
Persistent depressed mood and loss of interest or pleasure for at least two weeks
Presence of delusions or hallucinations for one day
Recurring panic attacks with avoidance behavior
Major Depressive Disorder is characterized by a depressed mood and anhedonia for at least two weeks. Other options describe criteria for panic disorder, manic episodes, or brief psychotic episodes.
Which therapeutic communication technique involves restating the patient's message to confirm understanding?
Confrontation
Leading
Summarization
Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing involves restating the patient's words in the nurse's own words to ensure accurate understanding. The other techniques involve different functions in the communication process.
Which patient behavior most strongly indicates an increased risk of suicide?
Engaging in routine social activities as usual
Expressing future goals and plans
Sharing feelings openly with the nurse
Writing a goodbye letter to family and friends
Writing goodbye letters is a clear sign of planning for death and indicates high suicide risk. The other behaviors do not directly suggest suicidal intent.
Which side effect is most commonly associated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)?
Sexual dysfunction
Tardive dyskinesia
Acute dystonia
Orthostatic hypotension
SSRIs commonly cause sexual dysfunction due to their effect on serotonin pathways. Tardive dyskinesia and acute dystonia are antipsychotic side effects, and orthostatic hypotension is more common with tricyclics.
During a mental status exam, which component is assessed when asking a patient their current location?
Memory
Orientation
Judgment
Insight
Asking for current location assesses orientation to place. Insight refers to awareness of illness, judgment to decision-making, and memory to recall abilities.
Which of the following is required to diagnose a manic episode as seen in Bipolar I Disorder?
Recurrent panic attacks over a month
Persistent auditory hallucinations without mood disturbance
Depressed mood and loss of interest for two weeks
A distinct period of abnormally elevated or irritable mood lasting at least one week
A manic episode in Bipolar I requires at least one week of elevated or irritable mood. Depressed mood for two weeks defines major depression, and other options describe different disorders.
In therapeutic communication, which response most effectively conveys empathy to a patient who expresses frustration?
"I can see that you're feeling frustrated; tell me more about what's bothering you."
"Why do you feel frustrated?"
"You shouldn't feel that way."
"Let's move on to another topic."
Expressing understanding of the patient's feelings and inviting them to elaborate demonstrates empathy. The other options either challenge, dismiss, or redirect the patient.
A patient is pacing and clenching their fists in the psychiatric unit. Which behavior most indicates a risk for potential violence?
Sitting quietly with hands folded
Speaking in a soft, monotone voice
Maintaining intermittent eye contact
Clenching fists and glaring at staff
Clenched fists and glaring are clear indicators of readiness to engage in aggression. The other behaviors do not convey an immediate threat of violence.
A patient taking an MAOI eats aged cheese and develops a sudden severe headache and hypertension. Which reaction is this?
Serotonin syndrome
Agranulocytosis
Hypertensive crisis
Neuroleptic malignant syndrome
MAOIs inhibit tyramine metabolism, and ingestion of tyramine-rich foods can precipitate a hypertensive crisis. Serotonin syndrome and neuroleptic malignant syndrome have different etiologies.
Which question is most appropriate to assess a patient's recent memory during a mental status examination?
"Can you recall three unrelated words I give you after a few minutes?"
"Do you know why you are in the hospital?"
"What is your date of birth?"
"Who is the president of the United States?"
Asking the patient to recall words after a delay directly tests recent memory. Date of birth and personal history test remote memory, and orientation questions test different functions.
A patient experiencing an acute panic attack is hyperventilating and reporting chest tightness. Which initial intervention should the nurse perform?
Administer a high dose of benzodiazepine immediately
Tell the patient they have nothing to worry about
Remain silent until the patient calms down
Guide the patient through slow, deep breathing exercises
Teaching slow, deep breathing helps reduce hyperventilation and anxiety. Immediate high-dose medication and dismissive or silent approaches are not first-line interventions.
Which duration of excessive worry and anxiety is required for a diagnosis of Generalized Anxiety Disorder?
Two weeks or more
Occasional panic attacks
One day per week for a month
Six months or more
Generalized Anxiety Disorder requires excessive anxiety and worry occurring more days than not for at least six months. Shorter durations or isolated panic attacks do not meet criteria.
Which of the following signs is most characteristic of lithium toxicity?
Increased libido
Photosensitivity
Akathisia
Coarse tremor
A coarse tremor is an early sign of lithium toxicity. Akathisia is an extrapyramidal symptom, photosensitivity relates to some antipsychotics, and libido changes are not toxicity signs.
Auditory hallucinations in a patient with schizophrenia are an example of which type of symptom?
Affective symptom
Cognitive symptom
Positive symptom
Negative symptom
Positive symptoms are additions to normal experience, such as hallucinations. Negative symptoms involve deficits like flat affect, while cognitive and affective symptoms refer to thinking and mood disturbances.
Which thought process disturbance is characterized by speech that jumps rapidly from one topic to another?
Circumstantiality
Flight of ideas
Thought blocking
Perseveration
Flight of ideas involves rapid topic changes often seen in mania. Circumstantiality includes overinclusion of details, thought blocking is abrupt stopping of speech, and perseveration is repetition.
Which finding helps differentiate schizoaffective disorder from major depressive disorder with psychotic features?
Improvement of psychosis with mood stabilization
Onset of mood symptoms after age 60
Psychotic symptoms occurring exclusively during depressed episodes
Presence of psychotic symptoms for at least two weeks without any mood symptoms
Schizoaffective disorder requires a period of psychosis in the absence of mood symptoms. If psychosis occurs only with mood disturbances, it indicates a mood disorder with psychotic features.
Which nonverbal therapeutic communication technique is demonstrated when a nurse maintains an open posture, leans forward slightly, and nods while the patient speaks?
Active listening
Reflecting
Confrontation
Interpreting
Maintaining open posture, leaning forward, and nodding are nonverbal cues of active listening. Reflecting and interpreting are verbal techniques, and confrontation challenges the patient.
Which combination of medications requires close monitoring due to increased lithium levels?
Lithium and multivitamins
Lithium and folic acid
Lithium and hydrochlorothiazide
Lithium and vitamin D
Thiazide diuretics like hydrochlorothiazide reduce renal lithium clearance, increasing toxicity risk. Folic acid, vitamin D, and multivitamins do not significantly affect lithium levels.
A patient enters the emergency department threatening harm to others with a weapon. What is the nurse's first priority intervention?
Attempt to verbally de-escalate alone without help
Physically disarm the patient immediately
Ensure personal and unit safety by calling for assistance and maintaining distance
Immediately sedate the patient with high-dose antipsychotic
Safety of staff and others is the top priority; calling for assistance and keeping distance is the first step. De-escalation alone or immediate sedation may be secondary once safety is ensured.
Which assessment in the mental status examination evaluates a patient's abstract thinking?
Assessing the ability to count from one to twenty
Having the patient list the days of the week
Asking the patient to recite the months of the year backwards
Asking the patient to interpret a proverb such as 'People in the same boat sink or swim together'
Abstract thinking is assessed by interpreting proverbs or metaphors. Reciting months backward tests concentration, listing days tests orientation, and counting tests attention.
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Learning Outcomes

  1. Identify common psychiatric disorders and their diagnostic criteria.
  2. Apply therapeutic communication techniques in patient scenarios.
  3. Analyze behavioral symptoms to assess patient risk factors.
  4. Evaluate psychotropic medication side effects and interactions.
  5. Demonstrate knowledge of mental status examination components.
  6. Master crisis intervention strategies for psychiatric emergencies.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Diagnostic Criteria - Dive into the DSM-5 guidelines for depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia to become a symptom-detective extraordinaire. Mastering these checklists means you'll spot red flags faster than a speeding stethoscope. Psychiatric Disorders: Common Types and Symptoms
  2. Therapeutic Communication - Level up your people skills with active listening, genuine empathy, and magic nonverbal cues that say "I've got your back." When patients feel heard, they open up - and that's where the real healing begins. 30 Top Therapeutic Communication Techniques in Nursing
  3. Behavioral Symptom Analysis - Become a behavioral Sherlock by identifying signs of self-harm, aggression, or withdrawal. Spotting these patterns early helps you craft care plans that keep everyone safe and supported. Psychiatric Disorders: Common Types and Symptoms
  4. Psychotropic Medication Know-How - Get the lowdown on antidepressants, antipsychotics, and their possible side effects so you can guide patients through medication management like a pro. Safe dosing and drug-interaction checks are your best friends. Psychiatric Disorders: Common Types and Symptoms
  5. Mental Status Examinations - Practice assessing appearance, mood, thought processes, and cognition with confidence. A thorough mental status exam is your all-access pass to understanding a patient's inner world. Psychiatric Disorders: Common Types and Symptoms
  6. Crisis Intervention Strategies - Arm yourself with de-escalation techniques, safety planning, and emergency protocols to tackle psychiatric crises head-on. When things heat up, you'll stay cool, calm, and collected. 30 Top Therapeutic Communication Techniques in Nursing
  7. Cultural Competence - Learn to respect and adapt to diverse cultural backgrounds so every patient feels understood and valued. A culturally savvy nurse builds stronger bonds and better outcomes. 30 Top Therapeutic Communication Techniques in Nursing
  8. Legal & Ethical Essentials - Stay on the right side of patient rights, confidentiality, and informed consent to keep your practice above board. Ethical know-how protects both you and those you care for. Psychiatric Disorders: Common Types and Symptoms
  9. Interdisciplinary Teamwork - Discover how psychologists, social workers, and occupational therapists join forces with nurses to deliver 360° care. Teamwork makes the healing dream work! 30 Top Therapeutic Communication Techniques in Nursing
  10. Evidence-Based Best Practices - Keep your skills sharp by studying the latest research and proven interventions in psychiatric nursing. Continuous learning is your ticket to top-tier care and career success. 30 Top Therapeutic Communication Techniques in Nursing
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