NUR 2214
Nursing Care of
the Older Adult
Quiz 2 Review
Rasmussen University | 2026/2027 Academic Year
50 Questions with Comprehensive Rationales
Aligned with 2026/2027 Rasmussen NUR 2214 Course Competencies
Exam Specifications
25% Recall | 55% Application | 20% Analysis
75% Scenario-Based | 20% Direct Recall | 5% Clinical Judgment
, Instructions: Select the BEST answer for each question. Each question has four options (A-D) with one correct answer. A detailed
rationale follows each question explaining the correct answer and why the distractors are incorrect.
Section 1: Normal Aging Changes and Assessment (Physiological and Psychosocial)
Q1-Q15
Q1: An 82-year-old patient reports feeling dizzy when standing up quickly. The nurse assesses the patient in
supine, sitting, and standing positions. Which age-related cardiovascular change most contributes to this
symptom?
A. Decreased maximal heart rate during exercise
B. Increased systolic blood pressure with aging
C. Decreased baroreceptor response leading to orthostatic hypotension [CORRECT]
D. Thickened heart valves causing regurgitation
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Decreased baroreceptor response is a normal aging change that impairs the body's ability to rapidly adjust blood pressure when
changing positions, leading to orthostatic hypotension and dizziness. While increased systolic BP (B) and thickened valves (D) are also
age-related cardiovascular changes, they do not directly cause positional dizziness. Decreased maximal heart rate (A) affects exercise
tolerance, not positional BP regulation.
Q2: A nurse is assessing a 78-year-old patient who appears confused and lethargic. The patient's temperature
is only mildly elevated at 100.4 F. Which age-related respiratory change contributes to the increased
susceptibility to respiratory infections in older adults?
A. Decreased lung elasticity and diminished cough reflex [CORRECT]
B. Increased vital capacity with aging
C. Enhanced ciliary action clearing secretions
D. Increased tidal volume improving oxygenation
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Decreased lung elasticity, diminished cough reflex, decreased ciliary action, and increased residual volume all reduce the older
adult's ability to clear pathogens, increasing susceptibility to respiratory infections. Vital capacity actually decreases (B), ciliary action
diminishes (C), and tidal volume is not increased (D). The altered cough reflex also means infections may present atypically without classic
symptoms.
Q3: An older adult patient reports difficulty reading the newspaper despite wearing reading glasses. The
nurse understands that which age-related vision change is most likely responsible?
A. Presbyopia causing decreased near vision [CORRECT]
B. Macular degeneration causing central vision loss
C. Glaucoma causing peripheral vision loss
D. Cataracts causing cloudy lens opacification
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Presbyopia, the loss of lens elasticity with aging, causes progressive difficulty with near vision. This is the most common
age-related vision change and typically begins in the 40s. While cataracts (D), glaucoma (C), and macular degeneration (B) are also
age-related, they present with different symptoms: cloudy vision, peripheral vision loss, and central vision loss respectively, not simply
difficulty reading.
Q4: A nurse is educating a group of older adults about fall prevention. Which age-related change should the
nurse identify as contributing most to increased fall risk?
A. Decreased bone density from osteoporosis
B. Decreased proprioception and delayed reflex responses [CORRECT]
C. Decreased muscle mass from sarcopenia
D. Decreased subcutaneous fat padding
NUR 2214 Quiz 2 Review 2026/2027 | Page 2
Nursing Care of
the Older Adult
Quiz 2 Review
Rasmussen University | 2026/2027 Academic Year
50 Questions with Comprehensive Rationales
Aligned with 2026/2027 Rasmussen NUR 2214 Course Competencies
Exam Specifications
25% Recall | 55% Application | 20% Analysis
75% Scenario-Based | 20% Direct Recall | 5% Clinical Judgment
, Instructions: Select the BEST answer for each question. Each question has four options (A-D) with one correct answer. A detailed
rationale follows each question explaining the correct answer and why the distractors are incorrect.
Section 1: Normal Aging Changes and Assessment (Physiological and Psychosocial)
Q1-Q15
Q1: An 82-year-old patient reports feeling dizzy when standing up quickly. The nurse assesses the patient in
supine, sitting, and standing positions. Which age-related cardiovascular change most contributes to this
symptom?
A. Decreased maximal heart rate during exercise
B. Increased systolic blood pressure with aging
C. Decreased baroreceptor response leading to orthostatic hypotension [CORRECT]
D. Thickened heart valves causing regurgitation
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Decreased baroreceptor response is a normal aging change that impairs the body's ability to rapidly adjust blood pressure when
changing positions, leading to orthostatic hypotension and dizziness. While increased systolic BP (B) and thickened valves (D) are also
age-related cardiovascular changes, they do not directly cause positional dizziness. Decreased maximal heart rate (A) affects exercise
tolerance, not positional BP regulation.
Q2: A nurse is assessing a 78-year-old patient who appears confused and lethargic. The patient's temperature
is only mildly elevated at 100.4 F. Which age-related respiratory change contributes to the increased
susceptibility to respiratory infections in older adults?
A. Decreased lung elasticity and diminished cough reflex [CORRECT]
B. Increased vital capacity with aging
C. Enhanced ciliary action clearing secretions
D. Increased tidal volume improving oxygenation
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Decreased lung elasticity, diminished cough reflex, decreased ciliary action, and increased residual volume all reduce the older
adult's ability to clear pathogens, increasing susceptibility to respiratory infections. Vital capacity actually decreases (B), ciliary action
diminishes (C), and tidal volume is not increased (D). The altered cough reflex also means infections may present atypically without classic
symptoms.
Q3: An older adult patient reports difficulty reading the newspaper despite wearing reading glasses. The
nurse understands that which age-related vision change is most likely responsible?
A. Presbyopia causing decreased near vision [CORRECT]
B. Macular degeneration causing central vision loss
C. Glaucoma causing peripheral vision loss
D. Cataracts causing cloudy lens opacification
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Presbyopia, the loss of lens elasticity with aging, causes progressive difficulty with near vision. This is the most common
age-related vision change and typically begins in the 40s. While cataracts (D), glaucoma (C), and macular degeneration (B) are also
age-related, they present with different symptoms: cloudy vision, peripheral vision loss, and central vision loss respectively, not simply
difficulty reading.
Q4: A nurse is educating a group of older adults about fall prevention. Which age-related change should the
nurse identify as contributing most to increased fall risk?
A. Decreased bone density from osteoporosis
B. Decreased proprioception and delayed reflex responses [CORRECT]
C. Decreased muscle mass from sarcopenia
D. Decreased subcutaneous fat padding
NUR 2214 Quiz 2 Review 2026/2027 | Page 2
