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HESI Mental Health 2023
1. A client with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) spends several hours a day arranging and rearranging items in their room. What is the most therapeutic nursing intervention?
- A. Distract the client with another activity.
- B. Allow the client to continue the behavior.
- C. Set a time limit for the behavior.
- D. Encourage the client to verbalize their feelings.
Correct answer: D
Rationale: Encouraging the client to verbalize their feelings is the most therapeutic intervention for a client with OCD spending excessive time on compulsive behaviors. By expressing their feelings, the client can explore the underlying anxiety that drives the compulsion. This intervention also provides an opportunity for the nurse to offer support and help the client develop coping strategies.\n Choice A, distracting the client with another activity, may provide temporary relief but does not address the root cause of the behavior.\n Choice B, allowing the client to continue the behavior, does not promote therapeutic progress and may perpetuate the compulsion.\n Choice C, setting a time limit for the behavior, may create additional stress for the client and does not address the underlying emotional issues associated with OCD.
2. A client with borderline personality disorder tells the nurse, 'You're the only one who understands me. The other nurses don't care about me.' Which response by the nurse is most appropriate?
- A. Why do you feel that way about the other nurses?
- B. The other nurses care about you too.
- C. I am here to help you just like the other nurses.
- D. Let's talk about why you feel this way.
Correct answer: C
Rationale: The most appropriate response is 'I am here to help you just like the other nurses' (C). This response sets boundaries and avoids reinforcing the client's splitting behavior, which is common in borderline personality disorder. Choices A and D may unintentionally reinforce the splitting by focusing on the negative perception of other nurses. Choice B might be perceived as dismissive because it contradicts the client's feelings of being understood only by the nurse.
3. On admission to a residential care facility, an elderly female client tells the nurse that she enjoys cooking, quilting, and watching television. Twenty-four hours after admission, the nurse notes that the client is withdrawn and isolated. It is best for the nurse to encourage this client to become involved in which activity?
- A. Clean the unit kitchen cabinets.
- B. Participate in a group quilting project.
- C. Watch television in the activity room.
- D. Bake a cake for a resident's birthday.
Correct answer: B
Rationale: Peer interaction in a group activity (B) such as participating in a group quilting project will help to prevent social isolation and withdrawal. This will provide the elderly client with an opportunity to engage with others, share experiences, and feel a sense of belonging. Choices (A, C, and D) are activities that can be accomplished alone, without peer interaction, which may not effectively address the client's feelings of withdrawal and isolation.
4. An elderly client was prescribed Ativan 1 mg three times a day to help calm her anxiety after her husband's death. The next day the client calls her daughter asking when she is picking her up to go to the graveside. The client says she has been walking up and down the driveway for the past hour waiting for her daughter. Noting the client's agitation, hyperactivity, and insistence, the daughter calls the nurse to report her mother's behavior. What should the nurse suspect?
- A. The client is manic and may need a sleeping pill
- B. The client is experiencing a medication interaction and should go to the ED
- C. The client is experiencing a paradoxical reaction to the Ativan and should stop the new medication immediately
- D. The client is overcome by grief and probably needs an antidepressant
Correct answer: C
Rationale: A paradoxical reaction to Ativan, where the drug causes opposite effects such as increased agitation and hyperactivity, should prompt immediate cessation of the medication. In this scenario, the client was prescribed Ativan to help calm her anxiety, but instead, she is displaying symptoms of increased agitation and hyperactivity, indicating a paradoxical reaction. Choice A is incorrect because the symptoms described do not align with mania. Choice B is incorrect as there is no mention of a medication interaction. Choice D is incorrect as the symptoms are more indicative of a paradoxical reaction rather than overwhelming grief.
5. A client with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) repeatedly washes her hands throughout the day. What is the most therapeutic nursing intervention?
- A. Allow the client to continue the behavior to reduce anxiety.
- B. Encourage the client to talk about the underlying fears.
- C. Restrict the client's access to soap and water.
- D. Schedule a time for the client to perform the ritual.
Correct answer: B
Rationale: Encouraging the client to talk about the underlying fears is the most therapeutic nursing intervention for a client with OCD who repeatedly washes her hands. By discussing the fears, the client can gain insight into the behavior and work towards reducing the compulsion. Choice A is incorrect as allowing the client to continue the behavior can perpetuate the OCD symptoms. Choice C is incorrect as restricting access to soap and water can lead to increased anxiety and distress. Choice D is incorrect as scheduling a time for the client to perform the ritual does not address the underlying fears driving the behavior.
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