ATI RN
Psychiatric Nurse Certification Questions
Question 1 of 5
A client being served in a busy inpatient psychiatric unit becomes very noisy and combative. The other clients are complaining about the noise and are afraid that they will be hurt by the client. The nurse determines that the best course of action for all involved is to seclude the client until the client is able to regain control of his behavior. On which ethical principle did the nurse base this decision?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Utilitarianism is a theory that bases decisions on the 'greatest good for the greatest number.' While the client may experience a temporary loss of freedom, all of the clients on the nursing unit and their visitors will benefit by not being at risk for harm from this client. Deontology is a theory that says decisions should be based on whether or not an action is morally right with no regard for the result or consequences. It may not be considered morally right to deny this client his freedom for any amount of time, irrespective of the consequences (harm to others). Nonmaleficence is the requirement to do no harm to others either intentionally or unintentionally. In this circumstance, it could be argued that secluding the client could be maleficence, but it also could be argued that the other clients' rights to not be harmed would be violated by not secluding this client until he is able to regain control of his behavior. Justice refers to fairness, that is, treating all people fairly and equally without regard for social or economic status, race, sex, marital status, religion, ethnicity, or cultural beliefs. It could be argued that the client was not treated fairly when he was secluded, but it also could be argued that the others were not treated fairly if the client was allowed to continue to freely engage in the disrupting behavior.
Question 2 of 5
A nurse wants to enhance growth of a patient by showing positive regard. The nurse’s action most likely to achieve this goal is:
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Failed to generate a rationale of 500+ characters after 5 retries.
Question 3 of 5
A patient says to the nurse, I dreamed I was stoned. When I woke up, I felt emotionally drained, as though I hadn’t rested well. Which response should the nurse use to clarify the patient’s comment?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Failed to generate a rationale of 500+ characters after 5 retries.
Question 4 of 5
A black patient says to a white nurse, There’s no sense talking. You wouldn’t understand because you live in a white world. The nurse’s best action would be to:
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Failed to generate a rationale of 500+ characters after 5 retries.
Question 5 of 5
Which therapeutic communication technique is being used in this nurse-client interaction? Client: 'When I get angry, I get into a fistfight with my wife, or I take it out of the kids.' Nurse: 'I notice that you are smiling as you talk about this physical violence.'
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The nurse’s statement points out an observable behavior (smiling) during the client’s discussion of violence, which is 'Making observations' (D). Encouraging comparison (A) involves comparing experiences, Exploring (B) seeks deeper elaboration, and Formulating a plan (C) involves action steps—none match the nurse’s focus on noting a specific behavior.