Deck 18: Personality Disorders

Question 1

The nursing student is preparing a presentation for the class on cognitive and behavioral perspectives of personality disorders. Which information will the student include in the presentation?

A) Behaviors result from an imbalance in brain chemistry.
B) Behaviors occur due to a history of childhood trauma and parental dysfunction.
C) Learned behaviors become inflexible and maladaptive.
D) Learned behaviors result from cultural influences.

Answer 1

Learned behaviors become inflexible and maladaptive.

Question 2

The nurse is caring for a patient with a personality disorder who has manifestations of emotional reactivity. According to the biological perspective, which neurotransmitter is most likely altered?

A) Norepinephrine
B) Serotonin
C) Acetylcholine
D) Dopamine

Answer 2

Norepinephrine

Question 3

The nurse is caring for a patient with a personality disorder who is acutely aggressive and is a danger to himself and others. What pharmacologic therapy will the nurse anticipate the health care provider ordering?

A) Valproic acid (Depakote)
B) Haloperidol (Haldol)
C) Clozapine (Clozaril)
D) Carbamazepine (Tegretol)

Answer 3

Haloperidol (Haldol)

Question 4

A nurse is working with a patient who has a diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. It is important for the nurse and patient to discuss:

A) The effect of anger on perfectionism
B) The need to feel superior
C) The link between anxiety and perfectionism
D) The need for medication

Question 5

The nurse is assessing a patient who has come to the mental health clinic complaining that inability to focus at work is making it difficult to keep a job. The nurse observes that the patient has cuts along the arms that are in various stages of healing. Which statements by the patient indicate that the patient may need to be evaluated for borderline personality disorder? Select all that apply.

A) "My grades and work performance have always been erratic."
B) "I often drink alcohol to relieve stress."
C) "It's hard to maintain friendships. People seem to get tired of me."
D) "I get bored really easily."
E) "I get so anxious sometimes, I feel like I can't breathe."

Question 6

A nurse is assessing a patient with an obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. Which would the nurse expect to find during assessment?

A) Difficulty completing projects
B) A sense of spontaneity
C) Open expression of feelings
D) Ability to tolerate mistakes

Question 7

A nurse is working with a patient with a personality disorder. Which situation best describes the patient's external response to stress?

A) The client attends group therapy.
B) The client uses meditation when upset.
C) The client changes the environment when upset.
D) The client engages in self-awareness exercises.

Question 8

The nurse is caring for a patient with borderline personality disorder (BPD) who is experiencing psychotic symptoms. Which medication will the nurse anticipate the health care provider ordering for the patient? Select all that apply.

A) Olanzapine (Zyprexa)
B) Lorazepam (Ativan)
C) Ripiprazole (Abilify)
D) Haloperidol (Haldol)
E) Thiothixene (Navane)

Question 9

The nurse is planning care for a client with a schizoid personality disorder. Which nursing diagnosis will the nurse likely use for this client?

A) Social Isolation related to inadequate social skills, craving of solitude
B) Risk for Violence, Self-Directed, related to poor impulse control
C) Fear related to feelings of abandonment
D) Ineffective Individual Coping related to high dependency needs

Question 10

The nurse is caring for a patient with schizotypal personality disorder. The nurse anticipates providing patient education regarding which type of medication?

A) Typical antipsychotic
B) Atypical antipsychotic
C) Tricyclic antidepressant
D) Mood stabilizer

Question 11

The student nurse is learning about the theories that seek to explain the etiology of personality disorders. What will the student learn is true regarding parenting and the development of personality disorders?

A) Engulfing parenting may force a child to separate before he or she is ready.
B) Indifferent parenting does not allow a child to separate and individuate.
C) Narcissism may develop due to a parental lack of empathy.
D) Pessimism may develop due to inconsistent parenting.

Question 12

The nurse is caring for an adolescent patient with a personality disorder. The nurse understands that, with age, the patient may experience improvement or remission of symptoms associated with the disorder. What disorder does the patient likely have? Select all that apply.

A) Schizoid
B) Borderline
C) Obsessive-compulsive
D) Schizotypal
E) Avoidance

Question 13

A patient who has recently been diagnosed with a personality disorder has returned for a follow-up appointment. Which potential co-morbid disorder will the nurse include as a priority for assessment?

A) Cardiovascular disease
B) Insomnia
C) Substance abuse
D) Schizophrenia

Question 14

The nurse is caring for a patient with a suspected personality disorder. The nurse suspects the diagnosis will be confirmed based on which indicators? Select all that apply.

A) The patient's symptoms do not correlate with any other mental disorder.
B) The patient experiences symptoms in a variety of settings and does not seem able to change or prevent them.
C) The patient reports being unable to keep a job or go to school because of the symptoms.
D) The patient's symptoms began in adolescence and are variable.
E) The patient is not taking any medications at this time.

Question 15

The nurse caring for a patient with a personality disorder is conducting a safety assessment. Why is a safety assessment so important for the patient with a personality disorder?

A) Fall injuries from antipsychotic medications are common.
B) Patients with personality disorders lack safety awareness.
C) Self-injurious behaviors and suicide are common.
D) Patients with personality disorders are unable to make safe decisions.

Question 16

The nurse is caring for a patient in the outpatient setting who has been diagnosed with a personality disorder. Which will the nurse recognize as indicators that the patient has schizotypal personality disorder?

A) The patient is awkward and has a flat affect.
B) That patient has odd mannerisms and eccentric dress.
C) The patient is suspicious and distrustful.
D) The patient shows a lack of remorse for others.

Question 17

The nurse is planning care for a patient with a personality disorder. Which interventions is the nurse likely to consider including in the plan of care? Select all that apply.

A) Patient teaching about vegetative symptoms
B) Limit setting to enforce boundaries
C) Patient teaching about healthy coping skills
D) Discussing the importance of memory prompts
E) Strengthening reality orientation

Question 18

The nurse is caring for an adolescent patient with a suspected personality disorder. Why must the health care provider be cautious about diagnosing an adolescent patient with a personality disorder?

A) Adolescents are too young to develop a personality disorder.
B) The patterns of behavior and thinking could reflect adolescent experimentation.
C) Adolescents develop different types of personality disorder.
D) The patterns of behavior and thinking cannot be assessed in an adolescent patient.

Question 19

A nurse is caring for a patient who is suspected of having an obsessivecompulsive personality disorder. Which characteristics of obsessivecompulsive personality disorder will the nurse observe in the patient?

A) Order in all areas of the patient's life and that of the patient's relatives
B) Fear, anxiety, and an excessive need for order
C) The need for perfection in others but not self
D) Order in the patient's work life but the ability to relax when away from work

Question 20

The nurse caring for a patient with avoidant personality disorder is alert for which potential challenge regarding the patient's medication regimen?

A) The medication regimen often is complex and overwhelming for the patient.
B) Medications often do not work with this personality disorder.
C) The patient may not adhere to the medication regimen.
D) The medication regimen will need to be modified frequently.