MODULE II — BASIC SKILLS FOR GERONTOLOGIC NURSING

Name: _______________________________ Section: _____________ Score: _______/50

PART I. MULTIPLE CHOICE (Items 1–40)

Read each item carefully. Encircle the letter of the BEST answer.
1. Health promotion is best defined as activities that:
a. Preserve a person's present state of health
b. Improve or advance a person's health
c. Treat existing acute illnesses
d. Restore function after disability
2. Which statement about dental visits for older adults is correct?
a. They are needed only for those with natural teeth
b. They are recommended yearly for all older adults, even those with dentures
c. They are unnecessary with proper brushing three times daily
d. They are needed only when pain occurs
3. An older adult repeatedly fails to take prescribed medications and misses appointments. The most appropriate
nursing diagnosis is:
a. Knowledge deficit
b. Disturbed thought processes
c. Noncompliance
d. Impaired physical mobility
4. Which immunization should older adults receive on a yearly basis?
a. Pneumonia vaccine
b. Influenza vaccine
c. Polio vaccine
d. Tetanus vaccine
5. The recommended diet for most older adults is:
a. High-protein, low-fiber
b. Well-balanced, plant-based
c. High-calorie, high-fat
d. Low-carbohydrate, high-protein
6. How often should a physical examination be obtained, especially for people over age 50?
a. Every 5 years
b. Only when symptoms appear
c. At least once a year
d. Every 6 months regardless of health
7. The examination technique of using the hands to feel for abnormalities such as masses or lumps is called:
a. Inspection
b. Palpation
c. Percussion
d. Auscultation
8. Tapping on an area of the body to produce sounds that help identify fluid or masses is called:
a. Auscultation
 b. Percussion
c. Palpation
d. Inspection
9. Listening to the heart, lungs, or abdomen with a stethoscope is termed:
a. Inspection
b. Palpation
c. Percussion
d. Auscultation
10. Which sign requires prompt medical attention in an older adult?
a. Occasional mild forgetfulness
b. Crushing chest pain radiating to the jaw
c. Slightly dry skin
d. Mild seasonal fatigue
11. A partial or total loss of the ability to use or understand words, often after a stroke, is called:
a. Dementia
b. Aphasia
c. Dysphagia
d. Delirium
12. The optimal distance for close interpersonal communication, in which the nurse is viewed as concerned and
interested, is:
a. Intimate distance
b. Personal distance
c. Social distance
d. Public distance
13. According to proxemics, the intimate physical distance ranges from:
a. 0 to 1.5 feet
b. 1.5 to 4 feet
c. 4 to 12 feet
d. Greater than 12 feet
14. The willingness to attempt to understand the unique world of another person and feel what they feel is:
a. Sympathy
b. Empathy
c. Rapport
d. Transference
15. Which communication technique is MOST effective at establishing an empathetic climate?
a. Direct questioning
b. Confrontational responses
c. Open-ended responses
d. Informing
16. Which action best enhances communication with an older adult?
a. Using terms like 'dearie' or 'honey'
b. Shouting to ensure they hear
c. Identifying yourself and reminding them who you are
d. Asking many rapid questions at once
17. When are older adults MOST responsive to teaching?
 a. When the information is new
b. When the information is relevant to their lives
c. When the information is interesting
d. When the information is presented quickly
18. Communication in which words (spoken or written) are used to transmit information is called:
a. Nonverbal communication
b. Verbal communication
c. Paralanguage
d. Sign language
19. Feeling sorry or sorrow for another's misfortune, based on their circumstances, best describes:
a. Empathy
b. Sympathy
c. Rapport
d. Congruence
20. Which is the FIRST step recommended when beginning communication with an impaired older adult?
a. Speak loudly and quickly
b. Try not to startle the person
c. Ask several questions at once
d. Turn on the TV to relax them
21. Nutrition plays an important role in all of the following EXCEPT:
a. Health maintenance
b. Rehabilitation
c. Prevention and control of disease
d. Increasing chronologic age
22. Body mass index (BMI) is calculated using a person's:
a. Weight and age
b. Weight and height
c. Height and waist size
d. Age and activity level
23. Which vitamin promotes the absorption of calcium and may contribute to skeletal changes with aging?
a. Vitamin A
b. Vitamin C
c. Vitamin D
d. Vitamin K
24. A deficiency of which water-soluble vitamin is commonly seen in older adults and is important in hemoglobin
synthesis?
a. Vitamin C
b. Folacin (folic acid)
c. Niacin
d. Thiamine
25. Vitamin B12 requires which substance, produced by the stomach, for its absorption?
a. Bile salts
b. Intrinsic factor
c. Pepsin
d. Hydrochloric acid only
26. An older resident refuses solid food but takes liquids and has lost 5 lb in a month. The BEST initial nursing
intervention is to:
a. Insert a feeding tube per order
b. Assess for changes in physical or emotional status
c. Start high-nutrient liquid feedings
d. Ask the family to assist with feeding
27. A functional food shown to decrease LDL cholesterol, increase bone density, and reduce breast cancer risk is:
a. Green tea
b. Soy
c. Mushrooms
d. Black rice
28. Malnutrition in older adults is generally MOST prevalent in which setting?
a. Community-dwelling older adults
b. Older adults cared for at home
c. Hospitalized older adults
d. Older adults in residential care facilities
29. When considering an older adult's response to medication, it is MORE important to consider:
a. Chronologic age
b. Physiologic age
c. Gender only
d. Body weight only
30. Because older adults have less total body water, water-soluble drugs such as lithium tend to:
a. Be excreted faster
b. Remain in higher concentrations in the bloodstream
c. Bind more to fat tissue
d. Have reduced therapeutic effect
31. The 'start low, go slow' rule for older adults primarily relates to which part of the CARE acronym?
a. Caution/compliance
b. Adjust
c. Review regimen
d. Educate
32. The prescription or use of more medications than are clinically indicated is termed:
a. Adherence
b. Polypharmacy
c. Titration
d. First-pass effect
33. The primary site of drug metabolism in the body is the:
a. Kidney
b. Liver
c. Stomach
d. Spleen
34. Aging kidneys are less effective at drug excretion, which leads to:
a. Lower drug levels and reduced effect
b. Elevated drug levels and risk of toxicity
c. Faster clearance of all drugs
d. No change in drug levels
35. Which of the following is NOT one of the traditional 'rights' of medication administration?
a. Right patient
b. Right documentation
c. Right diagnosis
d. Right route
36. Information that can be gathered using the senses of vision, hearing, touch, and smell is classified as:
a. Subjective data
b. Objective data
c. Historical data
d. Cultural data
37. A patient's statement, 'It hurts so much I could die,' is an example of:
a. Objective data
b. Subjective data
c. Physical data
d. Diagnostic data
38. When establishing rapport during an interview, it is BEST to initially address an older adult by:
a. Their first name only
b. A term of endearment
c. Their formal name (e.g., Mr. Rivera)
d. A nickname
39. By a wide margin, the largest number of accidental deaths among older adults results from:
a. Motor vehicle accidents
b. Falls
c. Choking
d. Poisoning
40. Health screenings for older adults are primarily done to:
a. Provide a full diagnosis
b. Identify those needing further, in-depth assessment
c. Replace physical examinations
d. Prescribe medications

PART II. TRUE OR FALSE (Items 41–50)

Write TRUE if the statement is correct. If FALSE, write F and underline the word/s that make the statement incorrect.
41. Health maintenance is an ongoing challenge for older adults, their families, and health care providers.
Answer: ____________________
42. Careful assessment of the aging person's perception of health, health practices, and knowledge of safety is NOT
an important part of nursing care.
Answer: ____________________
43. Early detection of problems and early intervention can prevent more serious complications.
Answer: ____________________
44. It is safe for an older adult to take a medication that was prescribed for a friend if they have similar symptoms.
Answer: ____________________
45. Polypharmacy is a significant problem for older adults, and OTC medications, herbs, and supplements must all be
considered when reviewing the regimen.
 Answer: ____________________
46. Entering an older adult's intimate space without permission is usually perceived as a threat.
Answer: ____________________
47. Aphasia always affects a person's intellectual function.
Answer: ____________________
48. The chance of adverse drug reactions is increased by the normal changes of aging and the higher incidence of
chronic disease.
Answer: ____________________
49. Pain is considered objective data because the nurse can measure it directly.
Answer: ____________________
50. It is never too late for an older adult to stop smoking, and the body can repair some damage once smoking is
discontinued.
Answer: ____________________