UPDATED Gerontological Nursing Questions And Answers 100% Verified

The nurse is performing an assessment on an older adult client. What assessment data would indicate a potential complication associated with the skin of this client?- Crusting, Wrinkling, or thinning/loss of elasticity of skin - ANSWER- Crusting- indicates a potential complication The nurse who volunteers at a senior citizens' center is planning activities for the members. What activity would best promote health and maintenance? - ANSWER- Walking 3-5 times per week for 30 minutes. Exercise and activity are essential for health promotion and maintenance. The home health nurse is visiting a client for the first time. While assessing the client's medication, it is noted that there are 19 prescription and several over the counter medications that the client is taking. What intervention should the nurse take first? - ANSWER- Determine whether there are medication duplications. Polypharamacy is a concern in the geriatric population. The nurse is working with older clients in a long term care facility. Which activities performed by the nurse fosters reminiscence among these clients? - ANSWER- Having storytelling hours- clients who like to retell stories or past events need to be provided time to do so. It is a way for the older adult to relive and restructure life experiences and is a part of achieving ego identity. The home care nurse is performing an environmental assessment in the home of an older adult. Which of the following requires immediate nursing action? Unsecured scattered rugs, operable smoke detector, or prefilled medication cassette? - ANSWER- Unsecured scattered rugs- trauma to the older client in the home may be caused by a variety of factors. These include unsteady gait, the presence of unsecured scatter rugs, clattered passageways, and inoperable smoke detectors. The nurse is teaching an older client about measures to prevent constipation. What statement made by the client indicates further teaching is needed? -"I'll walk 1-2 miles everyday" -"I need to decrease fiber in my diet" -"I have a bowel movement everyday" -"I drink 6-8 glasses of water everyday" - ANSWER- "I need to decrease fiber in my diet" -Adequate dietary fiber is an important factor in aiding bowel function. Dietary fiber increases fecal weight and water content and accelerates the transit of fecal mass through the GI tract. Define Ageism. - ANSWER- Ageism is a form of prejudice in which older adults are stereotyped by characteristics found in only a few members of their group. Fundamental to ageism is the view that older persons are different from "me" and will remain different from "me." Therefore, they are portrayed as not experiencing the same desires, needs, and concerns. The nurse is providing medication instructions to an older client who is taking digoxin (Lanoxin) daily. What age related body changes could place the client at risk for digoxin toxicity? - ANSWER- Decreased lean body mass and decreased glomerular filtration rate. The nurse employed in a long term care facility is caring for an older male client. What nursing action contributes to encouraging autonomy in the client? -Planning meals -Scheduling appts -Decorating his room -He chooses activities - ANSWER- Client choosing own activities. Autonomy is the personal freedom to direct one's own life as long as it does not impinge on the rights of others. An autonomous person is capable of rational thought. The home care nurse is visiting an older female client whose husband died 6 months ago. What behavior by the client indicates ineffective coping? - Neglect personal grooming -Looking at old pictures -Participating in senior citizens' program -Visiting her husband's grave - ANSWER- Neglecting personal grooming. Coping mechanisms are behaviors used to decrease anxiety and stress. In response to death, ineffective coping is manifested by an extreme behavior that in some cases may be harmful to the individual. The nurse is providing instructions to a nursing assistant regarding care of an older client with hearing loss. The nurse tells the assistant that clients with a hear loss: - ANSWER- Respond to low pitched tones. Prebycusis refers to the age related irreversible degenerative changes of the inner eat that lead to decreased hearing ability. As a result of these changes, the older client has a decreased response to high frequency sounds. Low pitched voice tones are heard more easily and can be interpreted by the older client. The nurse is providing an educational session to new employees, and the topic is abuse of the older adult. The nurse helps the employees identify that which client is most typical of a victim of abuse? - 75 y.o man with moderate hypertension - 68 y.o man with newly dx cataracts - 90 y.o woman with advanced Parkinson's dz -70 y.o woman with early dx Lyme dz - ANSWER- 90 y.o woman with advanced Parkinson's dz. Elder abuse is widespread and occurs among all subgroups of the population. Elder abuse includes physical and psychological abuse, misuse of property, and violation of rights. The typical abuse victim is a woman of advanced age with few social contacts and at least one physical or mental impairment that limits her ability to perform activities of daily living. The nurse is performing an assessment on an older client who is having difficulty sleeping at night. What statement by the client indicates education is needed on improving sleep? -"I swim 3 times a week" -"I have stopped smoking cigars." -"I drink hot chocolate before bed" -"I read for 40 min at bedtime." - ANSWER- "I drink hot chocolate before bed" Many nonpharmacological sleep aids can be used to influence sleep. The client should avoid caffeinated beverages and stimulants such as tea, cola, and chocolate. The client should exercise regularly, because exercise promotes sleep by burning off tension that accumulates during the day. The client should sleep on a firm mattress. Smoking and alcohol should be avoided. The client should also avoid large meals, peanuts, beans, fruit and raw veggies that produce gas, and snacks high in fat that are difficult to digest. The visiting nurse observes that the older male client is confined by his daughter to his room. When the nurse suggests that he walk into the den and join everyone, he says "I'm in everyone's way, my daughter needs me to stay here." The most important action for the nurse is to: - ANSWER- Suggest appropriate resources to the client and daughter-in-law, such as respite care and a senior citizens' center. Assisting clients and families to become aware of available community support systems is a role and responsibility of the nurse. Gerontologic Specialty Certification - ANSWER- The number of older people continues to increase; the need for specialized knowledge becomes even more critical in every specialty and every health care setting; In 1974, geriatric nursing was the first certification program offered by the ANA and nursing was the first professional group to develop standards of care and certification in the field of gerontology Define the Neuroendocrine Theory. - ANSWER- Based on the integration of the neuroendocrine and immune systems; emphasis is on the programmed deaths of the immune cells from damage caused by the increase of free radicals as aging progresses; the reduced T cells are thought to be responsible for hastening the age-related changes caused by autoimmune reaction as the body battles itself; healthy cells are mistaken for foreign substances and are attacked.