ATI LPN
Brunner & Suddarth's Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing 14e (Hinkle 2017)
Chapter 11 : Health Care of the Older Adult Questions
Question 1 of 5
You are the nurse planning an educational event for the nurses on a subacute medical unit on the topic of normal, age-related physiological changes. What phenomenon would you include in your teaching plan?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Normal signs of aging include a decrease in the sense of smell, a decrease in muscle mass, a decline but not disappearance of sexual desire, and decreased sebaceous and sweat glands for both men and women. Cognitive changes are usually attributable to pathologic processes, not healthy aging.
Question 2 of 5
A home health nurse makes a home visit to a 90 -year-old patient who has cardiovascular disease. During the visit the nurse observes that the patient has begun exhibiting subtle and unprecedented signs of confusion and agitation. What should the home health nurse do?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: In more than half of the cases, sudden confusion and hallucinations are evident in multi-infarct dementia. This condition is also associated with cardiovascular disease. Having the patients home care increased does not address the problem, neither does having a family member check on the patient in the evening. Referring the patient to an adult day program may be beneficial to the patient, but it does not address the acute problem the patient is having, the nurse should arrange for the patient to see his primary care physician.
Question 3 of 5
The home health nurse is making an initial home visit to a 76-year-old widower. The patient takes multiple medications for the treatment of varied chronic health problems. The patient states that he has also begun taking some herbal remedies. What should the nurse be sure to include in the patients teaching?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Herbal remedies combined with prescribed medications can lead to interactions that may be toxic. Patients should notify the physician and pharmacist of any herbal remedies they are using. Even though herbal remedies are considered holistic, this is not something that is necessary to include in the patients teaching. Herbal remedies may be cheaper than prescribed medicine, but this is still not something that is necessary to include in the patients teaching. For most people, it is not necessary to wholly avoid herbal remedies.
Question 4 of 5
You are the nurse caring for an elderly patient who is being treated for community-acquired pneumonia. Since the time of admission, the patient has been disoriented and agitated to varying degrees. Appropriate referrals were made and the patient was subsequently diagnosed with dementia. What nursing diagnosis should the nurse prioritize when planning this patients care?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Acute confusion is a priority problem in patients with dementia, and it is an immediate threat to their health and safety. Hopelessness and social isolation are plausible problems, but the patients cognition is a priority. The patients risk for infection is not directly influenced by dementia.
Question 5 of 5
You are caring for a patient with late-stage Alzheimers disease. The patients wife tells you that the patient has now become completely dependent and that she feels guilty if she takes any time for herself. What outcomes would be appropriate for the nurse to develop to assist the patients wife?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: For prolonged periods, it is not uncommon for caregivers to neglect their own emotional and health needs. The caregiver must learn to distinguish obligations that she must fulfill and limit those that are not completely necessary. The caregiver can tell the patient when she leaves, but she should not expect that the patient will remember or will not become angry with her for leaving. The caregiver should not leave the patient home alone for any length of time because it may compromise the patients safety. Being thoughtful and selective with her time and energy is not synonymous with prioritizing her own health over that of the patient; it is more indicative of balance and sustainability.