During the initial interview at the crisis center, a patient says, "I’ve been served with divorce papers. I’m so upset and anxious that I can't think clearly." What could the nurse say to assess personal coping skills?

I can see you are upset. You can rely on us to help you feel better.

In the past, how did you handle difficult or stressful situations?

What would you like us to do to help you feel more relaxed?

Do you think you deserve to have things like this happen to you?

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is B

Choice A reason: Offering reassurance does not assess coping skills. Divorce triggers amygdala-driven stress responses and cortisol release, but this response fails to explore the patient’s prior adaptive strategies, missing the chance to evaluate prefrontal cortex-mediated coping mechanisms.

Choice B reason: Asking about past coping strategies assesses the patient’s ability to manage stress, reflecting prefrontal cortex and serotonin-mediated resilience. This explores adaptive behaviors, identifying strengths or deficits in handling amygdala-driven anxiety, making it the most effective question for assessment.

Choice C reason: Asking what the patient wants focuses on immediate needs, not past coping skills. Stress from divorce involves HPA axis activation, but this question does not evaluate historical coping mechanisms, limiting insight into the patient’s neural adaptive capacity.

Choice D reason: Suggesting deservedness is judgmental and non-therapeutic, potentially increasing amygdala-driven guilt. It does not assess coping skills or explore prefrontal cortex-mediated strategies for handling stress, making it irrelevant to understanding the patient’s coping abilities.

Nursing Test Bank

Quiz #1: RN Exams Pharmacology Exams Quiz #2: RN Exams Medical-Surgical Exams Quiz #3: RN Exams Fundamentals Exams Quiz #4: RN Exams Maternal-Newborn Exams Quiz #5: RN Exams Anatomy and Physiology Exams Quiz #6: RN Exams Obstetrics and Pediatrics Exams Quiz #7: RN Exams Fluid and Electrolytes Exams Quiz #8: RN Exams Community Health Exams Quiz #9: RN Exams Promoting Health across the lifespan Exams Quiz #10: RN Exams Multidimensional care Exams

Get 100+ Naxlex Exit Exams for $79 Try Naxlex NCLEX-RN (14 Day Free-Trial)

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

Quiz #1: Naxlex RN Comprehensive online practice 2019 B with NGN Quiz #2: Naxlex RN Comprehensive Predictor 2023 Quiz #3: Naxlex RN Comprehensive Predictor 2023 Exit Exam A Quiz #4: Naxlex HESI Exit LPN Exam Quiz #5: Naxlex PN Comprehensive Predictor PN 2020 Quiz #6: Naxlex VATI PN Comprehensive Predictor 2020 Quiz #8: Naxlex PN Comprehensive Predictor 2023 - Exam 1 Quiz #10: Naxlex HESI PN Exit exam Quiz #11: Naxlex HESI PN EXIT Exam 2

Free Nursing Study Resources

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

Choice A reason: Bupropion is an atypical antidepressant, inhibiting dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake, enhancing prefrontal cortex and reward system activity. Unlike SSRIs or MAOIs, it minimally affects serotonin, targeting catecholamines to improve mood and energy, aligning with its unique mechanism in treating depression.

Choice B reason: Tricyclic antidepressants block serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake and have anticholinergic effects, unlike bupropion, which targets dopamine and norepinephrine without significant anticholinergic activity. This distinct pharmacological profile excludes bupropion from the tricyclic class, making this choice incorrect.

Choice C reason: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors like fluoxetine target serotonin exclusively, increasing 5-HT levels. Bupropion primarily inhibits dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake, with minimal serotonin effects, making it an atypical antidepressant, not an SSRI, due to its distinct neurochemical action.

Choice D reason: Monoamine oxidase inhibitors like phenelzine prevent monoamine breakdown, increasing serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Bupropion’s selective reuptake inhibition of dopamine and norepinephrine, without MAO inhibition, distinguishes it as an atypical antidepressant, not an MAOI, due to its specific mechanism.

A. Notify the provider for a restraint order and assessment. B. Advise the cafeteria staff of plastic utensils that can be used as weapons. C. Ask staff members how the patient was able to acquire the utensil. D. Notify the house supervisor for further direction.

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

Choice A reason: Notifying the provider ensures legal and medical oversight for restraints, addressing self-harm risk driven by serotonin deficits and amygdala hyperactivity. This prioritizes patient safety and evaluates underlying psychiatric causes, ensuring appropriate intervention to stabilize neural dysregulation.

Choice B reason: Advising cafeteria staff is a preventive measure but not the priority during acute self-harm. Serotonin-driven impulsivity requires immediate medical assessment, and addressing utensil access is secondary to stabilizing the patient’s acute neurochemical crisis.

Choice C reason: Investigating utensil acquisition is important for future prevention but not urgent. The patient’s self-harm, driven by serotonin deficits and amygdala hyperactivity, requires immediate medical intervention to ensure safety and address acute psychiatric needs first.

Choice D reason: Notifying the house supervisor is administrative, not clinical, and delays direct intervention. Self-harm reflects serotonin dysregulation and amygdala-driven impulsivity, requiring immediate provider assessment for restraints and psychiatric evaluation, making this less urgent.

View Question and Answer

Whether you are a student looking to ace your exams or a practicing nurse seeking to enhance your expertise , our nursing education contents will empower you with the confidence and competence to make a difference in the lives of patients and become a respected leader in the healthcare field.

Visit Naxlex, invest in your future and unlock endless possibilities with our unparalleled nursing education contents today

During the initial interview at the crisis center, a patient says, "I’ve been served with divorce papers. I’m so upset and anxious that I can't think clearly." What could the nurse say to assess personal coping skills?

Nursing Test Bank

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

A nurse is reviewing the medical record of a client diagnosed with depression and notes that the client has been prescribed bupropion (Wellbutrin). The client asks, "What kind of medication is this anyway?" The nurse would inform the client this agent is a:

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

During lunch, a patient cuts herself with a plastic eating utensil. The patient refuses redirection and continues to attempt to cut herself. The patient is safely secured in a restraint chair. What is the next priority action for the nurse?

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

The most appropriate response by the nurse when a despondent patient says "Nothing matters anymore" would be:

A nurse is preparing to administer acetaminophen 320 mg PO every four hours as needed for pain. The amount available from the pharmacy is acetaminophen liquid 160 mg/5 mL. How many mL should the nurse administer per dose? (Round to the nearest whole number.)

A patient diagnosed with major depressive disorder tells the nurse, "Bad things that happen are always my fault." To support the patient to reframe this overgeneralization, the nurse's best response is:

A patient diagnosed with schizophrenia has auditory hallucinations, delusions of grandeur, poor personal hygiene, and threatening behavior. Which assessment finding would the nurse regard as a negative symptom of schizophrenia?

Which scenario best demonstrates an example of eustress?

Which patient meets the criteria for hospice services?

A client with bipolar disorder is prescribed valproic acid (Depakote) as part of the treatment plan. Before administering the medication, which test should be done?

A client on an inpatient psychiatric unit yells "My roommate is Satan's crafty minion" and attempts to strangle him. The patient is refusing redirection. What medication should the nurse expect the on-call provider to order?