ATI RN
Psychobiologic Disorders Questions
Question 1 of 5
A patient being treated for depression has taken 300 mg amitriptyline (Elavil) daily for a year. The patient calls the case manager at the clinic and says, I stopped taking my antidepressant 2 days ago. Now I am having cold sweats, nausea, a rapid heartbeat, and nightmares. The nurse will advise the patient to:
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The patient has symptoms associated with abrupt withdrawal of the tricyclic antidepressant. Taking a dose of the drug will ameliorate the symptoms. Seeing the health care provider will allow the patient to discuss the advisability of going off the medication and to be given a gradual withdrawal schedule if discontinuation is the decision. This situation is not a medical emergency, although it calls for medical advice. Resuming taking the antidepressant for 2 more weeks and then discontinuing again would produce the same symptoms the patient is experiencing.
Question 2 of 5
A nurse is caring for a patient with low self-esteem. Which nonverbal communication should the nurse anticipate from this patient?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Failed to generate a rationale of 500+ characters after 5 retries.
Question 3 of 5
The admission note indicates a patient diagnosed with major depression has anergia and anhedonia. For which measures should the nurse plan? Select all that apply.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Anergia refers to a lack of energy. Anhedonia refers to the inability to find pleasure or meaning in life; thus, planning should include measures to accommodate psychomotor retardation, assist with activities of daily living, and instill hopefulness. Anergia is lack of energy, not excessive energy. Anhedonia does not necessarily imply the presence of guilty ruminations.
Question 4 of 5
A nurse wants to teach alternative coping strategies to a patient experiencing severe anxiety. Which action should the nurse perform first?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A patient experiencing severe anxiety has a markedly narrowed perceptual field and difficulty attending to events in the environment. A patient experiencing severe anxiety will not learn readily. Determining preferred modes of learning, devising outcomes, and constructing teaching plans are relevant to the task but are not the priority measure. The nurse has already assessed the patients anxiety level. Use of defense mechanisms does not apply.
Question 5 of 5
A patient fearfully runs from chair to chair crying, Theyre coming! Theyre coming! The patient does not follow the staffs directions or respond to verbal interventions. Which nursing diagnosis has the highest priority?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A patient experiencing panic-level anxiety is at high risk for injury related to increased non-goal-directed motor activity, distorted perceptions, and disordered thoughts. Data are not present to support a nursing diagnosis of self-care deficit or disturbed thought processes. The patient may have fear, but the risk for injury has a higher priority.