ALZHEIMERS DISEASE DEMENTIA AND
DELIRIUM NCLEX STYLE QUESTIONS
2026 COMPLETE REVIEW WITH
VERIFIED ANSWERS| GRADED A+ |
GUARANTEED SUCCESS
Updated 2026 Questions and Answers | 100% Verified
Exam Prep and Comprehensive Rationales Included
,1. A patient who is hospitalized with pneumonia is a. The patient was oriented and alert when admitted.
disoriented and confused 2 days after admission. Which
information obtained by the nurse about the patient The onset of delirium occurs acutely. The degree of disorientation does not
indicates that the patient is experiencing delirium rather differentiate between delirium and dementia. Increasing confusion for several
than dementia? years is consistent with dementia. Fragmented and incoherent speech may occur
with either delirium or dementia.
a. The patient was oriented and alert when admitted.
b. The patient's speech is fragmented and incoherent.
c. The patient is disoriented to place and time but
oriented to person.
d. The patient has a history of increasing confusion over
several years.
2. When developing a plan of care for a hospitalized b. Remind the patient frequently about being in the hospital.
patient with moderate dementia, which intervention will
the nurse include?
The patient with moderate dementia will have problems with short- and long-term
a. Provide complete personal hygiene care for the memory and will need reminding about the hospitalization. The other
patient. interventions would be used for a patient with severe dementia, who would have
b. Remind the patient frequently about being in the difficulty with swallowing, self-care, and immobility.
hospital.
c. Reposition the patient frequently to avoid skin
breakdown.
d. Place suction at the bedside to decrease the risk for
aspiration.
, 3. When administering a mental status examination to a d. choose a place without distracting environmental stimuli.
patient with delirium, the nurse should
Because overstimulation by environmental factors can distract the patient from
a. medicate the patient first to reduce any anxiety. the task of answering the nurse's questions, these stimuli should be avoided. The
b. give the examination when the patient is well-rested. nurse will not wait to give the examination because action to correct the delirium
c. reorient the patient as needed during the examination. should occur as soon as possible. Reorienting the patient is not appropriate
d. choose a place without distracting environmental during the examination. Antianxiety medications may increase the patient's
stimuli. delirium.
4. To protect a patient from injury during an episode of d. assign a nursing assistant to stay with the patient and offer frequent
delirium, the most appropriate action by the nurse is to reorientation.
a. secure the patient in bed using a soft chest restraint. The priority goal is to protect the patient from harm, and a staff member will be
b. ask the health care provider about ordering an most experienced in providing safe care. Visits by family members are helpful in
antipsychotic drug. reorienting the patient, but families should not be responsible for protecting
c. instruct family members to remain with the patient and patients from injury. Antipsychotic medications may be ordered, but only if other
prevent injury. measures are not effective because these medications have multiple side effects.
d. assign a nursing assistant to stay with the patient and Restraints are sometimes used but tend to increase agitation and disorientation.
offer frequent reorientation.
5. Which action will the nurse in the outpatient clinic b. Schedule the patient for more frequent appointments.
include in the plan of care for a patient with mild
cognitive impairment (MCI)?
Ongoing monitoring is recommended for patients with MCI. MCI does not
a. Suggest a move into an assisted living facility. interfere with activities of daily living, acetylcholinesterase drugs are not used for
b. Schedule the patient for more frequent appointments. MCI, and an assisted living facility is not indicated for MCI.
c. Ask family members to supervise the patient's daily
activities.
d. Discuss the preventive use of acetylcholinesterase
medications.
6. When administering a mental status examination to a a. "I don't know."
patient, the nurse suspects depression when the patient
responds with Answers such as "I don't know" are more typical of depression. The response "Who
are those people over there?" is more typical of the distraction seen in a patient
a. "I don't know." with delirium. The remaining two answers are more typical of a patient with
b. "Is that the right answer?" dementia.
c. "Wait, let me think about that."
d. "Who are those people over there?
7. A 72-year-old patient is diagnosed with moderate d. loss of both recent and long-term memory.
dementia as a result of multiple strokes. During
assessment of the patient, the nurse would expect to find Loss of both recent and long-term memory is characteristic of moderate
dementia. Patients with dementia have frequent nighttime awakening. Dementia is
a. excessive nighttime sleepiness. progressive, and the patient's ability to perform tasks would not have periods of
b. difficulty eating and swallowing. improvement. Difficulty eating and swallowing is characteristic of severe
c. variable ability to perform simple tasks. dementia.
d. loss of both recent and long-term memory.
DELIRIUM NCLEX STYLE QUESTIONS
2026 COMPLETE REVIEW WITH
VERIFIED ANSWERS| GRADED A+ |
GUARANTEED SUCCESS
Updated 2026 Questions and Answers | 100% Verified
Exam Prep and Comprehensive Rationales Included
,1. A patient who is hospitalized with pneumonia is a. The patient was oriented and alert when admitted.
disoriented and confused 2 days after admission. Which
information obtained by the nurse about the patient The onset of delirium occurs acutely. The degree of disorientation does not
indicates that the patient is experiencing delirium rather differentiate between delirium and dementia. Increasing confusion for several
than dementia? years is consistent with dementia. Fragmented and incoherent speech may occur
with either delirium or dementia.
a. The patient was oriented and alert when admitted.
b. The patient's speech is fragmented and incoherent.
c. The patient is disoriented to place and time but
oriented to person.
d. The patient has a history of increasing confusion over
several years.
2. When developing a plan of care for a hospitalized b. Remind the patient frequently about being in the hospital.
patient with moderate dementia, which intervention will
the nurse include?
The patient with moderate dementia will have problems with short- and long-term
a. Provide complete personal hygiene care for the memory and will need reminding about the hospitalization. The other
patient. interventions would be used for a patient with severe dementia, who would have
b. Remind the patient frequently about being in the difficulty with swallowing, self-care, and immobility.
hospital.
c. Reposition the patient frequently to avoid skin
breakdown.
d. Place suction at the bedside to decrease the risk for
aspiration.
, 3. When administering a mental status examination to a d. choose a place without distracting environmental stimuli.
patient with delirium, the nurse should
Because overstimulation by environmental factors can distract the patient from
a. medicate the patient first to reduce any anxiety. the task of answering the nurse's questions, these stimuli should be avoided. The
b. give the examination when the patient is well-rested. nurse will not wait to give the examination because action to correct the delirium
c. reorient the patient as needed during the examination. should occur as soon as possible. Reorienting the patient is not appropriate
d. choose a place without distracting environmental during the examination. Antianxiety medications may increase the patient's
stimuli. delirium.
4. To protect a patient from injury during an episode of d. assign a nursing assistant to stay with the patient and offer frequent
delirium, the most appropriate action by the nurse is to reorientation.
a. secure the patient in bed using a soft chest restraint. The priority goal is to protect the patient from harm, and a staff member will be
b. ask the health care provider about ordering an most experienced in providing safe care. Visits by family members are helpful in
antipsychotic drug. reorienting the patient, but families should not be responsible for protecting
c. instruct family members to remain with the patient and patients from injury. Antipsychotic medications may be ordered, but only if other
prevent injury. measures are not effective because these medications have multiple side effects.
d. assign a nursing assistant to stay with the patient and Restraints are sometimes used but tend to increase agitation and disorientation.
offer frequent reorientation.
5. Which action will the nurse in the outpatient clinic b. Schedule the patient for more frequent appointments.
include in the plan of care for a patient with mild
cognitive impairment (MCI)?
Ongoing monitoring is recommended for patients with MCI. MCI does not
a. Suggest a move into an assisted living facility. interfere with activities of daily living, acetylcholinesterase drugs are not used for
b. Schedule the patient for more frequent appointments. MCI, and an assisted living facility is not indicated for MCI.
c. Ask family members to supervise the patient's daily
activities.
d. Discuss the preventive use of acetylcholinesterase
medications.
6. When administering a mental status examination to a a. "I don't know."
patient, the nurse suspects depression when the patient
responds with Answers such as "I don't know" are more typical of depression. The response "Who
are those people over there?" is more typical of the distraction seen in a patient
a. "I don't know." with delirium. The remaining two answers are more typical of a patient with
b. "Is that the right answer?" dementia.
c. "Wait, let me think about that."
d. "Who are those people over there?
7. A 72-year-old patient is diagnosed with moderate d. loss of both recent and long-term memory.
dementia as a result of multiple strokes. During
assessment of the patient, the nurse would expect to find Loss of both recent and long-term memory is characteristic of moderate
dementia. Patients with dementia have frequent nighttime awakening. Dementia is
a. excessive nighttime sleepiness. progressive, and the patient's ability to perform tasks would not have periods of
b. difficulty eating and swallowing. improvement. Difficulty eating and swallowing is characteristic of severe
c. variable ability to perform simple tasks. dementia.
d. loss of both recent and long-term memory.
