NUR255 Exam 2 V3 | NUR 255 Aging &
Mental Health Nursing Exam Q&A | Galen
College of Nursing
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This comprehensive exam-style resource is designed to prepare students for aging and mental
health nursing assessments related to geriatric cognitive disorders, behavioral health
management, and elderly psychiatric nursing care. The material emphasizes safe nursing
interventions and evidence-based patient care practices.
The questions are structured to closely mirror actual course exams while reinforcing
prioritization, clinical reasoning, and geriatric nursing management strategies. Detailed expert
explanations support understanding and successful exam performance.
════════════════════════════════════
The Exam Covers:
• Alzheimer’s disease progression
• Delirium versus dementia
• Mood disorders in older adults
• Therapeutic environmental management
• Geriatric psychopharmacology concepts
• Memory loss interventions
• Family education for dementia care
• Safety and fall prevention strategies
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1. A nurse is assessing an older adult patient who was admitted with a sudden onset of
confusion and visual hallucinations. Which condition should the nurse suspect first?
A. Alzheimer’s Disease
B. Delirium
C. Vascular Dementia
,D. Major Depressive Disorder
Correct Answer: B
Expert Explanation: Delirium is characterized by an acute, sudden onset of confusion,
altered level of consciousness, and often includes hallucinations, whereas dementia is
progressive and slow.
2. Which of the following is a primary clinical feature that distinguishes dementia from
delirium?
A. Delirium is irreversible and progressive
B. Dementia has a slow, insidious onset
C. Delirium does not affect the level of consciousness
D. Dementia is always caused by an underlying medical infection
Correct Answer: B
Expert Explanation: Dementia is a chronic, progressive condition with a slow onset.
Delirium is acute and usually reversible if the underlying cause is treated.
3. An 80-year-old patient with Alzheimer’s disease often becomes more agitated and
confused in the late afternoon and evening. This phenomenon is known as:
A. Aphasia
B. Agnosia
C. Confabulation
, D. Sundowning
Correct Answer: D
Expert Explanation: Sundowning refers to the increase in confusion and agitation that
occurs in patients with dementia during the late afternoon or early evening hours.
4. A nurse is teaching a family about the medication Donepezil (Aricept) for a patient with
mild Alzheimer’s. What should the nurse include in the teaching?
A. This medication will cure the disease within six months.
B. The medication should be taken on an empty stomach before breakfast.
C. This medication helps slow the progression of cognitive decline.
D. Stop the medication immediately if the patient has a headache.
Correct Answer: C
Expert Explanation: Donepezil is a cholinesterase inhibitor that helps slow the rate of
cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s patients; it is not a cure.
5. Which intervention is most appropriate for a patient in the middle stage of Alzheimer’s
disease who is experiencing moderate memory loss and difficulty with ADLs?
A. Providing complex, multi-step instructions for tasks.
B. Using a strict reality orientation approach multiple times an hour.
C. Encouraging the use of simple, one-step directions.
D. Restricting all physical activity to prevent falls.
Mental Health Nursing Exam Q&A | Galen
College of Nursing
────────────────────────────────────
This comprehensive exam-style resource is designed to prepare students for aging and mental
health nursing assessments related to geriatric cognitive disorders, behavioral health
management, and elderly psychiatric nursing care. The material emphasizes safe nursing
interventions and evidence-based patient care practices.
The questions are structured to closely mirror actual course exams while reinforcing
prioritization, clinical reasoning, and geriatric nursing management strategies. Detailed expert
explanations support understanding and successful exam performance.
════════════════════════════════════
The Exam Covers:
• Alzheimer’s disease progression
• Delirium versus dementia
• Mood disorders in older adults
• Therapeutic environmental management
• Geriatric psychopharmacology concepts
• Memory loss interventions
• Family education for dementia care
• Safety and fall prevention strategies
════════════════════════════════════
1. A nurse is assessing an older adult patient who was admitted with a sudden onset of
confusion and visual hallucinations. Which condition should the nurse suspect first?
A. Alzheimer’s Disease
B. Delirium
C. Vascular Dementia
,D. Major Depressive Disorder
Correct Answer: B
Expert Explanation: Delirium is characterized by an acute, sudden onset of confusion,
altered level of consciousness, and often includes hallucinations, whereas dementia is
progressive and slow.
2. Which of the following is a primary clinical feature that distinguishes dementia from
delirium?
A. Delirium is irreversible and progressive
B. Dementia has a slow, insidious onset
C. Delirium does not affect the level of consciousness
D. Dementia is always caused by an underlying medical infection
Correct Answer: B
Expert Explanation: Dementia is a chronic, progressive condition with a slow onset.
Delirium is acute and usually reversible if the underlying cause is treated.
3. An 80-year-old patient with Alzheimer’s disease often becomes more agitated and
confused in the late afternoon and evening. This phenomenon is known as:
A. Aphasia
B. Agnosia
C. Confabulation
, D. Sundowning
Correct Answer: D
Expert Explanation: Sundowning refers to the increase in confusion and agitation that
occurs in patients with dementia during the late afternoon or early evening hours.
4. A nurse is teaching a family about the medication Donepezil (Aricept) for a patient with
mild Alzheimer’s. What should the nurse include in the teaching?
A. This medication will cure the disease within six months.
B. The medication should be taken on an empty stomach before breakfast.
C. This medication helps slow the progression of cognitive decline.
D. Stop the medication immediately if the patient has a headache.
Correct Answer: C
Expert Explanation: Donepezil is a cholinesterase inhibitor that helps slow the rate of
cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s patients; it is not a cure.
5. Which intervention is most appropriate for a patient in the middle stage of Alzheimer’s
disease who is experiencing moderate memory loss and difficulty with ADLs?
A. Providing complex, multi-step instructions for tasks.
B. Using a strict reality orientation approach multiple times an hour.
C. Encouraging the use of simple, one-step directions.
D. Restricting all physical activity to prevent falls.
