NSG 252 Exam 2 Practice Questions and
Correct Answers
Variability Among Older Adults ✅Physiological, cognitive, and psychosocial health
Levels of functional ability
Dependence vs. independence
Strengths and abilities
Myths and Stereotypes ✅Ill, disabled, and unattractive
Forgetful, confused, rigid, boring, unfriendly, and poor
Unable to learn and understand new information
Not interested in sex or sexual activities
Nurses' Attitudes Toward Older Adults ✅Nurses must assess their own attitude toward
older adults and their own aging.
Nurses need to gain knowledge about aging and health care needs of older adults:
Respect
Dignity
Involvement in care decision and activities
Developmental Tasks for Older Adults ✅Associated with varying degrees of change
and loss
- Health, significant others, a sense of being useful, socialization, income, and
independent living
Coping with
- Retirement
- Residence change
- Death
- Adult children
Assessing the Needs of Older Adults ✅Nursing assessment to ensure an age-specific
approach
The interrelation between physical and psychosocial aspects of aging
Effects of disease and disability on functional status
Tailoring the nursing assessment to an older person
Physiological Changes of older adults: overview ✅Older adults' concepts of health
generally depend on personal perceptions of functional ability.
General survey:
- Begins during initial - nurse-patient encounter
- Quick, but careful, head-to-toe scan
- Eye contact and facial expression
- Presence of universal aging changes
,Physiological Changes of older adults: Integumentary system ✅- skin
- lesions
Physiological Changes of older adults: Head and neck ✅- Facial features = sunken,
wrinkles, etc.
- Visual acuity = decreased
- Auditory changes = decreased
- Salivary secretion = decreased
Physiological Changes of older adults: Thorax and lungs ✅- Respiratory muscle
strength decreases
- Anteroposterior diameter of thorax increases
Physiological Changes of older adults: Heart and vascular system ✅Decreased
contractile strength of the myocardium results in decreased cardiac output
Other physiological changes in older adults ✅- breasts
- Gastrointestinal system and abdomen
- reproductive system
- urinary system
- musculoskeletal system
- neurological system
Functional changes in older adults ✅- Functional status in older adults includes the
day-to-day activities of daily living (ADLs) involving activities within physical,
psychological, cognitive, and social domains.
- Changes are usually linked to illness or to disease and degree of chronicity.
- Performance of ADLs is a sensitive indicator of health or illness.
- Occupational and physical therapists are your best resources for a comprehensive
assessment.
Psychosocial changes in older adults ✅- Retirement
- Social isolation
- Sexuality
- Housing and environment
- Death
Learning needs in older adults ✅- Cognitive and sensory changes are challenges for
teaching older adults
- During assessment, the nurse needs to determine additional needs for teaching and
limitations of the older adult in their capability to learn
- Learn at a slower rate
- Difficulties processing multiple bits of information at one moment
, Healthy People 2020 goals: ✅- Increase the number of older adults with one or more
chronic conditions who report confidence in maintaining their conditions.
- Reduce the proportion of older adults who have moderate-to-severe functional
limitations.
- Increase the proportion of older adults with reduced physical or cognitive function who
engage in light, moderate, or vigorous leisure-term physical activities.
Educating Older Adults ✅- Inadequate health literacy disproportionately affects older
adults in the United States, causing misunderstanding of health information and
subsequent non adherence.
- Nurses must use more than words when teaching older adults
- Assist in selecting, understanding, and using health-related information about
medications
Acute care settings pose risks for adverse events: ✅Delirium
Dehydration
Malnutrition
Health care-associated infections
Urinary incontinence
Falls
Older Adults and Restorative Care ✅Types of ongoing care:
- Continues recovery from acute illness
- Addresses chronic conditions that affect daily functioning
Goal
- To regain or improve prior level of independence, ADLs, instrumental activities of daily
living (IADLs)
Physical Hazards ✅Physical hazards in the environment threaten a person's safety
and often result in physical or psychological injury or death.
examples:
Motor vehicle accidents
Poison
Falls
Fire
Disasters
Environmental Safety ✅Transmission of pathogens
- Pathogens and parasites pose a threat to patient safety
- Educate patients about hand hygiene
- Immunization
Pollution
Air, land, water
Noise
Correct Answers
Variability Among Older Adults ✅Physiological, cognitive, and psychosocial health
Levels of functional ability
Dependence vs. independence
Strengths and abilities
Myths and Stereotypes ✅Ill, disabled, and unattractive
Forgetful, confused, rigid, boring, unfriendly, and poor
Unable to learn and understand new information
Not interested in sex or sexual activities
Nurses' Attitudes Toward Older Adults ✅Nurses must assess their own attitude toward
older adults and their own aging.
Nurses need to gain knowledge about aging and health care needs of older adults:
Respect
Dignity
Involvement in care decision and activities
Developmental Tasks for Older Adults ✅Associated with varying degrees of change
and loss
- Health, significant others, a sense of being useful, socialization, income, and
independent living
Coping with
- Retirement
- Residence change
- Death
- Adult children
Assessing the Needs of Older Adults ✅Nursing assessment to ensure an age-specific
approach
The interrelation between physical and psychosocial aspects of aging
Effects of disease and disability on functional status
Tailoring the nursing assessment to an older person
Physiological Changes of older adults: overview ✅Older adults' concepts of health
generally depend on personal perceptions of functional ability.
General survey:
- Begins during initial - nurse-patient encounter
- Quick, but careful, head-to-toe scan
- Eye contact and facial expression
- Presence of universal aging changes
,Physiological Changes of older adults: Integumentary system ✅- skin
- lesions
Physiological Changes of older adults: Head and neck ✅- Facial features = sunken,
wrinkles, etc.
- Visual acuity = decreased
- Auditory changes = decreased
- Salivary secretion = decreased
Physiological Changes of older adults: Thorax and lungs ✅- Respiratory muscle
strength decreases
- Anteroposterior diameter of thorax increases
Physiological Changes of older adults: Heart and vascular system ✅Decreased
contractile strength of the myocardium results in decreased cardiac output
Other physiological changes in older adults ✅- breasts
- Gastrointestinal system and abdomen
- reproductive system
- urinary system
- musculoskeletal system
- neurological system
Functional changes in older adults ✅- Functional status in older adults includes the
day-to-day activities of daily living (ADLs) involving activities within physical,
psychological, cognitive, and social domains.
- Changes are usually linked to illness or to disease and degree of chronicity.
- Performance of ADLs is a sensitive indicator of health or illness.
- Occupational and physical therapists are your best resources for a comprehensive
assessment.
Psychosocial changes in older adults ✅- Retirement
- Social isolation
- Sexuality
- Housing and environment
- Death
Learning needs in older adults ✅- Cognitive and sensory changes are challenges for
teaching older adults
- During assessment, the nurse needs to determine additional needs for teaching and
limitations of the older adult in their capability to learn
- Learn at a slower rate
- Difficulties processing multiple bits of information at one moment
, Healthy People 2020 goals: ✅- Increase the number of older adults with one or more
chronic conditions who report confidence in maintaining their conditions.
- Reduce the proportion of older adults who have moderate-to-severe functional
limitations.
- Increase the proportion of older adults with reduced physical or cognitive function who
engage in light, moderate, or vigorous leisure-term physical activities.
Educating Older Adults ✅- Inadequate health literacy disproportionately affects older
adults in the United States, causing misunderstanding of health information and
subsequent non adherence.
- Nurses must use more than words when teaching older adults
- Assist in selecting, understanding, and using health-related information about
medications
Acute care settings pose risks for adverse events: ✅Delirium
Dehydration
Malnutrition
Health care-associated infections
Urinary incontinence
Falls
Older Adults and Restorative Care ✅Types of ongoing care:
- Continues recovery from acute illness
- Addresses chronic conditions that affect daily functioning
Goal
- To regain or improve prior level of independence, ADLs, instrumental activities of daily
living (IADLs)
Physical Hazards ✅Physical hazards in the environment threaten a person's safety
and often result in physical or psychological injury or death.
examples:
Motor vehicle accidents
Poison
Falls
Fire
Disasters
Environmental Safety ✅Transmission of pathogens
- Pathogens and parasites pose a threat to patient safety
- Educate patients about hand hygiene
- Immunization
Pollution
Air, land, water
Noise
