Exam 1 - Chapter 2 Flashcards
Serious and well-controlled research studies on aging have been available:
a. only in the past 60 years.
b. since the turn of the 20th century.
c. following the Great Depression.
d. since the year 2000
A - Only in the past 60 years have serious and carefully controlled research studies flourished.
Before that, anecdotal evidence was used to illustrate issues assumed to be universal, making
all the remaining options incorrect.
The son of a nursing home resident asks a nurse: “What is the significance of being certified
in gerontology? I see that you are, but not all of the nurses are.” The best response by the
nurse is which of the following?
a. “National certification as a gerontological nurse is a way to demonstrate special
knowledge in caring for older adults”
b. “National certification in gerontology is required for all nurses who have worked
in this setting for 2 or more years”
c. “National certification is only available to nurses who have a Baccalaureate degree
in nursing”
d. “Only advanced practice nurses, like nurse practitioners, are certified in
gerontology”
A - National certification is a way to demonstrate special expertise in caring for older adults. It is
not required for practice in any setting across the continuum of care, and it is not exclusive to
nurses with Baccalaureate degrees. There is both a generalist and a specialist gerontological
nursing certification. The generalist functions in a variety of settings providing care to older
adults and their families. The specialist has advanced gerontological education at a Masters
level
The major goal of the NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Health System Elders) program
includes which of the following?
a. Improve outcomes for hospitalized older adults
b. Increase the number of older adults cared for in hospitals
c. Increase the number of iatrogenic complications that occur in hospitalized older
adults
d. Decrease 30-day readmission rates for hospitalized older adults
A - The goal of NICHE is to improve outcomes for hospitalized older adults. Although D is a
good outcome for hospitalized older adults, it is not one of the major goals of NICHE, which
are broader. Options b and c are not goals that would improve care for older adults, but would
be negative outcomes themselves.
The impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 on gerontological
nursing includes which of the following? (Select all that apply.)
a. Funding to support advanced education in gerontological nursing
b. Funding to support education of faculty in gerontology
c. Funding to increase the number of direct care workers in hospitals
d. Funding to increase nurse-patient ratios in long-term care
e. Funding for advanced training of direct care workers in long-term care
A,B,E - The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 provides funding for advanced
education in gerontology, education for faculty in gerontology, and advanced training for
direct care workers in long-term care. The act does not address nurse-patient ratios or staffing
issues in any setting.
Which of the following are true statements about the current health care workforce? (Select all
that apply.)
a. Approximately 10% of registered nurses (RNs) are certified in gerontological
nursing
b. The number of geriatricians is expected to increase about 50% over the next 25
years
c. The professions of social work, physical therapy, and psychiatry are demonstrating
the same trends as nursing
d. Europe and the developing countries are experiencing similar shortages in health
care workers with geriatric expertise as in the United States
e. It is anticipated that there will be a need for approximately 3 million additional
direct care and professional health care workers by the year 2030
C,D,E - Less than 1% of RNs are certified in gerontological nursing. The number of geriatricians is
decreasing, not increasing. Responses C, D, and E are all true.
Best practice recommendations for undergraduate nursing education in relation to gerontology
include which of the following? (Select all that apply.)
a. Provision of a “stand-alone” course in gerontological nursing
b. Integration of gerontological content throughout the curriculum
c. Replacement of acute care pediatric clinical experiences with gerontological
clinical experiences
d. Recruitment of nurses with Masters and Doctoral degrees and a specialty in
gerontology to faculty roles
e. Requiring all undergraduate nursing students to obtain gerontological certification
as a requirement for graduation
A,B,D - Best practices include providing a stand-alone gerontological nursing course as well as
integrating gerontology throughout the curriculum. Recruitment of nurses with a specialty in
gerontology and a Masters or Doctoral degree to faculty roles is a critical step in making sure
that the next generation of nurses is prepared to care for older adults. Best practices do not
recommend removing pediatric clinical experiences and replacing them with gerontological
experiences. Nursing certification is only available to practicing nurses who meet specific
education and practice requirements. It is not applicable to nursing students.
Goals of the Eldercare Workforce Alliance include which of the following? (Select all that
apply.)
a. Mandating a minimum of a Baccalaureate degree in nursing in order to care for
older adults
b. Increasing wages of certified nursing assistants (CNAs) in nursing homes
c. Providing loan forgiveness for individuals who assume faculty roles
d. Developing a nursing certification specific to long-term care
e. Adopting cost-effective care coordination models for older adults across the
continuum of care
B,C,E -
A nurse interviews for a job in a hospital that advertises that it is “elderly friendly.” The nurse
would expect to see which of the following in place? (Select all that apply.)
a. An elder-assistance program to help patients remember their appointments and
navigate the hospital services.
b. A long-term care facility that is affiliated with the hospital
c. Rooms furnished with foldout beds for family members/caregivers
d. An initiative to provide gerontological education for all nurses
e. An initiative to increase the number of patients referred to long-term care facilities
A,C,D - The guiding principles of an elder friendly facility include treating each patient as a unique
individual and accommodating the patient and family’s special needs. Other principles include
ensuring that the nurses are clinically competent in gerontological nursing. Tailoring the
environment to support the implementation of these principles is part of this initiative. Option
B is not correct as it does not relate to the concept of an elder friendly hospital. Option E is
not correct since this might not be a supportive intervention for all patients.
Significant factors contributing to the growth of community-based care include: (Select all
that apply.)
a. a decrease in the number of available nursing home beds.
b. rapidly escalating health care costs.
c. older adults’ preferences to “age in place.”
d. inadequate numbers of nurses with gerontological specialty education.
e. decreasing numbers of family caregivers
B,C - Care will continue to move out of hospitals and long-term care facilities because of rapidly
escalating health care costs and individual preferences to “age in place.” There has not been a
decrease in nursing home beds. Although there are inadequate numbers of nurses with
gerontological specialty training, this is not a factor that has impacted the growth of
community-based care. There is projected to be a decrease in the number of family caregivers
as the caregivers themselves to the growth of
community-based care.
Changes in certified nursing facilities in recent years include which of the following? (Select
all that apply.)
a. Increase in the number of subacute beds
b. Decrease in nursing facility length of stay
c. Increase in level of acuity of the residents
d. Decrease in cost of care in the nursing facility
e. Decrease in the number of registered nurses employed in long-term care facilities
A,B,C - Certified nursing facilities have evolved over recent years. Most facilities have subacute care
units that resemble hospital units caring for more patients with higher acuity than in the past.
Therefore, the average length of stay in a facility has decreased. The cost of care in the facility
has increased due to the increased complexity of illnesses treated, and the number of
registered nurses has increased in order to care for these complex patients.
Which of the following factors contribute to poor outcomes for older adults during transitions
of care? (Select all that apply.)
a. Inability to read and understand discharge instructions
b. Inadequate financial resources to purchase medications
c. Lack of desire to comply with discharge instructions
d. Improved medication reconciliation during hospitalization
e. High levels of nurse-patient engagement
A,B - Language and literacy levels and socioeconomic factors are major contributors to poor
transitions of care for older adults. A high level of nurse-patient engagement contributes to
safe and effective transitions. Medication reconciliation during hospitalization, at discharge
and after discharge, decreases medication discrepancies, which are the most prevalent adverse
event following hospital discharge. There is no evidence that patients lack the desire to
comply with discharge instructions.
Identify the best statement about gerontological nursing.
a. Nurses have only recently become involved in the care of the older adult.
b. Gerontological care was the second specialty in which the American Nurses Association (ANA) offered a certification program.
c. Purposes of gerontological nursing include the promotion of health and support for maximal independence.
d. ANA certification is available only for gerontological nurses in research positions.
C - Promoting health and fostering independence are purposes of the practice, as reflected, for example, in the ANA Scope and Standards. Nurses have always cared for older patients. The ANA’s gerontological nursing certification program was the organization’s first and includes a variety of positions, such as nurse practitioners, clinical specialists, researchers, and administrators.
Which gerontological nursing organization welcomes nurses from all educational backgrounds?
a. The National Gerontological Nursing Association (NGNA)
b. The National Conference of Gerontological Nurse Practitioners (NCGNP)
c. The National Association of Directors of Nursing Administration in Long-Term Care (NADONA/LTC)
d. The American Society on Aging (ASA)
A - The NGNA was formed specifically for all levels of nursing personnel: registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs), licensed vocational nurses (LVNs), and certified nursing assistants (CNAs). The NCGNP is, as its name implies, limited to nurse practitioners. The NADONA/LTC is, as its name implies, limited to directors and assistant directors of nursing. The ASA is an interdisciplinary organization not limited to nurses.
Which is an accurate statement regarding gerontological nursing education?
a. Gerontological nursing content has long been integrated into the curriculum of the typical school of nursing.
b. Undergraduate nursing programs extensively cover gerontological nursing in dedicated courses, comparable with the coverage of psychiatric nursing.
c. When content is integrated throughout a curriculum, less than 25% is devoted to geriatric care.
d. Accreditation of a nursing program guarantees that appropriate amounts of gerontological nursing content are included in the curriculum.
C - When content is integrated throughout the curriculum, less than 25% of the content is devoted to geriatric care. Only recently has gerontological nursing content begun to appear in nursing school curricula. Most nursing schools still do not have such courses. At present, no minimum requirements exist for the coverage of care of older adults.
Based on current demographic data, which of the following statements identifies a predictive trend regarding the health care needs of society?
a. Most nurses will not need to care for older persons.
b. More nursing services will be required to serve the needs of the population older than 85 years of age.
c. Fewer nurses will be needed to care for older adults.
d. Older adults expect their quality of life to be less than that of earlier generations at their ages.
B - Projections are that 20% of the American population will be older than 65 years of age by 2050, with those older than 85 years showing the greatest increase in numbers. Most nurses can expect to care for older people during the course of their careers. By 2050, the United Nations predicts that more Americans will be over the age of 60 years than those under the age of 15 years. Older people are better educated and more affluent and expect a higher quality of life than their elders had at their age.
