NSG 4067: COGNITIVE FUNCTION
1. A nurse is leading a word-quiz game with a group of nursing home residents because the nurse
knows this activity will assist the residents in maintaining:
A) Fluid intelligence
B) Adaptive thinking
C) Crystallized intelligence
D) Psychomotor memory
Ans: C
Feedback:
Crystallized intelligence refers to vocabulary skills, information, and verbal comprehension.
Fluid intelligence involves a person's inherent abilities, such as memory and recognition, and
involves adaptive thinking. Memory involves retrieval and storage of information.
2. A 69-year-old has recently been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment and has asked the
nurse to help her remember things better. Which of the following nursing diagnoses is
appropriate for this older adult?
A) Knowledge deficit
B) Altered thought processes
C) Health-seeking behaviors
D) Altered health maintenance
Ans: C
Feedback:
The nursing diagnosis of health-seeking behaviors is defined as "the state in which an individual
in stable health actively seeks ways to alter personal health habits and/or the environment in
order to move toward a higher level of wellness." The older adult is seeking help from the nurse
to remember things better so this is the most appropriate diagnosis.
3. A 70-year-old tells a nurse, "I am worried that I'm losing my mind, I have difficulty
remembering names as well as I used to, and I missed two health care appointments in the past
month because I forgot about them." The nurse initiates a memory training program, although
the nurse has been unable to identify any risk factors that might affect the older adult's cognitive
abilities. Which of the following questions is the best approach to evaluating the effectiveness of
the memory training program?
A) "Have you seen an improvement in your memory?"
B) "Are you less worried about your memory now?"
C) "How have the memory training techniques helped you?"
, D) "Are you using the memory training techniques now?"
Ans: C
Feedback:
The question, "How have the memory training techniques helped you?," allows the older adult to
tell the nurse how memory training has helped and is more open-ended than the other options. It
also communicates positive expectations. The question helps identify the techniques that are
most effective for the individual.
4. A nurse assesses a 61-year-old adult who reveals that he can't process as quickly as when
younger, and that "all these people talk about multi-tasking, but I can't do that!" Which of the
following responses by the nurse is appropriate?
A) "Have you had any other symptoms of cognitive impairment?"
B) "Slower processing of information is an age-related change, and there are things you can
do to help with this."
C) "The declines in cognitive skills usually begin around the age or 60."
D) "You shouldn't expect to see a decline the cognitive functions that you use all the time."
Ans: B
Feedback:
Healthy older adults will not experience any significant cognitive impairment that interferes with
daily life, but they will notice minor deficits in some aspects of cognitive function and
improvements in other aspects. The earliest cognitive changes are due to decreased perceptual
speed. The other distracters do not answer his question. It is important for the nurse to address
the client's concerns; in this case, the client is asking if it is expected to already have age-related
functional consequences. Age-related declines in some cognitive skills begin around the age of
40, but there are substantial individual variations in these changes. Cognitive functions that
depend on experience, accumulated knowledge, and well-practiced tasks (e.g., vocabulary) do
not decline in healthy older adults, and may even improve.
5. Which of the following points should the nurse emphasize when educating older adults about
memory and cognition?
A) Long-term memory loss is normal.
B) Using calendars, notes, and imagery can help enhance memory.
C) Drinking caffeinated beverages for mental stimulation is a good idea.
D) Having a diminished capacity for learning is an inevitable part of growing older.
Ans: B
Feedback:
1. A nurse is leading a word-quiz game with a group of nursing home residents because the nurse
knows this activity will assist the residents in maintaining:
A) Fluid intelligence
B) Adaptive thinking
C) Crystallized intelligence
D) Psychomotor memory
Ans: C
Feedback:
Crystallized intelligence refers to vocabulary skills, information, and verbal comprehension.
Fluid intelligence involves a person's inherent abilities, such as memory and recognition, and
involves adaptive thinking. Memory involves retrieval and storage of information.
2. A 69-year-old has recently been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment and has asked the
nurse to help her remember things better. Which of the following nursing diagnoses is
appropriate for this older adult?
A) Knowledge deficit
B) Altered thought processes
C) Health-seeking behaviors
D) Altered health maintenance
Ans: C
Feedback:
The nursing diagnosis of health-seeking behaviors is defined as "the state in which an individual
in stable health actively seeks ways to alter personal health habits and/or the environment in
order to move toward a higher level of wellness." The older adult is seeking help from the nurse
to remember things better so this is the most appropriate diagnosis.
3. A 70-year-old tells a nurse, "I am worried that I'm losing my mind, I have difficulty
remembering names as well as I used to, and I missed two health care appointments in the past
month because I forgot about them." The nurse initiates a memory training program, although
the nurse has been unable to identify any risk factors that might affect the older adult's cognitive
abilities. Which of the following questions is the best approach to evaluating the effectiveness of
the memory training program?
A) "Have you seen an improvement in your memory?"
B) "Are you less worried about your memory now?"
C) "How have the memory training techniques helped you?"
, D) "Are you using the memory training techniques now?"
Ans: C
Feedback:
The question, "How have the memory training techniques helped you?," allows the older adult to
tell the nurse how memory training has helped and is more open-ended than the other options. It
also communicates positive expectations. The question helps identify the techniques that are
most effective for the individual.
4. A nurse assesses a 61-year-old adult who reveals that he can't process as quickly as when
younger, and that "all these people talk about multi-tasking, but I can't do that!" Which of the
following responses by the nurse is appropriate?
A) "Have you had any other symptoms of cognitive impairment?"
B) "Slower processing of information is an age-related change, and there are things you can
do to help with this."
C) "The declines in cognitive skills usually begin around the age or 60."
D) "You shouldn't expect to see a decline the cognitive functions that you use all the time."
Ans: B
Feedback:
Healthy older adults will not experience any significant cognitive impairment that interferes with
daily life, but they will notice minor deficits in some aspects of cognitive function and
improvements in other aspects. The earliest cognitive changes are due to decreased perceptual
speed. The other distracters do not answer his question. It is important for the nurse to address
the client's concerns; in this case, the client is asking if it is expected to already have age-related
functional consequences. Age-related declines in some cognitive skills begin around the age of
40, but there are substantial individual variations in these changes. Cognitive functions that
depend on experience, accumulated knowledge, and well-practiced tasks (e.g., vocabulary) do
not decline in healthy older adults, and may even improve.
5. Which of the following points should the nurse emphasize when educating older adults about
memory and cognition?
A) Long-term memory loss is normal.
B) Using calendars, notes, and imagery can help enhance memory.
C) Drinking caffeinated beverages for mental stimulation is a good idea.
D) Having a diminished capacity for learning is an inevitable part of growing older.
Ans: B
Feedback:
