NR 341/ NR341 COMPLEX ADULT HEALTH EXAM 1 LATEST
ACTUAL EXAM| QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
WITH RATIONALES| LATEST UPDATE 2026
A nurse is caring for a group of older adult clients. Which of the following manifestations indicates one
of the clients is experiencing delirium?
A. A client wants to know the current time while there is a clock on the wall.
B. A client attempts to climb out of bed and repeatedly states she must get home.
C. A client requests extra blankets when the thermostat in the room indicates 25.6 Degrees C (78 F).
D. A client refuses to get out of bed and has no motivation to attend to daily hygiene. - ANSWER: B.
(Delirium is characterized by a change in cognition that occurs over a short period of time. It results from
a secondary physiological condition (e.g., infection, surgery, prolonged hospitalization, hypoxia, fever,
medications) and is a transient disorder. Although delirium can occur with any age, it is more common in
older adults. It frequently progresses in the evening hours and is sometimes called "sundown
syndrome." Delirium is characterized by alterations in memory, agitation, restlessness, illusions, or
hallucinations. A client who becomes acutely confused and agitated may be showing manifestations of
delirium.)
A community health nurse is providing teaching to the family of a client who has primary dementia.
Which of the following manifestations should the nurse tell the family to expect?
A. Decreased auditory and visual acuity.
B. Decreased display of emotion.
C. Personality traits that are opposite of original traits.
D. Forgetfulness gradually progressing to disorientation. - ANSWER: D.
Dementia usually appears first as forgetfulness. Other manifestations may be apparent only upon
neurologic examination or cognitive testing. Loss of functioning progresses slowly from impaired
language skills and difficulty with ordinary daily activities to severe memory loss and complete
disorientation with withdrawal from social interaction.)
A nurse is caring for a client who has dementia. When performing a Mental Status Examination (MSE)
the nurse should include which of the following data? (Select all that apply.)
A. Ability to perform calculations
,B. Level of consciousness
C. Recall ability
D. Long-term memory
E. Level of orientation - ANSWER: A, C, E.
(Evaluating the client's ability to perform calculations is an included component of an MSE. Determining
the client's level of consciousness is not a component of an MSE. Identifying the client's ability to recall a
list of objects or words is an included component of an MSE. Evaluating long-term memory is not a
component of an MSE. Determining the client's level of orientation is an included component of an
MSE.)
A nurse is caring for a client who has dementia due to Alzheimer's disease and was admitted to a long-
term care facility following the death of her partner of 40 years. The client states, " I want to go home;
my husband is waiting for me to cook dinner. "Which of the following responses by the nurse is
appropriate?
A. " this is where you live now."
B. " this is a safer place for you to live."
C. "Tell me what you like to cook for dinner."
D. "Your family said there is no one to care for you at home." - ANSWER: C.
(Alzheimer's disease is a progressive cognitive disorder. Dementia due to Alzheimer's disease means
that the client is experiencing the later stages of the illness with moderately severe to severe cognitive
decline. By asking the client to talk about what she likes to cook for dinner, the nurse is demonstrating
validation therapy by asking the client to talk about the areas that concerned her. The nurse could
continue the conversation by discussing how much the client misses her home and partner. Validation
therapy helps clients who have cognitive disorders discuss their feelings about past events and people.)
A nurse on a long-term care unit is creating a plan of care for a client who has Alzheimer's disease.
Which of the following interventions should the nurse include in the plan?
A. rotate assignment of daily caregivers.
B. provide an activity schedule that changes from day to day.
C. limit time for the client to perform activities.
D. talk the client through tasks one step at a time. - ANSWER: D
(The nurse should plan to talk the client through tasks one step at a time to minimize confusion and
promote independence, which will decrease the client's anxiety level.)
, A nurse is caring for a client who is cognitively impaired. Which of the following rooms will provide a
therapeutic environment for this client?
A. A room adjacent to the nursing station
B. A room without a window
C. A room with dim lighting
D. A room containing personal belongings - ANSWER: D
(A room that contains several of the clients personal belongings assists in maintaining personal identity
and provides a therapeutic environment)
The family of an older adult client brings him to the emergency department after finding him wandering
outside. During the initial assessment, the nurse notes that the client flinches when she palpates his
abdomen yet response to questions only by nodding and smiling. Which of the following factors should
the nurse identify as a likely explanation for the clients behavior?
A. he is hard of hearing
B. pain
C. confusion
D. language barrier - ANSWER: C
(since the client was manifesting signs of confusion before coming to the emergency department and
currently seems unable to understand or respond to speech, the nurse should determine that the client
has confusion)
A nurse is performing a mental status examination (MSE) on a client who has a new diagnosis of
dementia. Which of the following components should the nurse include? (Select all that apply.)
A. grooming
B. long-term memory
C. support systems
D. affect
E. presence of pain - ANSWER: A, B, D
(Grooming is included in an MSE which consists of appearance, behavior, speech, mood, disorders of the
form of thought, perceptual disturbances, cognition, and ideas of harming self or others. Long-term
memory is included in an MSE which consists of appearance, behavior, speech, and mood, disorders of
the form of thought, perceptual disturbances, cognition, and ideas of harming self or others. Support
systems are not included in an MSE which consists of appearance, behavior, speech, mood, disorders of
ACTUAL EXAM| QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
WITH RATIONALES| LATEST UPDATE 2026
A nurse is caring for a group of older adult clients. Which of the following manifestations indicates one
of the clients is experiencing delirium?
A. A client wants to know the current time while there is a clock on the wall.
B. A client attempts to climb out of bed and repeatedly states she must get home.
C. A client requests extra blankets when the thermostat in the room indicates 25.6 Degrees C (78 F).
D. A client refuses to get out of bed and has no motivation to attend to daily hygiene. - ANSWER: B.
(Delirium is characterized by a change in cognition that occurs over a short period of time. It results from
a secondary physiological condition (e.g., infection, surgery, prolonged hospitalization, hypoxia, fever,
medications) and is a transient disorder. Although delirium can occur with any age, it is more common in
older adults. It frequently progresses in the evening hours and is sometimes called "sundown
syndrome." Delirium is characterized by alterations in memory, agitation, restlessness, illusions, or
hallucinations. A client who becomes acutely confused and agitated may be showing manifestations of
delirium.)
A community health nurse is providing teaching to the family of a client who has primary dementia.
Which of the following manifestations should the nurse tell the family to expect?
A. Decreased auditory and visual acuity.
B. Decreased display of emotion.
C. Personality traits that are opposite of original traits.
D. Forgetfulness gradually progressing to disorientation. - ANSWER: D.
Dementia usually appears first as forgetfulness. Other manifestations may be apparent only upon
neurologic examination or cognitive testing. Loss of functioning progresses slowly from impaired
language skills and difficulty with ordinary daily activities to severe memory loss and complete
disorientation with withdrawal from social interaction.)
A nurse is caring for a client who has dementia. When performing a Mental Status Examination (MSE)
the nurse should include which of the following data? (Select all that apply.)
A. Ability to perform calculations
,B. Level of consciousness
C. Recall ability
D. Long-term memory
E. Level of orientation - ANSWER: A, C, E.
(Evaluating the client's ability to perform calculations is an included component of an MSE. Determining
the client's level of consciousness is not a component of an MSE. Identifying the client's ability to recall a
list of objects or words is an included component of an MSE. Evaluating long-term memory is not a
component of an MSE. Determining the client's level of orientation is an included component of an
MSE.)
A nurse is caring for a client who has dementia due to Alzheimer's disease and was admitted to a long-
term care facility following the death of her partner of 40 years. The client states, " I want to go home;
my husband is waiting for me to cook dinner. "Which of the following responses by the nurse is
appropriate?
A. " this is where you live now."
B. " this is a safer place for you to live."
C. "Tell me what you like to cook for dinner."
D. "Your family said there is no one to care for you at home." - ANSWER: C.
(Alzheimer's disease is a progressive cognitive disorder. Dementia due to Alzheimer's disease means
that the client is experiencing the later stages of the illness with moderately severe to severe cognitive
decline. By asking the client to talk about what she likes to cook for dinner, the nurse is demonstrating
validation therapy by asking the client to talk about the areas that concerned her. The nurse could
continue the conversation by discussing how much the client misses her home and partner. Validation
therapy helps clients who have cognitive disorders discuss their feelings about past events and people.)
A nurse on a long-term care unit is creating a plan of care for a client who has Alzheimer's disease.
Which of the following interventions should the nurse include in the plan?
A. rotate assignment of daily caregivers.
B. provide an activity schedule that changes from day to day.
C. limit time for the client to perform activities.
D. talk the client through tasks one step at a time. - ANSWER: D
(The nurse should plan to talk the client through tasks one step at a time to minimize confusion and
promote independence, which will decrease the client's anxiety level.)
, A nurse is caring for a client who is cognitively impaired. Which of the following rooms will provide a
therapeutic environment for this client?
A. A room adjacent to the nursing station
B. A room without a window
C. A room with dim lighting
D. A room containing personal belongings - ANSWER: D
(A room that contains several of the clients personal belongings assists in maintaining personal identity
and provides a therapeutic environment)
The family of an older adult client brings him to the emergency department after finding him wandering
outside. During the initial assessment, the nurse notes that the client flinches when she palpates his
abdomen yet response to questions only by nodding and smiling. Which of the following factors should
the nurse identify as a likely explanation for the clients behavior?
A. he is hard of hearing
B. pain
C. confusion
D. language barrier - ANSWER: C
(since the client was manifesting signs of confusion before coming to the emergency department and
currently seems unable to understand or respond to speech, the nurse should determine that the client
has confusion)
A nurse is performing a mental status examination (MSE) on a client who has a new diagnosis of
dementia. Which of the following components should the nurse include? (Select all that apply.)
A. grooming
B. long-term memory
C. support systems
D. affect
E. presence of pain - ANSWER: A, B, D
(Grooming is included in an MSE which consists of appearance, behavior, speech, mood, disorders of the
form of thought, perceptual disturbances, cognition, and ideas of harming self or others. Long-term
memory is included in an MSE which consists of appearance, behavior, speech, and mood, disorders of
the form of thought, perceptual disturbances, cognition, and ideas of harming self or others. Support
systems are not included in an MSE which consists of appearance, behavior, speech, mood, disorders of
