Nursing practice questions with comprehensive rationales
NurseDive Free Nursing Practice Question
An elderly client is admitted to the hospital looking unkempt, with dirty clothing, and she smells of urine.
The nurse is aware this may be:
A. Institutionalism.
Choice A is wrong because institutionalism is not a type of elder abuse but a term that describes the loss of individuality and autonomy that can occur in institutional settings such as nursing homes.
B. Neglect.
Neglect refers to the refusal or failure to provide an elderly person with necessary care, such as food, water, shelter, personal hygiene, medicine, and other essentials of daily living. Signs and symptoms of neglect in elders can include: dehydration, malnutrition, bed sores, fractures, urinary tract infections, contractures, over-medication, elopements, and poor personal hygiene. An elderly client who is admitted to the hospital looking unkempt, with dirty clothing, and smelling of urine may be suffering from neglect by a caregiver or by themselves (self-neglect).
C. Emotional abuse.
Choice C is wrong because emotional abuse is the infliction of mental or emotional anguish by threat, humiliation, intimidation, or other abusive conduct. Signs and symptoms of emotional abuse in elders can include: depression, confusion, withdrawal, isolation from friends and family. An elderly client who smells of urine may not necessarily be emotionally abused.
D. Stubborn behavior.
Choice D is wrong because stubborn behavior is not a type of elder abuse but a personality trait that may or may not be present in an elderly person. Stubborn behavior does not indicate any harm or neglect inflicted upon an older adult by others or themselves.
This question is an excerpt from Nurse Dive's nursing test bank - ATI Custom Sp23 N144 FINAL Proctored Exam. Take the full exam now
Full Explanation
Neglect refers to the refusal or failure to provide an elderly person with necessary care, such as food, water, shelter, personal hygiene, medicine, and other essentials of daily living. Signs and symptoms of neglect in elders can include: dehydration, malnutrition, bed sores, fractures, urinary tract infections, contractures, over-medication, elopements, and poor personal hygiene. An elderly client who is admitted to the hospital looking unkempt, with dirty clothing, and smelling of urine may be suffering from neglect by a caregiver or by themselves (self-neglect).
Choice A is wrong because institutionalism is not a type of elder abuse but a term that describes the loss of individuality and autonomy that can occur in institutional settings such as nursing homes.
Choice C is wrong because emotional abuse is the infliction of mental or emotional anguish by threat, humiliation, intimidation, or other abusive conduct. Signs and symptoms of emotional abuse in elders can include: depression, confusion, withdrawal, isolation from friends and family. An elderly client who smells of urine may not necessarily be emotionally abused.
Choice D is wrong because stubborn behavior is not a type of elder abuse but a personality trait that may or may not be present in an elderly person.
Stubborn behavior does not indicate any harm or neglect inflicted upon an older adult by others or themselves.
Similar Questions
The nurse graduate is reviewing his scope of practice.
Which of the following does he correctly identify as outlining the legal scope of practice for nursing?
A. Nurse Practice Act.
The Nurse Practice Act is a law that outlines the legal scope of practice for nursing in each state. It defines the roles, functions, responsibilities and activities that a nurse is educated, competent and authorized to perform. The Nurse Practice Act also establishes the regulatory bodies that create and implement rules and regulations to protect the public.
B. Nursing process.
Nursing process is wrong because it is a systematic method of providing nursing care, not a legal document that defines the scope of practice.
C. Code of Ethics.
Code of Ethics is wrong because it is a set of principles that guide the moral and professional conduct of nurses, not a legal document that defines the scope of practice.
D. Facility policies and procedures.
Facilitypolicies and procedures are wrong because they are specific guidelines for each healthcare organization, not a legal document that defines the scope of practice.
Full Explanation
The Nurse Practice Act is a law that outlines the legal scope of practice for nursing in each state. It defines the roles, functions, responsibilities and activities that a nurse is educated, competent and authorized to perform. The Nurse Practice Act also establishes the regulatory bodies that create and implement rules and regulations to protect the public.
Choice B. Nursing process is wrong because it is a systematic method of providing nursing care, not a legal document that defines the scope of practice.
Choice C. Code of Ethics is wrong because it is a set of principles that guide the moral and professional conduct of nurses, not a legal document that defines the scope of practice.
Choice D. Facility policies and procedures are wrong because they are specific guidelines for each healthcare organization, not a legal document that defines the scope of practice.
The RN is caring for James, an elderly man, in his home. The client’s son, Brad, is visiting and he plans to take James to the bank so that he can sign a Power of Attorney (POA) for his finances over to Brad. James tells the nurse that he is not ready for his son to take over as POA, but he doesn’t want to make him angry.
What should the nurse do next?
A. Assure the patient that his son has his best interest in mind.
The nurse should not assume that the son has the patient’s best interest in mind (choice A), as this may not be the case.
B. The nurse has no accountability for this situation since it is not a clinical issue.
The nurse should not ignore the situation or dismiss it as a non-clinical issue (choice B), as this would violate the nurse’s ethical and legal obligations.
C. Notify the primary care physician that the patient can no longer care for himself.
The nurse should not notify the primary care physician that the patient can no longer care for himself (choice C), as this may not be true and may infringe on the patient’s autonomy and dignity.
D. Contact the department of aging to report suspected financial abuse.
The nurse has a duty to protect the patient’s rights and well-being, and to report any signs of abuse or neglect. Financial abuse is defined as someone illegally or improperly using an elder’s money or belongings for their own personal use. It is a common form of elder abuse and can have serious consequences for the victim’s physical and mental health.
Full Explanation
The nurse has a duty to protect the patient’s rights and well-being, and to report any signs of abuse or neglect. Financial abuse is defined as someone illegally or improperly using an elder’s money or belongings for their own personal use. It is a common form of elder abuse and can have serious consequences for the victim’s physical and mental health.
The nurse should not assume that the son has the patient’s best interest in mind (choice A), as this may not be the case.
The nurse should not ignore the situation or dismiss it as a non-clinical issue (choice B), as this would violate the nurse’s ethical and legal obligations. The nurse should not notify the primary care physician that the patient can no longer care for himself (choice C), as this may not be true and may infringe on the patient’s autonomy and dignity.
The nurse should respect the patient’s wishes and help him to exercise his rights and choices.
The nurse should also provide support and resources to the patient, such as counselling, legal aid, or social services.
A client is hospitalized and is in police custody after being arrested for driving while intoxicated for the third time. The nurse assigned to the client lost her brother to a drunk driver two years prior.
Which action on the part of the nurse aligns with the professional code of ethics for nurses?
A. The nurse refuses care of the client.
Choice A is wrong because the nurse refuses care of the client. This violates the principle of beneficence, which means doing good and preventing harm to others. The nurse has a duty to provide care to all patients who need it, regardless of their personal opinions or feelings.
B. The nurse delegates all care of the client to an assistant.
Choice B is wrong because the nurse delegates all care of the client to an assistant. This violates the principle of accountability, which means being answerable for one’s actions and decisions. The nurse cannot delegate tasks that require nursing judgment or assessment to an unlicensed person. The nurse is responsible for ensuring that the patient receives safe and competent care.
C. The nurse provides minimal care to keep the client alive.
Choice C is wrong because the nurse provides minimal care to keep the client alive. This violates the principle of non-maleficence, which means avoiding harm or injury to others. The nurse should not provide substandard care or neglect the patient’s needs or preferences. The nurse should strive to promote the health and well-being of the patient.
D. The nurse cares for the patient in the same manner as for other clients.
This aligns with the professional code of ethics for nurses, which states that nurses should respect the dignity, worth and rights of all human beings, regardless of the nature of their health problems or their social or legal status. The nurse should not let personal feelings or biases interfere with the quality of care or the ethical obligations of the profession.
Full Explanation
This aligns with the professional code of ethics for nurses, which states that nurses should respect the dignity, worth and rights of all human beings, regardless of the nature of their health problems or their social or legal status. The nurse should not let personal feelings or biases interfere with the quality of care or the ethical obligations of the profession.
Choice A is wrong because the nurse refuses to care of the client. This violates the principle of beneficence, which means doing good and preventing harm to others.
The nurse has a duty to provide care to all patients who need it, regardless of their personal opinions or feelings.
Choice B is wrong because the nurse delegates all care of the client to an assistant. This violates the principle of accountability, which means being answerable for one’s actions and decisions. The nurse cannot delegate tasks that require nursing judgment or assessment to an unlicensed person.
The nurse is responsible for ensuring that the patient receives safe and competent care.
Choice C is wrong because the nurse provides minimal care to keep the client alive. This violates the principle of non-maleficence, which means avoiding harm or injury to others.
The nurse should not provide substandard care or neglect the patient’s needs or preferences.
The nurse should strive to promote the health and well-being of the patient.