NUR 353 EXAM 4 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS | NUR 353 EXAM 4
STUDY GUIDE & PRACTICE TEST 2026/2027
The state or quality of being mobile or movable - Correct answer ✔✔ Mobility
The state of not moving; motionless, not being able to move - Correct answer ✔✔ Immobility
A term that encompasses similar concepts and includes nursing diagnoses related to inactivity.
Risks for this include impaired skin integrity, constipation, altered respiratory function, altered
peripheral tissue perfusion, activity intolerance, impaired physical mobility, injury, altered
sensory perception, powerlessness, and body image disturbance. - Correct answer ✔✔ Disuse
syndrome
A general downslide of overall physical strength and endurance. Although most patients might
have a tweak of this after a big surgery or major illness, this term is usually applied when a
formerly independent, or mostly independent, person is now not able to perform routine
activities, like their ADLs, and IADLs, and their progress continues to decline. - Correct answer
✔✔ Deconditioned
List two screening tools to detect mobility/immobility. - Correct answer ✔✔ 1. Osteoporosis
2. Fall risk assessment
When should fall assessment screening tools be used? - Correct answer ✔✔ Look in Giddens
List some general care guidelines for a patient who is immobilized. - Correct answer ✔✔ 1.
Frequent turning and changing positions every 2 hours in bed or 30 minutes in a chair.
2. Frequent skin assessment and skin care.
3. Range of motion exercises
4. Deep breathing exercises
,5. Weight bearing exercises if possible
5. Measures to optimize elimination, such as high fluids, high fiber, and laxatives or stool
softeners.
6. Ambulation, stretches, balance
What should you give to a patient before moving around to decrease pain when moving their
joints? - Correct answer ✔✔ Anti-inflammatory and pain medications
A disruption or break in the continuity of bone - Correct answer ✔✔ Fracture
The break goes completely through the bone - Correct answer ✔✔ Complete fracture
Occurs partly across a bone shaft but the bone is still intact - Correct answer ✔✔ Incomplete
fracture
Describe the metabolic changes that occur with immobility. - Correct answer ✔✔ 1. Decreases
metabolic rate, altering the metabolism of carbs, fats, and proteins
2. Fluid, electrolyte and calcium imbalances
3. Decreased appetite
4. Slowed peristalsis
5. Endocrine system is altered
6. Hypercalcemia, calcium is released from the bones in immobile patients, which can cause
pathologic fractures because there is not enough calcium in the bones!
You are caring for a patient who is immobile. Which of the following electrolyte imbalances
would you expect in a patient who has been immobile?
a. Hypercalcemia
,b. Hypokalemia
c. Hyponatremia
d. Hypermagnesemia - Correct answer ✔✔ A (In immobile people, calcium is released from
their bones into their blood stream. Normally, your kidneys will excrete this calcium but if they
are unable to respond appropriately, hypercalcemia results.)
List some gastrointestinal impairments caused by decreased mobility. - Correct answer ✔✔ 1.
Constipation
2. Fluid intake decreases, risk for dehydration
3. Anorexia
List two respiratory changes that occur with immobility. - Correct answer ✔✔ 1. Atelectasis
(Collapse of alveoli)
2. Hypostatic pneumonia (Inflammation of the lung from stasis or pooling of secretions)
List three cardiovascular changes that occur with immobility. - Correct answer ✔✔ 1.
Orthostatic hypotension
2. Thrombus formation
3. Decreased cardiac output, resulting in increased workload
List some musculoskeletal changes associated with immobility. (6) - Correct answer ✔✔ 1. Loss
of endurance, strength and muscle mass and decreased stability and balance
2. Decreased muscle mass
3. Joint abnormalities (contractures--From muscle disuse, atrophy and shortening of the muscle
fibers)
4. Disuse osteoporosis (Osteoporosis from immobility)
5. Pathological fractures from disuse osteoporosis
6. Impaired calcium metabolism
, List 3 urinary complications associated with immobility. - Correct answer ✔✔ 1. Urinary stasis
from lack of gravity pulling the urine from the renal pelvis into the ureters to the bladder.
2. UTIs from urinary stasis
3. Renal calculi from hypercalcemia
List one integumentary complication associated with immobility. - Correct answer ✔✔ Pressure
ulcers
List some psychosocial effects seen with immobility. - Correct answer ✔✔ 1. Social isolation
2. Helplessness
3. Loneliness
4. Depression
An older-adult patient has been bedridden for 2 weeks. Which of the following complaints by
the patient indicates to the nurse that he or she is developing a complication of immobility?
a. Loss of appetite
b. Gum soreness
c. Difficulty swallowing
d. Left-ankle joint stiffness - Correct answer ✔✔ D (Patients whose mobility is restricted require
range-of-motion (ROM) exercises daily to reduce the hazards of immobility. Temporary
immobilization results in some muscle atrophy, loss of muscle tone, and joint stiffness. Two
weeks of joint immobilization without ROM can quickly result in contractures.)
An older adult has limited mobility as a result of a total knee replacement. During assessment
you note that the patient has difficulty breathing while lying flat. Which of the following
assessment data support a possible pulmonary problem related to impaired mobility?
Select all that apply.
STUDY GUIDE & PRACTICE TEST 2026/2027
The state or quality of being mobile or movable - Correct answer ✔✔ Mobility
The state of not moving; motionless, not being able to move - Correct answer ✔✔ Immobility
A term that encompasses similar concepts and includes nursing diagnoses related to inactivity.
Risks for this include impaired skin integrity, constipation, altered respiratory function, altered
peripheral tissue perfusion, activity intolerance, impaired physical mobility, injury, altered
sensory perception, powerlessness, and body image disturbance. - Correct answer ✔✔ Disuse
syndrome
A general downslide of overall physical strength and endurance. Although most patients might
have a tweak of this after a big surgery or major illness, this term is usually applied when a
formerly independent, or mostly independent, person is now not able to perform routine
activities, like their ADLs, and IADLs, and their progress continues to decline. - Correct answer
✔✔ Deconditioned
List two screening tools to detect mobility/immobility. - Correct answer ✔✔ 1. Osteoporosis
2. Fall risk assessment
When should fall assessment screening tools be used? - Correct answer ✔✔ Look in Giddens
List some general care guidelines for a patient who is immobilized. - Correct answer ✔✔ 1.
Frequent turning and changing positions every 2 hours in bed or 30 minutes in a chair.
2. Frequent skin assessment and skin care.
3. Range of motion exercises
4. Deep breathing exercises
,5. Weight bearing exercises if possible
5. Measures to optimize elimination, such as high fluids, high fiber, and laxatives or stool
softeners.
6. Ambulation, stretches, balance
What should you give to a patient before moving around to decrease pain when moving their
joints? - Correct answer ✔✔ Anti-inflammatory and pain medications
A disruption or break in the continuity of bone - Correct answer ✔✔ Fracture
The break goes completely through the bone - Correct answer ✔✔ Complete fracture
Occurs partly across a bone shaft but the bone is still intact - Correct answer ✔✔ Incomplete
fracture
Describe the metabolic changes that occur with immobility. - Correct answer ✔✔ 1. Decreases
metabolic rate, altering the metabolism of carbs, fats, and proteins
2. Fluid, electrolyte and calcium imbalances
3. Decreased appetite
4. Slowed peristalsis
5. Endocrine system is altered
6. Hypercalcemia, calcium is released from the bones in immobile patients, which can cause
pathologic fractures because there is not enough calcium in the bones!
You are caring for a patient who is immobile. Which of the following electrolyte imbalances
would you expect in a patient who has been immobile?
a. Hypercalcemia
,b. Hypokalemia
c. Hyponatremia
d. Hypermagnesemia - Correct answer ✔✔ A (In immobile people, calcium is released from
their bones into their blood stream. Normally, your kidneys will excrete this calcium but if they
are unable to respond appropriately, hypercalcemia results.)
List some gastrointestinal impairments caused by decreased mobility. - Correct answer ✔✔ 1.
Constipation
2. Fluid intake decreases, risk for dehydration
3. Anorexia
List two respiratory changes that occur with immobility. - Correct answer ✔✔ 1. Atelectasis
(Collapse of alveoli)
2. Hypostatic pneumonia (Inflammation of the lung from stasis or pooling of secretions)
List three cardiovascular changes that occur with immobility. - Correct answer ✔✔ 1.
Orthostatic hypotension
2. Thrombus formation
3. Decreased cardiac output, resulting in increased workload
List some musculoskeletal changes associated with immobility. (6) - Correct answer ✔✔ 1. Loss
of endurance, strength and muscle mass and decreased stability and balance
2. Decreased muscle mass
3. Joint abnormalities (contractures--From muscle disuse, atrophy and shortening of the muscle
fibers)
4. Disuse osteoporosis (Osteoporosis from immobility)
5. Pathological fractures from disuse osteoporosis
6. Impaired calcium metabolism
, List 3 urinary complications associated with immobility. - Correct answer ✔✔ 1. Urinary stasis
from lack of gravity pulling the urine from the renal pelvis into the ureters to the bladder.
2. UTIs from urinary stasis
3. Renal calculi from hypercalcemia
List one integumentary complication associated with immobility. - Correct answer ✔✔ Pressure
ulcers
List some psychosocial effects seen with immobility. - Correct answer ✔✔ 1. Social isolation
2. Helplessness
3. Loneliness
4. Depression
An older-adult patient has been bedridden for 2 weeks. Which of the following complaints by
the patient indicates to the nurse that he or she is developing a complication of immobility?
a. Loss of appetite
b. Gum soreness
c. Difficulty swallowing
d. Left-ankle joint stiffness - Correct answer ✔✔ D (Patients whose mobility is restricted require
range-of-motion (ROM) exercises daily to reduce the hazards of immobility. Temporary
immobilization results in some muscle atrophy, loss of muscle tone, and joint stiffness. Two
weeks of joint immobilization without ROM can quickly result in contractures.)
An older adult has limited mobility as a result of a total knee replacement. During assessment
you note that the patient has difficulty breathing while lying flat. Which of the following
assessment data support a possible pulmonary problem related to impaired mobility?
Select all that apply.
