HESI LPN
HESI Mental Health Practice Exam
1. A nurse is caring for a client who is experiencing severe anxiety. Which intervention is most appropriate for the nurse to implement?
- A. Instruct the client to take deep breaths and focus on the present.
- B. Encourage the client to discuss their fears in detail.
- C. Distract the client with a humorous story or anecdote.
- D. Leave the client alone to process their emotions.
Correct answer: A
Rationale: The correct intervention for a client experiencing severe anxiety is to instruct the client to take deep breaths and focus on the present. Deep breathing can help reduce the physiological symptoms of anxiety and provide the client with a way to regain control over their emotions. Choice B is incorrect as discussing fears in detail may escalate anxiety levels. Choice C is inappropriate as distracting the client may not address the root cause of anxiety. Choice D is not recommended as leaving the client alone can increase feelings of isolation and distress.
2. Which of the following strategies is most effective in promoting breastfeeding in a community?
- A. Providing formula samples
- B. Offering breastfeeding education and support
- C. Encouraging early weaning
- D. Promoting bottle feeding
Correct answer: B
Rationale: The most effective strategy in promoting breastfeeding in a community is offering breastfeeding education and support. This helps mothers learn about the benefits of breastfeeding, gain confidence in their ability to breastfeed, and receive necessary support to overcome challenges. Providing formula samples (Choice A) can undermine breastfeeding efforts by promoting formula feeding over breastfeeding. Encouraging early weaning (Choice C) goes against the recommendation of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life. Promoting bottle feeding (Choice D) can deter mothers from initiating or continuing breastfeeding, leading to decreased breastfeeding rates.
3. A male client with borderline personality disorder is manipulative and consistently attempts to violate unit rules. What is the best approach for the nurse to take?
- A. Enforce unit rules consistently with all clients.
- B. Ignore the manipulative behaviors to avoid confrontation.
- C. Provide the client with special privileges to avoid conflict.
- D. Confront the client directly about his behavior.
Correct answer: A
Rationale: The correct approach for the nurse to take when dealing with a male client with borderline personality disorder who is manipulative and consistently attempts to violate unit rules is to enforce unit rules consistently with all clients. By maintaining consistency in enforcing rules, the nurse establishes clear boundaries and provides structure, which are essential for managing manipulative behavior in clients with borderline personality disorder. Ignoring the manipulative behaviors (Choice B) may lead to the reinforcement of negative behaviors. Providing the client with special privileges (Choice C) can enable further manipulation and is not recommended. Confronting the client directly about his behavior (Choice D) may escalate the situation and is less effective than consistent rule enforcement.
4. A nurse at a clinic is collecting data about pain from a client who reports severe abdominal pain. The nurse asks the client if there have been any accompanying nausea and vomiting. Which of the following pain characteristics is the nurse attempting to determine?
- A. Presence of associated manifestations.
- B. Location of the pain
- C. Pain quality
- D. Aggravating and relieving factors
Correct answer: A
Rationale: The nurse is identifying associated manifestations like nausea and vomiting that may occur with the pain. The presence of associated manifestations helps in understanding the broader clinical picture and potential causes of the pain. Location refers to where the pain is felt, pain quality describes the nature of the pain, and aggravating and relieving factors relate to what makes the pain worse or better. In this scenario, the focus is on identifying additional symptoms that can provide important diagnostic clues.
5. The client is being instructed on how to collect a clean catch urine specimen. Which sequence is appropriate for teaching?
- A. Void a little, clean the meatus, then collect specimen
- B. Clean the meatus, begin voiding, then catch urine stream
- C. Clean the meatus, then urinate into container
- D. Void continuously and catch some of the urine
Correct answer: B
Rationale: The correct sequence for obtaining a clean catch urine specimen involves first cleaning the meatus to prevent contamination, then initiating voiding to catch the midstream urine. This method ensures that the sample is as uncontaminated as possible, making choice B the correct sequence. Option A is incorrect as cleaning the meatus should be done before voiding. Option C is incorrect as it does not involve catching a midstream urine sample. Option D is incorrect as it suggests catching urine throughout the entire voiding process, which may lead to contamination.