Nokea
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?
- A. A decrease in cognition, judgment, and memory
- B. A decrease in muscle mass and bone density
- C. The disappearance of sexual desire for both men and women
- D. An increase in sebaceous and sweat gland function in both men and women
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.
You may also like to solve these questions
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?
- A. Herbal remedies are consistent with holistic health care.
- B. Herbal remedies are often cheaper than prescribed medication.
- C. It is safest to avoid the use of herbal remedies.
- D. There is a need to inform his physician and pharmacist about the herbal remedies.
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.
A nurse will conduct an influenza vaccination campaign at an extended care facility. The nurse will be administering intramuscular (IM) doses of the vaccine. Of what age-related change should the nurse be aware when planning the appropriate administration of this drug?
- A. An older patient has less subcutaneous tissue and less muscle mass than a younger patient.
- B. An older patient has more subcutaneous tissue and less durable skin than a younger patient.
- C. An older patient has more superficial and tortuous nerve distribution than a younger patient.
- D. An older patient has a higher risk of bleeding after an IM injection than a younger patient.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: When administering IM injections, the nurse should remember that in an older patient, subcutaneous fat diminishes, particularly in the extremities. Muscle mass also decreases. There are no significant differences in nerve distribution or bleeding risk.
An occupational health nurse overhears an employee talking to his manager about a 65 -year-old coworker. What phenomenon would the nurse identify when hearing the employee state, He should just retire and make way for some new blood.?
- A. Intolerance
- B. Ageism
- C. Dependence
- D. Nonspecific prejudice
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Ageism refers to prejudice against the aged. Intolerance is implied by the employees statement, but the intolerance is aimed at the coworkers age. The employees statement does not raise concern about dependence. The prejudice exhibited in the statement is very specific.
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?
- A. Increase the frequency of the patients home care.
- B. Have a family member check in on the patient in the evening.
- C. Arrange for the patient to see his primary care physician.
- D. Refer the patient to an adult day program.
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.
A nurse is planning discharge teaching for an 80 -year-old patient with mild short-term memory loss. The discharge teaching will include how to perform basic wound care for the venous ulcer on his lower leg. When planning the necessary health education for this patient, what should the nurse plan to do?
- A. Set long-term goals with the patient.
- B. Provide a list of useful Web sites to supplement learning.
- C. Keep visual cues to a minimum to enhance the patients focus.
- D. Keep teaching periods short.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: To assist the elderly patient with short-term memory loss, the nurse should keep teaching periods short, provide glare-free lighting, link new information with familiar information, use visual and auditory cues, and set short-term goals with the patient. The patient may or may not be open to the use of online resources.