Mental Health Nursing: cram pack

Formula sheets, the key method steps for every topic and 6 practice problems, with full solutions at the back.

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1Formulas and methods

Mental health nursing

Method

  1. Decide whether there is an immediate risk: suicide, violence, a drug emergency or a physical illness.
  2. Act on safety first: observe, remove means, de-escalate, stop a harmful drug, get help.
  3. Choose the therapeutic response: acknowledge feelings, present reality, avoid false reassurance and “why” questions.
  4. Respect rights: the least restrictive option, consent and confidentiality with its limits.

2Practice problems

1.Mental health nursingMedium

A man with an intellectual disability is becoming irritable. Staff say it is "just his learning disability". What is this an example of?

  1. APositive reinforcement
  2. BDiagnostic overshadowing
  3. CSplitting by the patient
  4. DTransference
2.Mental health nursingHard

A patient finds clothes in her wardrobe she does not remember buying, has gaps in her memory and is called by different names by people she does not know. Which condition is most likely?

  1. ADissociative identity disorder
  2. BSchizophrenia
  3. CBorderline personality disorder
  4. DBipolar I disorder
3.Clinical psychologyMedium

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) has best evidence for:

  1. ATreating acute psychosis
  2. BPreventing relapse in people with recurrent depression
  3. CTreating attention problems in young children with ADHD
  4. DCuring dementia
4.Clinical psychologyHard

A therapist says: "Rather than fighting the thought 'I'm a failure', notice it as just a thought, and act on what matters to you." Which therapy does this best represent?

  1. AAcceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
  2. BSystematic desensitisation
  3. CRational emotive behaviour therapy
  4. DClassical psychoanalysis
5.PharmacologyMedium

During adult cardiac arrest, how often is IV adrenaline (epinephrine) usually repeated?

  1. AOnce only, at the start
  2. BEvery 30 seconds
  3. CEvery 15–20 minutes
  4. DEvery 3–5 minutes
6.PharmacologyHard

A patient has a serum potassium of 7.0 mmol/L (mEq/L) and peaked T waves on the ECG. Which drug is given first to protect the heart?

  1. AOral sodium polystyrene sulfonate
  2. BIntravenous furosemide
  3. COral potassium chloride
  4. DIntravenous calcium gluconate

3Solutions

1.Mental health nursing

Answer: B · Diagnostic overshadowing

Why this is the answer

Diagnostic overshadowing happens when new symptoms are attributed to a known disability or mental illness, so a physical or other cause is missed. It contributes to poorer health outcomes.

Answer

B · Diagnostic overshadowing
2.Mental health nursing

Answer: A · Dissociative identity disorder

Why this is the answer

Dissociative identity disorder involves two or more distinct personality states with recurrent gaps in memory. It is strongly linked to severe, repeated trauma in childhood. It is different from schizophrenia, which is a psychotic disorder.

Answer

A · Dissociative identity disorder
3.Clinical psychology

Answer: B · Preventing relapse in people with recurrent depression

Why this is the answer

MBCT combines mindfulness practice with cognitive therapy. Trials show it reduces relapse in people with three or more previous depressive episodes.

Answer

B · Preventing relapse in people with recurrent depression
4.Clinical psychology

Answer: A · Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)

Why this is the answer

ACT (Hayes) uses acceptance, cognitive defusion and values-based action. Unlike traditional cognitive therapy, it does not try to dispute the content of thoughts.

Answer

A · Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
5.Pharmacology

Answer: D · Every 3–5 minutes

Why this is the answer

In adult advanced life support, adrenaline 1 mg IV or IO is repeated every 3–5 minutes during the arrest. High-quality CPR and defibrillation for shockable rhythms remain the priorities.

Answer

D · Every 3–5 minutes
6.Pharmacology

Answer: D · Intravenous calcium gluconate

Why this is the answer

IV calcium stabilises the myocardial cell membrane within minutes and reduces the risk of arrhythmia. Other treatments then shift potassium into cells (insulin with glucose) or remove it from the body.

Answer

D · Intravenous calcium gluconate

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