A 79-year-old white male tells a nurse, 'I have felt very sad lately. I do not have much to live for. My family and friends are all dead, and my own health is failing.' The nurse should analyze this comment as

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Age Specific Care Quiz Questions

Question 1 of 5

A 79-year-old white male tells a nurse, 'I have felt very sad lately. I do not have much to live for. My family and friends are all dead, and my own health is failing.' The nurse should analyze this comment as

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: evidence of risks for suicide. The elderly man's statement indicates feelings of hopelessness, loneliness, and lack of purpose, which are common risk factors for suicide in older adults. The nurse should assess further for suicidal ideation and intervene accordingly. Choice A is incorrect because the statement goes beyond normal pessimism by expressing thoughts of not having much to live for. Choice C is incorrect as the statement is more indicative of distress rather than a mere call for sympathy. Choice D is incorrect as normal grieving typically involves processing emotions related to a specific loss, whereas the man's statement reflects a broader sense of despair.

Question 2 of 5

Which nursing diagnosis is more relevant for a patient with anorexia nervosa who restricts intake and is 20% below normal weight than for a 130-pound patient with bulimia nervosa who purges?

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D, Imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements. For a patient with anorexia nervosa who restricts intake and is 20% below normal weight, this diagnosis is more relevant as it directly addresses the issue of inadequate food intake leading to weight loss. Powerlessness (A) may not be as directly related to the physical consequences of anorexia. Ineffective coping (B) and Disturbed body image (C) are more commonly associated with bulimia nervosa and do not address the primary concern of malnutrition in this case.

Question 3 of 5

A Hispanic woman comes to the mental health center at the urging of her adult children. The patient has lost 5 pounds since her husband's death 6 months ago and says, "My husband comes to visit me in the night but I cannot understand what he says." How should the nurse analyze this situation? The patient is:

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: Grieving the husband's death. The patient's statement about her deceased husband visiting her in the night and her weight loss following his death indicate a strong possibility of experiencing grief. This is a common manifestation of bereavement, where individuals may have difficulty accepting the reality of the loss and experience hallucinations or illusions involving the deceased. The patient's symptoms are more aligned with the normal process of grieving rather than psychosis. Choices A and B are incorrect because the patient's experiences are likely related to grief rather than auditory and visual hallucinations or imbalanced nutrition. Choice D is incorrect as the patient's statements suggest she is aware of her husband's death but is struggling to cope with it emotionally.

Question 4 of 5

A patient with mania has not eaten or slept for 3 days. Which nursing diagnosis has priority?

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D: Imbalanced nutrition. Priority is given to physiological needs. The patient not eating for 3 days can lead to serious health complications. This nursing diagnosis addresses the immediate risk to the patient's physical well-being. Choices A, B, and C are important but addressing the patient's nutritional needs is the priority to prevent further deterioration in their condition.

Question 5 of 5

A patient with the diagnosis of schizophrenia, disorganized type, approaches the nurse and says, "It's beat, it's eat. No room for doom." The nurse can correctly assess this verbalization as:

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Clanging. Clanging refers to the association of words based on sound rather than meaning. In this case, the patient's verbalization "It's beat, it's eat. No room for doom" demonstrates a pattern of words that rhyme or have similar sounds but lack coherent meaning. This is characteristic of clanging seen in disorganized schizophrenia. Neologisms (A) are newly created words with unique meanings, which is not evident here. Ideas of reference (C) involve misinterpreting unrelated events as being personally significant, which is not demonstrated in the patient's statement. Associative looseness (D) is a thought disorder where ideas are loosely associated, but the patient's statement does not show this specific feature.

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