ATI LPN
Psychiatric Nursing: Contemporary Practice 6th Edition
Chapter 22 : Schizophrenia and Related Disorders: Nursing Care of Persons with Thought Disorders Questions
Question 1 of 5
The nurse is caring for a client who has been taking clozapine (Clozaril) for 2 weeks. The client tells the nurse, My throat is sore, and I feel weak. The nurse assesses the client?s vital signs and finds that the client has a fever. The nurse notifies the physician, expecting an order to obtain which laboratory test?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Clozapine (
A) carries a risk of agranulocytosis, a potentially life-threatening drop in white blood cells, presenting with symptoms like sore throat, weakness, and fever. Monitoring white blood cell counts is critical. Liver function (
B), potassium (
C), and sodium (
D) levels are less relevant to these symptoms.
Question 2 of 5
A client is being released from the inpatient psychiatric unit with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and treatment with antipsychotic medications. After teaching the client and family about managing the disorder, the nurse determines that the teaching was effective when they state which of the following should be reported immediately?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Elevated temperature (
A) could indicate a serious side effect like neuroleptic malignant syndrome or infection (e.g., agranulocytosis with clozapine), requiring immediate reporting. Tremor (
B), decreased blood pressure (
C), and weight gain (
D) are less urgent, though they warrant monitoring.
Question 3 of 5
A nurse is preparing an in-service program for a group of psychiatric-mental health nurses about schizophrenia. Which of the following would the nurse include as a major reason for relapse?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Non-adherence to prescribed medications (
C) is a primary cause of relapse in schizophrenia, as antipsychotics are critical for symptom control. Lack of family support (
A) and stigmatization (
D) contribute indirectly, while accessibility to resources (
B) is a protective factor.
Question 4 of 5
While assessing a client with schizophrenia, the client states, Everywhere I turn, the government is watching me because I know too much. They are afraid that I might go public with the information about all those conspiracies. The nurse interprets this statement as indicating which type of delusion?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The client?s belief that the government is watching them due to their knowledge reflects a persecutory delusion (
C), characterized by fears of harm or surveillance. Grandiose delusions (
A) involve inflated self-importance, nihilistic delusions (
B) involve beliefs in nonexistence, and somatic delusions (
D) focus on bodily concerns.
Question 5 of 5
The nurse is interviewing a client with schizophrenia when the client begins to say, Kite, night, right, height, fright. The nurse documents this as which of the following?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Clang association (
A) describes speech patterns where words are chosen for their sound (e.g., rhyming), as seen in the client?s list, common in schizophrenia. Stilted language (
B) is overly formal, verbigeration (
C) is repetitive phrases, and neologisms (
D) are invented words, none of which fit.