HESI Specialty Test Review:

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HESI Specialty Test Review:

Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing Questions and Answers | Latest Version | 2025/2026 | Correct & Verified

A client with schizophrenia is pacing the hallway and shouting loudly. What should the nurse do first?

• Restrain the client immediately.

✔✔B. Approach calmly and offer to walk with the client.

• Ignore the behavior and walk away.
• Ask the client to explain the shouting.

A client receiving haloperidol suddenly develops a stiff neck and difficulty swallowing. What should the nurse do?

• Encourage relaxation techniques.

✔✔B. Administer prescribed anticholinergic medication.

• Offer warm fluids.
• Document the finding and continue care.

A client states, “I don’t care about anything anymore.” What is the nurse’s best response? 1 / 4

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• “You should be grateful for what you have.”

✔✔B. “It sounds like you’re feeling very hopeless.”

• “Don’t talk like that, it makes people worry.”
• “Why do you feel this way?”

A client with bipolar disorder is talking rapidly and jumping from one subject to another. How should the nurse document this?

• Tangential speech

✔✔B. Flight of ideas

• Word salad
• Clang association

A client says, “I hear my dead grandmother’s voice telling me to come with her.” What is the nurse’s priority action?

• Explore the meaning of the voice.

✔✔B. Assess the client’s risk for self-harm.

• Ask the client to ignore the voice.
• Provide reality orientation. 2 / 4

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A client taking lithium reports nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. What is the nurse’s best action?

• Encourage clear fluids.

✔✔B. Notify the healthcare provider immediately.

• Provide antiemetics and continue therapy.
• Reassure the client it is a minor side effect.

A client with major depression is refusing meals. What is the nurse’s priority intervention?

• Encourage the client to eat with peers.

✔✔B. Offer small, frequent high-calorie snacks.

• Provide detailed education about nutrition.
• Wait until the client feels ready to eat.

A nurse observes a client repeating the same word over and over during an interview. How should this be documented?✔✔A. Perseveration

• Echolalia
• Neologism 3 / 4

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• Loose associations

A client with generalized anxiety disorder states, “I can’t stop worrying about everything.” What is the nurse’s best initial intervention?

• Provide extensive teaching about anxiety disorders.

✔✔B. Teach simple deep-breathing exercises.

• Suggest eliminating caffeine completely.
• Encourage the client to suppress the worries.

A client in alcohol withdrawal is sweating and has an elevated pulse. What is the nurse’s priority intervention?

• Offer fluids and snacks.

✔✔B. Administer prescribed benzodiazepine.

• Encourage physical activity.
• Begin teaching about recovery programs.

A nurse notes a client with schizophrenia sitting motionless for hours. What is the best nursing intervention?

• Leave the client alone for privacy.
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