NURS 601 MIDTERM EXAM: NR601
PRIMARY CARE OF THE MATURING AND
AGED FAMILY PRACTICUM, 2025/2026 WITH
CORRECT/ACCURATE ANSWERS
AT CHAMBERLAIN UNIVERSITY
Covers the first half of the curriculum for Primary Care of the Maturing
and Aged Family Practicum. The exam tests your foundational knowledge
of geriatric care, chronic disease management, and ethical considerations
for older adults.
Core concepts in geriatric care
Management of common chronic diseases
EXAM APPLICATION
Clinical scenarios: Expect case-based questions that require you to
apply your knowledge to make appropriate diagnostic and
management decisions.
Normal aging vs. pathology: You must be able to differentiate
between what constitutes a normal age-related change and a
pathological process requiring intervention.
PRIMARY CARE OF THE MATURING AND
AGED FAMILY PRACTICUM
The rules of fourths
clarifies that changes often attributed to normal aging by the general
public (and sometimes by medical professionals) are caused by disease,
disuse, misuse, and physiology—about one-fourth of the time for each.
,Normal physiologic changes
• The age at which reading glasses are needed because of reduced lens
elasticity is between 42 and 50 years.
• Vestibular sensitivity gradually increases until about age 60 years,
which is one of the reasons why adults have increasing trouble on
amusement park rides as they age.
• Fertility in women peaks between 15 and 25 years and declines
thereafter, with menopause typically occurring about age 50 years.
• Reaction time tends to increase with age (which explains why teenagers
are usually far better at games of speed—including many video games—
than older persons).
• The amount of sway a person will experience if asked to stand still with
eyes closed is high in early childhood, is minimized between about ages
15 and 16 years, and then gradually increases beyond age 60 years.
• Ankle jerk reflexes are increasingly diminished or absent with older age,
in the absence of detectable musculoskeletal pathology.
• Bone density plateaus between ages 20 and 50 years, then gradually
declines, with the slope of decline being more rapid in women than in
men.
Iatrogenic disease
Illness caused by medical interventions, known as iatrogenic illness, is one
of the most common medical problems of older persons.
Which one of the following is most true about the rule of fourths?
a. One-fourth of geriatric problems are iatrogenic.
b. Little can be done to prevent three-fourths of the problems of aging.
, c. For every medical complaint a patient presents with, a careful
assessment can identify three other diagnoses.
d. What used to be called normal aging can be largely explained by
processes that are not normal.
e. A good way to conduct a geriatric assessment is to use four categories:
mental, physical, psychosocial, and environmental
D
Which one of the following is most true about aging changes?
a. Stage 3 and 4 sleep decreases.
b. Renal perfusion is not reduced, but renal function is reduced.
c. Hearing acuity declines beginning in middle age.
d. Prostatic enlargement occurs only in a minority of men.
A
An old woman who is cared for by attentive, cautious, concerned family is
particularly likely to suffer from which one of the following complications
after an episode of gastroenteritis?
a. Immobility related to overconcern
b. Continued vomiting caused by too-rapid feeding
c. Diarrhea resulting from administration of milk products
d. Constipation related to overtreatment of diarrhea
A
Which one of the following is most true about psychological aging?
a. Disengagement tends to promote better psychological health than
continued engagement.
b. Most older adults do not worry about memory loss.
PRIMARY CARE OF THE MATURING AND
AGED FAMILY PRACTICUM, 2025/2026 WITH
CORRECT/ACCURATE ANSWERS
AT CHAMBERLAIN UNIVERSITY
Covers the first half of the curriculum for Primary Care of the Maturing
and Aged Family Practicum. The exam tests your foundational knowledge
of geriatric care, chronic disease management, and ethical considerations
for older adults.
Core concepts in geriatric care
Management of common chronic diseases
EXAM APPLICATION
Clinical scenarios: Expect case-based questions that require you to
apply your knowledge to make appropriate diagnostic and
management decisions.
Normal aging vs. pathology: You must be able to differentiate
between what constitutes a normal age-related change and a
pathological process requiring intervention.
PRIMARY CARE OF THE MATURING AND
AGED FAMILY PRACTICUM
The rules of fourths
clarifies that changes often attributed to normal aging by the general
public (and sometimes by medical professionals) are caused by disease,
disuse, misuse, and physiology—about one-fourth of the time for each.
,Normal physiologic changes
• The age at which reading glasses are needed because of reduced lens
elasticity is between 42 and 50 years.
• Vestibular sensitivity gradually increases until about age 60 years,
which is one of the reasons why adults have increasing trouble on
amusement park rides as they age.
• Fertility in women peaks between 15 and 25 years and declines
thereafter, with menopause typically occurring about age 50 years.
• Reaction time tends to increase with age (which explains why teenagers
are usually far better at games of speed—including many video games—
than older persons).
• The amount of sway a person will experience if asked to stand still with
eyes closed is high in early childhood, is minimized between about ages
15 and 16 years, and then gradually increases beyond age 60 years.
• Ankle jerk reflexes are increasingly diminished or absent with older age,
in the absence of detectable musculoskeletal pathology.
• Bone density plateaus between ages 20 and 50 years, then gradually
declines, with the slope of decline being more rapid in women than in
men.
Iatrogenic disease
Illness caused by medical interventions, known as iatrogenic illness, is one
of the most common medical problems of older persons.
Which one of the following is most true about the rule of fourths?
a. One-fourth of geriatric problems are iatrogenic.
b. Little can be done to prevent three-fourths of the problems of aging.
, c. For every medical complaint a patient presents with, a careful
assessment can identify three other diagnoses.
d. What used to be called normal aging can be largely explained by
processes that are not normal.
e. A good way to conduct a geriatric assessment is to use four categories:
mental, physical, psychosocial, and environmental
D
Which one of the following is most true about aging changes?
a. Stage 3 and 4 sleep decreases.
b. Renal perfusion is not reduced, but renal function is reduced.
c. Hearing acuity declines beginning in middle age.
d. Prostatic enlargement occurs only in a minority of men.
A
An old woman who is cared for by attentive, cautious, concerned family is
particularly likely to suffer from which one of the following complications
after an episode of gastroenteritis?
a. Immobility related to overconcern
b. Continued vomiting caused by too-rapid feeding
c. Diarrhea resulting from administration of milk products
d. Constipation related to overtreatment of diarrhea
A
Which one of the following is most true about psychological aging?
a. Disengagement tends to promote better psychological health than
continued engagement.
b. Most older adults do not worry about memory loss.
