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Psych/Mental Health Nursing HESI Review Questions and Answers | Latest Version | 2025/2026 | Correct & Verified
A client with schizophrenia tells the nurse, “The radio is sending me messages.” What is the best response by the nurse?
- “That’s not true, you’re imagining it.”
- “The radio can’t actually talk to you.”
- “You should ignore the radio.”
✔✔B. “It sounds like you feel the radio is talking to you. Tell me more about that.”
A client is admitted with severe depression and has stopped eating. What is the nurse’s priority intervention?
- Offer the client food and leave the tray.
- Wait until the client asks for food.
- Begin tube feeding immediately.
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✔✔B. Sit with the client and encourage small frequent meals.
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A client in alcohol withdrawal reports anxiety and tremors. What should the nurse anticipate administering?
- Haloperidol
- Fluoxetine
- Risperidone
✔✔B. Lorazepam
A client taking fluoxetine reports sudden agitation, sweating, and muscle twitching. What should the nurse suspect?
- Neuroleptic malignant syndrome
- Lithium toxicity
- Withdrawal symptoms
✔✔B. Serotonin syndrome
A client in a manic episode is pacing rapidly and speaking loudly. What is the nurse’s priority?
- Provide group therapy.
- Encourage long conversations. 2 / 4
✔✔B. Reduce environmental stimulation.
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- Ask the client to sit quietly.
A client states, “I feel worthless and hopeless.” What is the nurse’s priority intervention?
- Tell the client not to feel that way.
- Offer relaxation techniques.
- Encourage group participation.
✔✔B. Assess for suicidal ideation.
A client taking haloperidol develops muscle rigidity, fever, and confusion. What should the nurse do first?
- Offer fluids.
- Encourage ambulation.
- Provide a blanket.
✔✔B. Stop the medication and notify the provider.
A nurse hears a client talking to an empty chair. The client says, “He keeps telling me I’m bad.” What is the best response?
- “No one is sitting there.” 3 / 4
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✔✔B. “You seem frightened by these voices. What are they saying?”
- “That’s just your imagination.”
- “You need to ignore the voices.”
A client with generalized anxiety disorder reports constant worry. What is the most helpful intervention?
- Encourage caffeine for alertness.
- Limit expression of feelings.
- Promote social isolation.
✔✔B. Teach relaxation and breathing techniques.
A client with dementia is disoriented and wandering at night. What is the priority nursing action?
- Lock the client in the room.
- Give the client caffeine.
- Ignore the wandering.
✔✔B. Ensure the environment is safe.
A client taking lithium asks about diet. What should the nurse include in teaching?
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