Nokea
The 70-year-old client, hospitalized with chest pain, has been functioning independently at home. During the night, the client is found wandering in the hallway and states, 'I can’t find my kitchen. I need a glass of milk.' What is the nurse’s best interpretation of the client’s behavior?
- A. The client most likely had a stroke
- B. The stress of being in unfamiliar surroundings has caused the client’s confusion
- C. The decline in mental status, especially at night, is a normal part of aging
- D. This is an insidious change, and it likely means the client has early dementia
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Stress from unfamiliar surroundings can cause confusion in older adults. No stroke symptoms are noted, mental decline isn’t normal aging, and the change is abrupt, not insidious.
You may also like to solve these questions
The nurse is assessing a healthy middle-aged adult. Which finding should the nurse expect?
- A. Weight gain of 20 pounds in the past year
- B. Tactile fremitus is absent at the apex of the lungs
- C. Counts backward from 100 subtracting 7 each time
- D. Percussion shows heart is larger than at last checkup
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The nurse should expect a middle-aged adult to perform mental tasks like serial 7s. A 20-pound weight gain is excessive, absent tactile fremitus suggests pneumothorax, and heart enlargement indicates a medical issue, not a normal finding.
The nurse assesses that a hospitalized 20-year-old college student is anxious and not able to concentrate when given self-care instructions. Which intervention should the nurse implement to assist the client to deal with the stress of hospitalization?
- A. Have one parent stay in the room when the client is anxious
- B. Encourage using a cell phone or Internet to talk with friends
- C. Contact psychiatry to discuss treatments for depression
- D. Reinforce multiple times how best to perform self-care
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: To enhance coping, the nurse should focus on the developmental needs of a young adult, which include interaction with peers. Using a cell phone or Internet to communicate with friends assists in dealing with hospitalization stress. Parental presence may be intrusive, the client shows no depression, and reinforcing self-care doesn’t address emotional needs.
The 83-year-old tells the nurse, 'I’m not taking my medication because it’s too expensive and I really don’t need it anymore.' Before responding to the client, the nurse should consider that the most common reason for older clients to discontinue their medications is which of the following?
- A. Information about the medications is insufficient
- B. Medications alter the taste of foods that they enjoy
- C. Fear they will live longer than their resources will last
- D. They want the attention from others when they are sick
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Fear of outliving resources is a common reason older adults stop medications, reflecting financial concerns. Lack of information, taste changes, and seeking attention are less common.
The nurse is interviewing a family member of the hospitalized 90-year-old client to assess for common problems associated with an increased risk for falling. Which questions should the nurse ask? Select all that apply.
- A. Has your mother fallen within the past year?'
- B. Has your mother had her annual influenza vaccine?'
- C. When was the last time your mother took a pain pill?'
- D. Does your mother have any problems with urination?'
- E. Does your mother have difficulty falling asleep at night?'
Correct Answer: A;C;D;E
Rationale: Questions about past falls, pain medication, urination issues, and sleep disorders assess fall risk factors. Influenza vaccine is unrelated.
While attending a health fair, the 62-year-old female is found to have many risk factors for osteoporosis. The nurse at the booth recommends that she contact her HCP about scheduling a DEXA (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry) scan. Which risk factors influenced the nurse’s recommendation? Select all that apply.
- A. Hyperthyroidism
- B. Postmenopausal
- C. Overweight
- D. African American
- E. 62-year-old female
Correct Answer: A;B;E
Rationale: Hyperthyroidism, postmenopausal status, and being a 62-year-old female are risk factors for osteoporosis, warranting a DEXA scan. Being overweight and African American are not major risk factors.