Nursing exam prep

HESI Psychiatric Mental Health Practice Test 2026-2027 and Free Sample Questions

2026-2027 exam practice page

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HESI Psychiatric Mental Health Practice Test

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Question 1 Apply principles of therapeutic communication

Question 1: Apply principles of therapeutic communication

A nurse is talking with a patient who has major depressive disorder. The patient says, I feel like such a burden to everyone in my family. Which response by the nurse is most therapeutic?

Question 2 Recognize a psychiatric emergency

Question 2: Recognize a psychiatric emergency

A nurse is assessing a patient with depression. The patient states, I have been giving away my belongings, and soon none of this will matter anymore. Which action should the nurse take first?

Question 3 Identify symptoms of a psychiatric disorder

Question 3: Identify symptoms of a psychiatric disorder

A nurse is assessing a patient during a manic episode of bipolar disorder. Which group of findings is most consistent with mania?

Question 4 Apply nursing care for a patient with anorexia nervosa

Question 4: Apply nursing care for a patient with anorexia nervosa

A nurse is caring for a hospitalized patient with anorexia nervosa who is severely underweight. Which intervention is a priority during the early phase of treatment?

Question 5 Monitor for a medication side effect

Question 5: Monitor for a medication side effect

A nurse is caring for a patient who has been taking a first generation antipsychotic. The patient develops muscle rigidity, a high fever of 105 degrees Fahrenheit, altered mental status, and an unstable blood pressure. Which complication should the nurse suspect?

Question 6 Apply teaching about psychotropic medications

Question 6: Apply teaching about psychotropic medications

A nurse is teaching a patient who is starting phenelzine, a monoamine oxidase inhibitor. Which dietary instruction is essential to prevent a hypertensive crisis?

Question 7 Provide care for a patient with alcohol withdrawal

Question 7: Provide care for a patient with alcohol withdrawal

A nurse is caring for a patient admitted with alcohol use disorder who stopped drinking 48 hours ago. The patient is now tremulous, diaphoretic, hypertensive, and reports seeing insects on the wall. Which medication class is most commonly used to manage these withdrawal symptoms?

Question 8 Identify symptoms of schizophrenia

Question 8: Identify symptoms of schizophrenia

A nurse is assessing a patient with schizophrenia. The patient reports hearing voices telling them they are worthless. This experience is an example of which symptom?

Question 9 Apply nursing interventions for anxiety

Question 9: Apply nursing interventions for anxiety

A nurse is caring for a patient experiencing a severe panic attack. The patient is hyperventilating, trembling, and unable to focus on what the nurse is saying. Which nursing action is most appropriate?

Question 10 Monitor lithium therapy

Question 10: Monitor lithium therapy

A nurse is caring for a patient who takes lithium for bipolar disorder. The patient reports coarse hand tremors, vomiting, diarrhea, and confusion. The lithium level is 2.1 mEq per L. Which action should the nurse take?

Question 11 Apply principles of milieu therapy

Question 11: Apply principles of milieu therapy

A nurse is caring for a patient on an inpatient psychiatric unit who becomes increasingly agitated, pacing and shouting at other patients. Which initial nursing action is most appropriate?

Question 12 Identify defense mechanisms

Question 12: Identify defense mechanisms

A nurse is interviewing a patient who was recently treated for a substance use disorder. The patient states, I do not have a problem with drinking, I can stop whenever I want. Which defense mechanism is the patient most likely using?

Question 13 Apply nursing care for post traumatic stress disorder

Question 13: Apply nursing care for post traumatic stress disorder

A nurse is caring for a veteran with post traumatic stress disorder. Which patient statement reflects a common symptom of this disorder?

Question 14 Apply teaching about selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors

Question 14: Apply teaching about selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors

A nurse is teaching a patient who is starting a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor for depression. Which statement should the nurse include in the teaching?

Question 15 Recognize serotonin syndrome

Question 15: Recognize serotonin syndrome

A nurse is caring for a patient taking a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor who was recently started on another serotonergic medication. The patient now has agitation, sweating, tremor, muscle twitching, and a temperature of 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Which complication should the nurse suspect?

Question 16 Apply nursing care for obsessive compulsive disorder

Question 16: Apply nursing care for obsessive compulsive disorder

A nurse is caring for a patient with obsessive compulsive disorder who performs a lengthy hand washing ritual many times each day. During early treatment, which nursing approach is most appropriate?

Question 17 Identify symptoms of delirium

Question 17: Identify symptoms of delirium

A nurse is caring for an older hospitalized patient who was alert yesterday but is now disoriented, has fluctuating attention, and is experiencing visual hallucinations that began suddenly. Which condition is the patient most likely experiencing?

Question 18 Apply principles of patient rights

Question 18: Apply principles of patient rights

A nurse is caring for a patient who was voluntarily admitted to a psychiatric unit. The patient now states a wish to leave the hospital against medical advice. Which action by the nurse is appropriate?

Question 19 Apply nursing care for a patient with a personality disorder

Question 19: Apply nursing care for a patient with a personality disorder

A nurse is caring for a patient with borderline personality disorder who praises one nurse as wonderful while calling another nurse uncaring. Which nursing approach is most effective in addressing this behavior?

Question 20 Apply crisis intervention principles

Question 20: Apply crisis intervention principles

A nurse is providing crisis intervention for a patient who is overwhelmed after a sudden job loss. Which goal is the primary focus of crisis intervention?

Question 1 of 20
About this practice test

What this 2026-2027 HESI Psychiatric Mental Health Practice Test covers

This page currently provides a free diagnostic sample. The paid bank is not available during editorial and source review.

100 of 300 paid questions are currently stored. Reopening requires 300 unique questions plus reviewed answers, rationales, analogies, sources, and study links.

Work through up to 100 Elsevier-style questions built around therapeutic communication, safety, crisis response, medication teaching, prioritization, and ethical nursing judgment.
Use answer-by-answer rationales to understand why the best option wins and why close distractors fail.
Start with the free sample before paying, then unlock the full timed bank only if the practice style fits.
Review missed questions with memory-friendly explanations so the tested pattern is easier to recognize later.

Use this HESI Psychiatric Mental Health Practice Test to practice realistic Elsevier questions with 20 free sample questions, timed full-bank review, answer explanations, and focused rationales for therapeutic communication, safety, crisis response, medication teaching, prioritization, and ethical nursing judgment.

Built for nursing students and candidates searching for HESI Psychiatric Mental Health Practice Test, HESI Psychiatric Mental Health practice questions, or a clear HESI Psychiatric Mental Health study guide before an upcoming exam date.

Focus areas include therapeutic communication, safety, crisis response, medication teaching, prioritization, and ethical nursing judgment, along with realistic timing, careful review of why distractors are wrong, and practical explanations that help the tested pattern stick.

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What you will practice on this page

  • Work through up to 100 Elsevier-style questions built around therapeutic communication, safety, crisis response, medication teaching, prioritization, and ethical nursing judgment.
  • Use answer-by-answer rationales to understand why the best option wins and why close distractors fail.
  • Start with the free sample before paying, then unlock the full timed bank only if the practice style fits.
  • Review missed questions with memory-friendly explanations so the tested pattern is easier to recognize later.

How to use this exam to study smarter

  1. Start with the free HESI Psychiatric Mental Health sample as a diagnostic so you know whether content, timing, or question wording is the real problem.
  2. Review every missed question before moving on, especially the distractors that felt tempting under time pressure.
  3. Retake the full HESI Psychiatric Mental Health practice test in timed mode and use the score report to choose the next weak area.

Frequently asked questions

Is paid access currently available for this exam?

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