NUR 401 EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS | 100% VERIFIED WITH RATIONALES | ALREADY | NEWEST UPDATE 2026/2027 | GRADED A+.

NUR 401 EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS | 100% VERIFIED WITH RATIONALES | ALREADY | NEWEST UPDATE 2026/2027 | GRADED A+. "Which teaching strategy is best to utilize with older adult patients? a. Provide several topics of discussion at once to promote independence and making choices. b. Avoid uncomfortable silences after questions by helping patients complete their statements. c. Ask patients to recall past experiences that correspond with their interests. d. Speak in a high pitch to help patients hear better. - CORRECT ANSWER=> ANS: C Teaching strategies include the use of past experiences to connect new learning with previous knowledge, focusing on a single topic to help the patient concentrate, giving the patient enough time in which to respond because older adults reaction times are longer than those of younger persons, and keeping the tone of voice low; older adults are able to hear low sounds better than high-frequency sounds." "An older adult patient has developed acute confusion. The patient has been on tranquilizers for the past week. The patients vital signs are normal. What should the nurse do? a. Take into account age-related changes in body systems that affect pharmacokinetic activity. b. Increase the dose of tranquilizer if the cause of the confusion is an infection. c. Note when the confusion occurs and medicate before that time. 2 | P a g e d. Restrict telephone usage to prevent further confusion. - CORRECT ANSWER=> ANS: A Sedatives and tranquilizers sometimes prescribed for acutely confused older adults sometimes cause or exacerbate confusion. Carefully administer drugs used to manage confused behaviors, taking into account age-related changes in body systems that affect pharmacokinetic activity. When confusion has a physiological cause (such as an infection), specifically treat that cause, rather than the confused behavior. When confusion varies by time of day or is related to environmental factors, nonpharmacological measures such as making the environment more meaningful, providing adequate light, etc., should be used. Making telephone calls to friends or family members allows older adults to hear reassuring voices, which may be beneficial." What defines quality of life varies from person to person. Nurses must listen to what the older adult considers to be most important rather than making assumptions about the individuals priorities." "One of the greatest challenges for the nurse caring for older adults is ensuring safe medication use. One way to reduce the risks associated with medication usage is to a. Periodically review the patients list of medications. b. Inform the patient that polypharmacy is to be avoided at all cost. c. Be aware that medication is absorbed the same way regardless of patient age. d. Focus only on prescribed medications. - CORRECT ANSWER=> ANS: A Periodic and thorough review of all medications is important to restrict the number of medications used to the fewest necessary to ensure the greatest therapeutic benefit with the least amount of harm. Although 3 | P a g e polypharmacy reflects inappropriate prescribing, the concurrent use of multiple medications is necessary in situations where an older adult has multiple acute and chronic conditions. Older adults are at risk for adverse drug effects because of age-related changes in the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of drugs. Work collaboratively with the older adult to ensure safe and appropriate use of all medicationsboth prescribed medications and over-the-counter medications." "What is the best suggestion a nurse could make to a family requesting help in selecting a local nursing center? a. Suggest choosing a nursing center that is as sanitary as possible. The closer the center is to hospital standards, the better. b. Have family members evaluate nursing home staff according to their ability to get tasks done efficiently. c. Make sure that nursing home staff members get patients out of bed every day for the entire day. d. Explain that it is probably best for the family to visit the center and inspect it personally. - CORRECT ANSWER=> ANS: D An important step in the process of selecting a nursing home is to visit the nursing home. The nursing home should not feel like a hospital. It is a home, a place where people live. Members of the nursing home staff should focus on the person, not the task. Residents should be out of bed and dressed according to their preferences, not staff preferences." "An outcome for an older adult patient living alone is to be free from falls. Which of these statements by a patient indicates that teaching on safety concerns has been effective? a. Ill leave my throw rugs in place so that my feet wont touch the cold tile. 4 | P a g e b. Ill take my time getting up from the bed or chair. c. I should wear my favorite smooth bottom socks to protect my feet when walking around. d. I will have my son dim the lighting outside to decrease the glare in my eyes. - CORRECT ANSWER=> ANS: B Older adults taking medications with adverse effects such as postural hypotension, dizziness, or sedation need to be aware of these potential effects and to take precautions such as changing position slowly or ambulating with assistance if unsteady. Household items that are easy to trip over, such as throw rugs, are a risk factor for falls. Other risk factors include wearing shoes in poor repair or slippery soles. Impaired vision and poor lighting are other risk factors." "A 70-year-old patient who suffers from worsening dementia is no longer able to live alone. When discussing health care services and possible long-term living arrangements with the patients only son, what should the nurse suggest? a. An apartment setting with neighbors close by b. Having the patient utilize weekly home health visits c. A nursing center because home care is no longer safe d. That placement is irrelevant because the patient is retreating to a place of inactivity - CORRECT ANSWER=> ANS: C Some family caregivers consider nursing center placement when inhome care becomes increasingly difficult, or when convalescence from hospitalization requires more assistance than the family is able to provide. An apartment setting and the use of home health visits are not appropriate because some older adults deny functional decline and refuse to ask for assistance with tasks that place their safety at great risk. Others avoid activities designed to benefit older adults such as senior health promotion activities (such as some health visits), and thus do not 5 | P a g e receive the benefits that these programs offer. Acceptance of personal aging does not mean a retreat into inactivity, but it does require a realistic review of strengths and limitations." "A patient asks the nurse what the term polypharmacy means. The nurse defines this term as a. Multiple side effects experienced when taking a medication. b. The concurrent use of many medications. c. The many adverse drug effects reported to the pharmacy. d. The risks of medication effects due to aging. - CORRECT ANSWER=> ANS: B Polypharmacy refers to the concurrent use of many medications. It does not have anything to do with side effects, adverse drug effects, or risks of medication use due to aging." "Several theories on aging have been put forth, and the nurse should use these theories to a. Guide nursing care. b. Explain the stochastic view of genetically programmed physiological changes. c. Select one theory to guide nursing care for all geriatric patients. d. Understand the nonstochastic views of aging as the result of cellular damage. - CORRECT ANSWER=> ANS: A Although theories on aging are in various stages of development and have limitations, the nurse should use them to increase understanding of the phenomena affecting the health and well-being of older adults and to guide nursing care. Stochastic theories view aging as the result of random cellular damage occurring over time. No one single universally accepted theory predicts and explains the complexities of the aging 6 | P a g e process. Nonstochastic theories view aging as the result of genetically programmed physiological mechanisms within the body."