A nursing student says, “Little of what takes place on the behavioral health unit seems to be theory-based.” A nurse educates the student by identifying which is a common use of Sullivan’s theory on the inpatient psychiatric unit?

Structure of the therapeutic milieu of most behavioral health units

Assessment tools based on age-appropriate versus arrested behaviors

Frequent use of restraint and seclusion for behavior modification

Use of the nursing process to determine the best sequence for nursing actions

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is A

Choice A reason: Sullivan’s interpersonal theory emphasizes therapeutic relationships and social environments to foster mental health. The therapeutic milieu, structured to promote safety and interaction, aligns with Sullivan’s focus on interpersonal dynamics, reducing symptoms like anxiety through supportive settings, which stabilize neurotransmitter imbalances, enhancing patient recovery on psychiatric units.

Choice B reason: Sullivan’s theory does not focus on age-appropriate versus arrested behaviors. It emphasizes interpersonal relationships, not developmental stages. Assessment tools for behavior typically rely on other frameworks, like Erikson’s, which address developmental milestones, not Sullivan’s interpersonal model, making this option scientifically inaccurate for the theory’s application.

Choice C reason: Restraint and seclusion are not part of Sullivan’s theory, which promotes therapeutic relationships to reduce anxiety, not coercive measures. These interventions contradict Sullivan’s focus on supportive environments, as they may exacerbate stress and neurotransmitter dysregulation, such as increased cortisol, worsening mental health outcomes in psychiatric settings.

Choice D reason: The nursing process is a general framework, not specific to Sullivan’s theory. Sullivan’s interpersonal model focuses on relationships to alleviate symptoms, not on sequencing nursing actions. While the nursing process guides care, it is not derived from Sullivan’s principles, making this option unrelated to his theoretical application.

Nursing Test Bank

Quiz #1: RN Exams Pharmacology Exams Quiz #2: RN Exams Medical-Surgical Exams Quiz #3: RN Exams Fundamentals Exams Quiz #4: RN Exams Maternal-Newborn Exams Quiz #5: RN Exams Anatomy and Physiology Exams Quiz #6: RN Exams Obstetrics and Pediatrics Exams Quiz #7: RN Exams Fluid and Electrolytes Exams Quiz #8: RN Exams Community Health Exams Quiz #9: RN Exams Promoting Health across the lifespan Exams Quiz #10: RN Exams Multidimensional care Exams

Get 100+ Naxlex Exit Exams for $79 Try Naxlex NCLEX-RN (14 Day Free-Trial)

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

Quiz #1: Naxlex RN Comprehensive online practice 2019 B with NGN Quiz #2: Naxlex RN Comprehensive Predictor 2023 Quiz #3: Naxlex RN Comprehensive Predictor 2023 Exit Exam A Quiz #4: Naxlex HESI Exit LPN Exam Quiz #5: Naxlex PN Comprehensive Predictor PN 2020 Quiz #6: Naxlex VATI PN Comprehensive Predictor 2020 Quiz #8: Naxlex PN Comprehensive Predictor 2023 - Exam 1 Quiz #10: Naxlex HESI PN Exit exam Quiz #11: Naxlex HESI PN EXIT Exam 2

Free Nursing Study Resources

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

Choice A reason: Clarifying “pusillanimous” seeks specific meaning, ensuring accurate understanding of the patient’s emotional state. Dreams reflecting fear or inadequacy may involve amygdala hyperactivity or serotonin imbalances. This promotes therapeutic communication, addressing emotional distress linked to neurobiological stress responses, making it the most appropriate response.

Choice B reason: Relating personal experience shifts focus from the patient, reducing therapeutic effectiveness. Emotional drainage, possibly tied to REM sleep disruptions or cortisol spikes, requires exploration, not nurse self-disclosure. This risks dismissing the patient’s unique neurobiological experience, making it inappropriate for clarification.

Choice C reason: Assuming discomfort generalizes the dream’s impact without clarifying “pusillanimous.” Emotional drainage may reflect amygdala-driven stress responses, but this response lacks specificity. Clarification requires direct exploration of the term to understand its emotional and neurobiological significance, making this less effective.

Choice D reason: Summarizing poor sleep oversimplifies the emotional drainage, potentially linked to serotonin dysregulation or heightened stress responses. It fails to explore “pusillanimous,” missing the dream’s specific emotional content. Clarification requires detailed inquiry into the term’s meaning, making this response inadequate.

A. Needs to be taught about medication action and side effects B. Reports feelings of alienation from his family and friends C. Is reluctant to participate in unit social activities D. Is hearing voices telling him to protect himself from others

Correct Answer is D

Explanation

Choice A reason: Medication education addresses self-actualization or esteem needs in Maslow’s hierarchy, which are lower priority. Psychotic symptoms like hallucinations, driven by dopamine dysregulation, pose immediate safety risks, taking precedence over education, which assumes cognitive stability not yet achieved in acute psychosis, per Maslow’s prioritization.

Choice B reason: Alienation relates to belongingness needs, third in Maslow’s hierarchy. While important, psychotic hallucinations, linked to hyperactive mesolimbic dopamine pathways, indicate a safety threat, a basic physiological need. Addressing safety precedes social needs, as unresolved psychosis can exacerbate isolation, making this a lower priority.

Choice C reason: Reluctance for social activities reflects belongingness needs, lower in Maslow’s hierarchy. Hallucinations, driven by neurochemical imbalances like excess dopamine, pose immediate safety risks, a physiological need. Social participation requires cognitive stability, which is compromised in psychosis, making this issue secondary to urgent safety concerns.

Choice D reason: Hearing voices urging self-protection indicates a safety threat, a basic physiological need in Maslow’s hierarchy. Hallucinations, linked to dopamine overactivity in the mesolimbic pathway, can lead to harmful behaviors. Addressing this stabilizes the patient, taking priority over higher-level needs like social connection or education, per Maslow’s framework.

View Question and Answer

Whether you are a student looking to ace your exams or a practicing nurse seeking to enhance your expertise , our nursing education contents will empower you with the confidence and competence to make a difference in the lives of patients and become a respected leader in the healthcare field.

Visit Naxlex, invest in your future and unlock endless possibilities with our unparalleled nursing education contents today

A nursing student says, “Little of what takes place on the behavioral health unit seems to be theory-based.” A nurse educates the student by identifying which is a common use of Sullivan’s theory on the inpatient psychiatric unit?

Nursing Test Bank

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

A patient says to the nurse, “I dreamed I was pusillanimous. When I woke up, I felt emotionally drained, as though I hadn’t rested well.” Which comment would be appropriate if the nurse seeks clarification?

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

A nurse uses Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to plan care for a psychotic patient. Which problem will receive priority?

Correct Answer is D

Explanation

After assessing the patient and formulating the nursing diagnoses for a plan of care, what is the next action a nurse should take?

A client is newly prescribed a medication that will block the effects of histamine for the treatment of a mental health disorder. The client asks, “What side effects should I anticipate with this new medication?” Which response by the nurse is accurate?

Several nurses are concerned that agency policies related to restraint and seclusion are inadequate. Which statement about the relationship of substandard institutional policies and individual nursing practice should guide nursing practice?

A patient discloses several concerns and associated feelings. If the nurse wants to seek clarification, which comment would be appropriate?

A nurse explains to a nursing student how the therapeutic relationship differs from a social relationship. What is the best explanation for the therapeutic relationship between the nurse and patient?

How does a psychiatric nurse best implement the ethical principle of autonomy?

A nurse works with a patient to establish goals/outcomes. The nurse believes that one outcome suggested by the patient is not in the patient’s best interest. What is the nurse’s best action?

A patient with paranoia states, “The state is monitoring us through the listening devices hidden in this room. Be careful what you say.” Which response by the nurse would be most therapeutic?