NCLEX-RN
NCLEX Psychosocial Questions Questions
Extract:
Question 1 of 5
A woman who had a mastectomy is scheduled for a mastectomy peer support visit arranged by her primary health care provider. What is the purpose of the referral?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The purpose of a mastectomy peer support visit is to prevent social isolation. This visit helps the client maintain her social connections and learn about community resources. Teaching arm exercises and meeting physical needs are tasks for healthcare professionals, not the primary goal of a peer support visit. Viewing the surgical incision is also not the primary purpose of such a visit.
Question 2 of 5
Which action by a client who requires an above-the-knee amputation for peripheral arterial disease best indicates emotional readiness for the surgery?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Participating actively in learning self-care demonstrates emotional acceptance of the need for surgery and readiness for planning post-surgery. Explaining the goals of the procedure may reflect intellectual readiness but not necessarily emotional readiness. A client who shows few signs of anticipatory grief may be suppressing emotions or in denial, which can hinder the emotional readiness. Verbalizing acceptance of permanent dependency needs suggests the client may require further education and emotional support, as it may not reflect a healthy emotional readiness for the surgery.
Question 3 of 5
Which characteristic usually results in a behavior being viewed and accepted as normal?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Behaviors that align with the standards accepted by a society are generally viewed as normal. Societal norms and values play a significant role in defining what is considered normal behavior.
Choices B, C, and D may be important aspects of an individual's functioning, but they do not solely determine whether a behavior is viewed as normal. Coping skills, expressions of feelings, and goal achievement can vary in their cultural context and societal acceptance, therefore they are not definitive indicators of normalcy.
Question 4 of 5
After a client has a spontaneous abortion at 12 weeks' gestation, the nurse notes that both she and her partner are visibly upset and crying. Which statement would be a therapeutic response?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: A therapeutic response in this situation is to offer support and empathy. Saying, 'I'll be here if you want to talk' gives the client and her partner the opportunity to express their emotions and seek comfort. It acknowledges their distress and assures them of the nurse's availability.
Choice B, advising to relax to speed up the healing process, dismisses their current emotions and may hinder open communication.
Choice C, suggesting getting pregnant again soon, minimizes their grief over the loss and may not be what the couple needs to hear at that moment.
Choice D, stating it's best that the miscarriage happened early, is insensitive as it invalidates the couple's feelings of loss and grief. Grieving is a natural process, and the timing of the loss does not diminish its significance.
Question 5 of 5
What psychodynamic process is suggested by a client calling the emergency department during a suicide attempt?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is 'Ambivalence about dying.' When a client calls the emergency department during a suicide attempt, it suggests conflicting feelings about living and dying. This act can indicate an unconscious desire to be stopped from dying, showing ambivalence between the wish to die and the wish to live. It is not primarily a cry for attention or a need to punish others. The client's intention of suicide alongside seeking help demonstrates the struggle between life and death, making ambivalence the key psychodynamic process at play.