ATI RN
Age Specific Care Quiz Questions
Question 1 of 5
A Hispanic woman comes to the mental health center at the urging of her adult children. The patient has lost 5 pounds since her husband's death 6 months ago and says, "My husband comes to visit me in the night but I cannot understand what he says." How should the nurse analyze this situation? The patient is:
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: Grieving the husband's death. The patient's statement about her deceased husband visiting her in the night and her weight loss following his death indicate a strong possibility of experiencing grief. This is a common manifestation of bereavement, where individuals may have difficulty accepting the reality of the loss and experience hallucinations or illusions involving the deceased. The patient's symptoms are more aligned with the normal process of grieving rather than psychosis. Choices A and B are incorrect because the patient's experiences are likely related to grief rather than auditory and visual hallucinations or imbalanced nutrition. Choice D is incorrect as the patient's statements suggest she is aware of her husband's death but is struggling to cope with it emotionally.
Question 2 of 5
A patient with the diagnosis of schizophrenia, disorganized type, approaches the nurse and says, "It's beat, it's eat. No room for doom." The nurse can correctly assess this verbalization as:
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: Clanging. Clanging refers to the association of words based on sound rather than meaning. In this case, the patient's verbalization "It's beat, it's eat. No room for doom" demonstrates a pattern of words that rhyme or have similar sounds but lack coherent meaning. This is characteristic of clanging seen in disorganized schizophrenia. Neologisms (A) are newly created words with unique meanings, which is not evident here. Ideas of reference (C) involve misinterpreting unrelated events as being personally significant, which is not demonstrated in the patient's statement. Associative looseness (D) is a thought disorder where ideas are loosely associated, but the patient's statement does not show this specific feature.
Question 3 of 5
A 28-year-old female client was admitted 3 days ago after she ran nude through the streets, shouting that she was the 'Queen of Hearts.' The client has remained delusional since admission. An initial expected outcome would be that the client will:
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: Engage in reality-oriented conversation. This is the most appropriate initial expected outcome because it focuses on helping the client ground herself in reality. Engaging in reality-oriented conversation can help the client understand and acknowledge her delusions, leading to potential insight and eventual treatment. A: Allowing the nurse to logically dispute the delusion may not be effective initially as the client may not be receptive to this approach during the acute phase of her delusion. B: Distinguishing external boundaries may not address the underlying delusional beliefs and may not be the most immediate concern. D: Explaining why she thinks she is the 'Queen of Hearts' may reinforce the delusion rather than challenging it.
Question 4 of 5
A mother discusses her concerns about genetic transmission of schizophrenia with the nurse saying, 'My son is a fraternal twin. He has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Will my other son develop schizophrenia, too?' The response that is both sensitive and shows understanding of the genetic component is:
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D because it provides an accurate and sensitive response. Fraternal twins do not share the exact genetic makeup, so the chance of the other twin developing schizophrenia is lower compared to identical twins. This response acknowledges the genetic component of schizophrenia while also offering reassurance based on the understanding of genetic transmission. Choices A and C are incorrect because they do not provide accurate information about the genetic risk of schizophrenia in fraternal twins and may not offer the mother a clear understanding of the situation. Choice B is incorrect as it provides a generalized statistic for identical twins, not fraternal twins, which could lead to unnecessary anxiety for the mother.
Question 5 of 5
A client with undifferentiated schizophrenia is readmitted for an acute exacerbation of the disorder. The goal of hospitalization is symptom stabilization. The nurse has documented that, in addition to experiencing auditory hallucinations, the client seems uninterested in activities, has difficulty completing tasks, seems forgetful, and seems puzzled by information and directions given by staff. The nurse's plans for intervention will be effective if these behaviors are attributed to:
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D: Problems in cognitive functioning. In undifferentiated schizophrenia, cognitive deficits are common, leading to difficulties in memory, attention, problem-solving, and executive functioning. The client's symptoms of forgetfulness, difficulty completing tasks, being puzzled by information, and auditory hallucinations are indicative of cognitive impairment. Interventions should focus on addressing these cognitive deficits to improve the client's ability to function. Incorrect choices: A: Social isolation - This choice does not address the cognitive deficits and symptoms described by the client, such as forgetfulness and difficulty completing tasks. B: Deficient knowledge - While cognitive deficits may contribute to deficient knowledge, the primary concern in this scenario is the client's cognitive functioning impairments. C: Situational low self-esteem - This choice does not explain the cognitive deficits and symptoms experienced by the client, which are more indicative of problems in cognitive functioning.