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Gerontology HESI Exit Exam Practice Test
Bank 300 Complete Questions with
Detailed Answers and Rationales
SECTION 1: NORMAL AGING CHANGES AND ASSESSMENT
Question 1
A frail elderly couple asks the registered nurse if they have to watch their salt
intake because food does not taste as good as it used to so they have to
season most foods. What information should the RN offer the couple?
A. Boredom may influence how the taste of food is perceived, and different
seasonings can stimulate taste
B. With age, an increase in sodium intake is needed to compensate for a
decrease in renal function
C. Short-term memory loss and confusion may be the reason they want to
over-season their food
D. Taste buds often are dull due to atrophy so older clients should use other
seasonings instead of salt
Answer: D
Rationale: Taste buds atrophy with normal aging, which influences an older
client's sensitivity to taste and is often compensated for with the use of
stronger tasting seasonings. Boredom, increased sodium needs, and memory
loss are not normal aging processes related to taste changes.
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Question 2
The registered nurse is observing the skin of an older client. Which finding
should the RN document as consistent with the normal aging process?
A. Decreased elasticity
B. Tough and leathery texture
C. Shiny and edematous
D. Excessive hair growth on the head
Answer: A
Rationale: Loss of elasticity is a common finding of the normal aging process.
The skin of elderly clients becomes thin and fragile with aging, not tough and
leathery. Shiny and edematous skin suggests peripheral edema, which is not a
normal aging change. Hair thinning and hair loss are common, not excessive
hair growth.
Question 3
A frail elderly woman visits the healthcare provider because she has been
getting out of breath easily when walking long distances. Which pulmonary
function change should the registered nurse expect to commonly occur with
aging?
A. Decreased residual volume
B. Mild respiratory acidosis
C. Reduced vital capacity
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D. Increased alveoli function
Answer: C
Rationale: With aging, a frail elder is likely to have a reduced vital capacity
due to the loss of elasticity of the lung tissue. With reduced elasticity, residual
volume increases. Arterial pH should not change with normal aging. A
decrease, rather than an increase, in alveoli function can occur due to a
thinning of the alveolar walls with age.
Question 4
An older female client arrives for an annual visit by the urologist due to a
history of changes in serum values related to renal function. What changes
should the registered nurse expect for an older client due to normal aging?
A. Decrease in glomerular filtration rate
B. Hematuria during urinalysis
C. Chronic bladder infections
D. Urinary incontinence
Answer: A
Rationale: GFR often decreases with normal aging due to a decrease in blood
flow through the kidneys, causing renal function test results to vary the
clearance of metabolic waste. Hematuria, chronic bladder infections, and
urinary incontinence are not normal outcomes of aging.
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Question 5
When assessing an older client, which age-related changes in the
cardiovascular system should the registered nurse document?
A. Dyspnea
B. Chest pain
C. Cardiac murmurs
D. Widening pulse pressure
E. Irregular heart rate
Answer: C, D
Rationale: For older clients, the expected age-related changes in the
cardiovascular system include cardiac murmurs and widening pulse pressure.
Dyspnea, chest pain, and irregular heart rate are not normal findings and
require further evaluation.
Question 6
An older adult client is seen in the clinic for problems with urinary frequency,
urgency, and nocturia. The symptoms are an example of which condition?
A. Urinary tract infection
B. Normal aging changes
Gerontology HESI Exit Exam Practice Test
Bank 300 Complete Questions with
Detailed Answers and Rationales
SECTION 1: NORMAL AGING CHANGES AND ASSESSMENT
Question 1
A frail elderly couple asks the registered nurse if they have to watch their salt
intake because food does not taste as good as it used to so they have to
season most foods. What information should the RN offer the couple?
A. Boredom may influence how the taste of food is perceived, and different
seasonings can stimulate taste
B. With age, an increase in sodium intake is needed to compensate for a
decrease in renal function
C. Short-term memory loss and confusion may be the reason they want to
over-season their food
D. Taste buds often are dull due to atrophy so older clients should use other
seasonings instead of salt
Answer: D
Rationale: Taste buds atrophy with normal aging, which influences an older
client's sensitivity to taste and is often compensated for with the use of
stronger tasting seasonings. Boredom, increased sodium needs, and memory
loss are not normal aging processes related to taste changes.
, 2
Question 2
The registered nurse is observing the skin of an older client. Which finding
should the RN document as consistent with the normal aging process?
A. Decreased elasticity
B. Tough and leathery texture
C. Shiny and edematous
D. Excessive hair growth on the head
Answer: A
Rationale: Loss of elasticity is a common finding of the normal aging process.
The skin of elderly clients becomes thin and fragile with aging, not tough and
leathery. Shiny and edematous skin suggests peripheral edema, which is not a
normal aging change. Hair thinning and hair loss are common, not excessive
hair growth.
Question 3
A frail elderly woman visits the healthcare provider because she has been
getting out of breath easily when walking long distances. Which pulmonary
function change should the registered nurse expect to commonly occur with
aging?
A. Decreased residual volume
B. Mild respiratory acidosis
C. Reduced vital capacity
, 3
D. Increased alveoli function
Answer: C
Rationale: With aging, a frail elder is likely to have a reduced vital capacity
due to the loss of elasticity of the lung tissue. With reduced elasticity, residual
volume increases. Arterial pH should not change with normal aging. A
decrease, rather than an increase, in alveoli function can occur due to a
thinning of the alveolar walls with age.
Question 4
An older female client arrives for an annual visit by the urologist due to a
history of changes in serum values related to renal function. What changes
should the registered nurse expect for an older client due to normal aging?
A. Decrease in glomerular filtration rate
B. Hematuria during urinalysis
C. Chronic bladder infections
D. Urinary incontinence
Answer: A
Rationale: GFR often decreases with normal aging due to a decrease in blood
flow through the kidneys, causing renal function test results to vary the
clearance of metabolic waste. Hematuria, chronic bladder infections, and
urinary incontinence are not normal outcomes of aging.
, 4
Question 5
When assessing an older client, which age-related changes in the
cardiovascular system should the registered nurse document?
A. Dyspnea
B. Chest pain
C. Cardiac murmurs
D. Widening pulse pressure
E. Irregular heart rate
Answer: C, D
Rationale: For older clients, the expected age-related changes in the
cardiovascular system include cardiac murmurs and widening pulse pressure.
Dyspnea, chest pain, and irregular heart rate are not normal findings and
require further evaluation.
Question 6
An older adult client is seen in the clinic for problems with urinary frequency,
urgency, and nocturia. The symptoms are an example of which condition?
A. Urinary tract infection
B. Normal aging changes
