Which tasks are safe and appropriate to be performed by a basic-level nurse for a patient suffering from mental illness?

Teaching coping skills to the patient and family members

Treating major depressive disorder

Prescribing antidepressants

Assessing suicide risk

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is A

Choice A reason: Basic-level nurses, such as LPNs or RNs, can teach coping skills, a standard intervention within their scope. This involves education on stress management, aligning with psychiatric nursing roles to support patient and family well-being, making this the correct choice.

Choice B reason: Treating major depressive disorder requires advanced skills, like prescribing or managing complex therapies, which is beyond a basic-level nurse’s scope. This is typically reserved for advanced practice nurses or physicians, making this choice incorrect.

Choice C reason: Prescribing antidepressants is restricted to advanced practice nurses or physicians, not basic-level nurses. This task involves medical decision-making outside the scope of RNs or LPNs, making it unsafe and inappropriate, thus incorrect.

Choice D reason: Assessing suicide risk requires advanced clinical judgment, often reserved for advanced practice nurses or psychiatrists. While basic-level nurses can observe and report, formal assessment exceeds their scope, making this choice incorrect for their role.

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Correct Answer is A

Explanation

Choice A reason: Arranging social services addresses the patient’s eviction, a social determinant of health impacting mental stability. This holistic approach supports recovery by ensuring housing stability, aligning with psychiatric nursing’s focus on comprehensive care, making this the correct choice.

Choice B reason: Contacting the landlord directly exceeds the nurse’s role and may violate privacy. It does not address the patient’s immediate housing needs or mental health, making it less appropriate than coordinating with social services for professional support.

Choice C reason: Questioning the medication reaction’s validity is inappropriate without evidence and distracts from addressing the eviction. It undermines trust and does not support discharge planning, making this choice irrelevant to the patient’s current needs.

Choice D reason: Delaying discharge without clinical justification risks unnecessary hospitalization. The eviction requires social support, not prolonged admission, as mental status improvement is not specified as a concern, making this choice incorrect.

A. My nurse spends time listening to me talk about my problems. That helps me feel like I am not alone B. My nurse told me that if I take all the medicines the doctor prescribes, then I will get discharged sooner C. My nurse explained my treatment plan to me and asked for my ideas about how to make the treatment better D. My nurse always asks me which type of juice I want to help me swallow my medication

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

Choice A reason: Listening to the patient’s problems conveys empathy and presence, key to perceived caring in psychiatric nursing. This fosters a therapeutic alliance, reducing feelings of isolation and enhancing trust, aligning with patient-centered care principles, making this the correct choice for perceived caring.

Choice B reason: Linking medication compliance to discharge may feel coercive, not caring. It focuses on outcomes rather than emotional support, failing to validate the patient’s feelings, which is critical for perceived caring in mental health settings, making this choice incorrect.

Choice C reason: Explaining the treatment plan and seeking input shows collaboration, which is therapeutic but less emotionally focused than listening. While patient-centered, it emphasizes planning over emotional connection, making it less indicative of perceived caring compared to attentive listening.

Choice D reason: Asking about juice preferences shows attention to detail but is task-oriented, not emotionally supportive. Caring is better demonstrated through emotional engagement, like listening, which addresses the patient’s psychological needs more directly, making this choice less relevant.

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Which tasks are safe and appropriate to be performed by a basic-level nurse for a patient suffering from mental illness?

Nursing Test Bank

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

A patient was hospitalized for 24 hours after a reaction to a psychotropic medication. While planning discharge, the nurse learned the patient received a notice of eviction immediately prior to admission. Select the nurse’s most appropriate action.

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

Which comment indicates the patient perceived the nurse was caring?

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

A nurse is caring for a patient with bipolar disorder who is in a manic phase and refuses to attend a scheduled group therapy session. Which response by the nurse best promotes therapeutic engagement?

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In which situations would a nurse have the duty to intervene and report? (Select all that apply)

A nurse instructs a patient taking a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) drug to avoid certain foods and drugs because of the risk of which condition?

The nurse administers a medication that potentiates the action of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Which effect would be expected?

A nurse is preparing morning medications for all patients, and one patient says, "I am not taking any of those pills!" The nurse gets frustrated and forcefully holds the patient to administer the medication over the patient’s objection. Which term best describes this action?

Which of the following are examples of a nurse using non-therapeutic communication techniques? (Select all that apply)

A patient tells the nurse, "I don’t think I’ll ever get out of here." Select the nurse’s most therapeutic response.