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 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