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HESI Mental Health Practice Exam
1. A client with schizophrenia is experiencing auditory hallucinations. What is the most appropriate nursing intervention?
- A. Encourage the client to ignore the voices.
- B. Ask the client what the voices are saying.
- C. Distract the client with a new activity.
- D. Tell the client that the voices are not real.
Correct answer: B
Rationale: Asking the client what the voices are saying is the most appropriate intervention as it helps the nurse assess the content of the hallucinations and the potential risk they may pose. Encouraging the client to ignore the voices (Choice A) may not address the underlying issue or provide valuable information for the nurse. Distracting the client with a new activity (Choice C) may temporarily divert attention but does not address the hallucinations. Telling the client that the voices are not real (Choice D) may invalidate the client's experience and can lead to distrust in the therapeutic relationship.
2. The nurse is using the CAGE questionnaire as a screening tool for a client who is seeking help because his wife said he had a drinking problem. What information should the nurse explore in depth with the client based on this screening tool?
- A. Cancer screening results, anger, gastritis, daily alcohol intake.
- B. Efforts to cut down, annoyance with questions, guilt, drinking as an 'Eye-opener.'
- C. Consumption, liver enzyme, gastrointestinal complaints and bleeding.
- D. Minimizes drinking, frequently misses family events, guilt about drinking, amount of daily intake.
Correct answer: B
Rationale: The CAGE questionnaire is used to identify problematic drinking behaviors. Choice B is correct because it includes key aspects that the nurse should explore further with the client. 'Efforts to cut down' can indicate acknowledgment of excessive drinking, 'guilt' reflects emotional distress related to drinking, and 'drinking as an 'Eye-opener'' suggests potential dependency. Choices A, C, and D are incorrect as they do not directly address the essential elements assessed by the CAGE questionnaire and may not provide relevant information for further evaluation of the client's drinking habits.
3. The charge nurse is collaborating with the nursing staff about the plan of care for a client who is very depressed. What is the most important intervention to implement during the first 48 hours after the client's admission to the unit?
- A. Monitor appetite and observe intake during meals.
- B. Maintain safety in the client's environment.
- C. Provide ongoing, supportive contact.
- D. Encourage participation in activities.
Correct answer: B
Rationale: The most critical intervention to implement during the first 48 hours after admitting a depressed client is to maintain safety (B). Depression increases the risk of suicide; hence ensuring a safe environment is the priority. While monitoring appetite (A), providing supportive contact (C), and encouraging participation in activities (D) are important aspects of care for a depressed client, ensuring safety takes precedence in the initial phase of admission.
4. The nurse plans to help an 18-year-old female intellectually disabled client ambulate on the first postoperative day after an appendectomy. When the nurse tells the client it is time to get out of bed, the client becomes angry and tells the nurse, 'Get out of here! I'll get up when I'm ready!' Which response is best for the nurse to make?
- A. Your healthcare provider has prescribed ambulation on the first postoperative day.
- B. You must ambulate to avoid complications that could cause more discomfort than ambulating.
- C. I know how you feel. You're angry about having to ambulate, but this will help you get well.
- D. I'll be back in 30 minutes to help you get out of bed and walk around the room.
Correct answer: D
Rationale: (D) provides a 'cooling off' period, is firm, direct, non-threatening, and avoids arguing with the client. (A) is avoiding responsibility by referring to the healthcare provider. (B) is trying to reason with an intellectually disabled client and is threatening the client with 'complications.' (C) is telling the client how she feels (angry), and the nurse does not really 'know' how this client feels, unless the nurse is also intellectually disabled and has also just had an appendectomy.
5. A male client with mental illness and substance dependency tells the mental health nurse that he has started using illegal drugs again and wants to seek treatment. Since he has a dual diagnosis, which person is best for the nurse to refer this client to first?
- A. The emergency room nurse.
- B. His case manager.
- C. The clinic healthcare provider.
- D. His support group sponsor.
Correct answer: B
Rationale: The case manager (B) is responsible for coordinating community services, making them the best person to refer the client to first as they can describe available treatment options. The emergency room nurse (A) is unnecessary unless the client's behaviors pose imminent threats. The clinic healthcare provider (C) and support group sponsor (D) may be useful but coordinating a treatment program tailored to the client's needs is the priority in this scenario.
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