HESI Registered Nurse EXIT Practice Exam

A client’s abrupt speech about the moon is indicative of which behavior?

1. Neologisms

2. Dissociation

3. Word salad

4. Flight of ideas

The correct answer is: Flight of ideas

The client's abrupt speech about the moon showcases a pattern of thoughts that are rapidly moving from one idea to another without logical connections. This characteristic aligns closely with flight of ideas, which is often seen in manic episodes or certain types of psychotic disorders. In this context, the person's thoughts might shift quickly, leading to disjointed or loosely connected statements that can seem random or chaotic to others. While each of the other behaviors listed can involve disorganized communication, they differ fundamentally from flight of ideas. Neologisms refer to the creation of new words or phrases that may not have meaning to others, while word salad consists of a jumble of words or phrases that may not relate to one another in a coherent way. Dissociation, on the other hand, typically involves a disconnection from thoughts, feelings, or sense of identity, rather than a rapid flow of ideas. Thus, the evidence of swift and disconnected speech about the moon clearly illustrates the phenomenon of flight of ideas.