ATI RN
ATI Mental Health Assessment Exam Questions
Extract:
Question 1 of 5
A nurse is admitting a client who has borderline personality disorder and is at risk for self-mutilation. Which of the following interventions should the nurse incorporate in the plan of care?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A verbal no-harm contract engages the client in their safety plan, reducing self-mutilation risk. Excessive attention may reinforce behaviors, restraints are a last resort, and limiting staff ensures consistency but is secondary.
Question 2 of 5
A nurse is caring for a client who has bipolar disorder. The client says to the nurse, 'Give me your pen to cut the pain out of my chest.' The nurse should identify that the client is at risk for which of the following?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The client's statement indicates a clear intent to harm themselves, suggesting a risk for self-mutilation. Delusions and hallucinations involve false beliefs or perceptions, and attention-seeking is less immediate than self-harm risk.
Question 3 of 5
A nurse on a medical-surgical unit is caring for a client who tells the nurse about their intentions to harm an ex-partner. Which of the following actions is a legal duty of the nurse?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The nurse has a legal and ethical duty to warn individuals at risk of harm, ensuring the ex-partner is notified to protect them. Hospitalization, monitoring by family, or transfer may be considered but are not the primary legal duty.
Question 4 of 5
A nurse is preparing to teach a client who has major depressive disorder and is scheduled to undergo electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Which of the following statements should the nurse include in the teaching?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: ECT is delivered through electrodes attached to the head to induce a brief seizure, which can alleviate severe depressive symptoms. ECT is not contraindicated for psychotic symptoms or suicidal ideation and is performed under general, not regional, anesthesia.
Question 5 of 5
A nurse is teaching the guardian of a school-age child who has autism spectrum disorder about a new prescription for risperidone. Which of the following statements by the guardian demonstrates an understanding of the teaching?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Risperidone is used to manage irritability and aggression in autism spectrum disorder. It does not cause low blood sugar, requires lab monitoring, and muscle spasms may indicate a side effect needing evaluation, not a dose increase.