Chapter 01: Gerontological Nursing and Promotion of Healthy Aging
Touhy: Ebersole and Hess’ Gerontological Nursing & Healthy Aging, 6th Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Which statement best relates information regarding characteristics of acute care for the elderly
(ACE) units?
a. They are seldom a part of a hospital facility.
b. They facilitate admission to nursing home situations. Association (ANA) offered a
certification program.
c. They support promotion of health and support for maximal independence.
d. Their purpose is to rehabilitate any hospital incurred functional disability.
ANS: C
ACE units are distinct areas of a hospital specifically designed to reduce the incidence of
functional disability of older adults occurring during hospitalization for acute medical illness
by proactively identifying and managing geriatric syndromes to help maintain the patient’s
function, reducing admission to nursing homes, and lowering the cost of hospitalizations.
PTS: 1 DIF: Remember REF: 6
TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment MSC: Health Promotion and Maintenance
2. 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)
ANS: 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.
PTS: 1 DIF: Remember REF: 3 | 4
TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment MSC: Health Promotion and Maintenance
3. Which statement accurately describes 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. The Hartford Foundation has funded significant work regarding the specialty of
gerontological nursing.
d. Accreditation of a nursing program guarantees that appropriate amounts of
gerontological nursing content are included in the curriculum.
, ANS: C
The most significant influence in enhancing the specialty of gerontological nursing has been
the work of The Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, established in 1996 and funded by
the John A. Hartford Foundation. 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.
PTS: 1 DIF: Remember REF: 3 TOP: Teaching/Learning
MSC: Health Promotion and Maintenance
4. 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 since the older population is
healthier.
d. Older adults expect their quality of life to be less than that of earlier generations at
their ages.
ANS: B
Gerontological nursing will be the most needed specialty in nursing as the number of older
adults continues to increase and the need for our specialized knowledge becomes even more
critical in every specialty and every health care setting. 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.
PTS: 1 DIF: Remember REF: 4 | 5
TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment MSC: Health Promotion and Maintenance
5. What is the primary purpose of geriatric nursing certifications?
a. Assuring the basic competency of the geriatric nurse
b. Raising the level of professionalism for the geriatric facility
c. Addressing the current shortage of specialized geriatric nurses
d. Demonstrating commitment to the special needs of the geriatric client
ANS: D
Certification assures the public of nurses’ commitment to specialized education and
qualification for the care of older adults. None of the other options accurately identify the
primary purpose of geriatric nursing certification.
PTS: 1 DIF: Remember REF: 10 | 11 TOP: Teaching/Learning
MSC: Safe, Effective Care Environment
6. An older adult client is transferred to a hospice facility with end-stage disease. Which is a
suitable nursing intervention for this older adult and his family according to the goals of
hospice?
a. Decrease the analgesic dose to prevent sedation.
b. Provide a basin and towels for morning self-care.
, c. Inform family members about strict visiting hours.
d. Facilitate family rituals related to death and dying.
ANS: D
To promote comfort and dignity, the nurse facilitates the enactment of family wishes, rituals,
or religious practices related to death and dying. To promote comfort, the gerontological nurse
administers medications as prescribed and avoids restricting analgesic agents to clients,
regardless of the setting or the nurse’s personal views. Although fostering independence is
within the scope of the gerontological nursing practice, the nurse should assess the older adult
and family before assuming that he will want or be able to perform self-care. Although
hospice can have regular visiting hours, the older adult may need his family at the bedside for
comfort, strength, or companionship. Thus to provide comfort and promote dignity, the
gerontological nurse adapts visiting hours to suit the older adult’s needs.
PTS: 1 DIF: Apply REF: 9
TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation MSC: Safe, Effective Care Environment
7. A nursing home executive interviews RNs to fill a full-time position for direct client care to
maintain the standards of elder care. Which nurse should the nursing home hire?
a.Nurse from a certified college
b.Certified gerontological nurse
c.Nurse with 15 years of experience
d.Gerontological nurse practitioner
ANS: B
A certified gerontological nurse receives education and training to care for older adults,
assuring the nursing home and the public that the nurse has mastered the specialized skills and
knowledge to care for older adults according to gerontological nursing standards. A nurse
educated in a certified college does not necessarily have specialty education and training in
gerontology. A nurse with 15 years of experience might have no experience with gerontology
and offers no proof of specialized knowledge or skills. Although a gerontological nurse
practitioner receives specialized education and training in gerontology, these nurses provide
primary care in a nursing home.
PTS: 1 DIF: Apply REF: 9
TOP: Nursing Process: Implementation MSC: Safe, Effective Care Environment
8. Mezey and Fulmer (2002) justify gerontological nursing research and the work of
gerontological advanced practice nurses by concluding the following:
a. Other scientists devalue gerontological nursing research.
b. The research influences outcomes from nursing care in a positive way.
c. Gerontological care is expensive but required in long-term care.
d. Gerontological nursing research is well known to practicing nurses.
ANS: B
The practices of advanced practice nurses, who base their practice on nursing research, have
resulted in positive older adult outcomes and cost-effectiveness. The scientific community
widely accepts the research. Advanced practice nurses generate positive outcomes and are cost
effective in many settings. Mezey and Fulmer believe the goal of gerontological nursing is to
disseminate the knowledge from gerontological nursing research to all nurses and to have the
knowledge applied to their practices.
, PTS: 1 DIF: Understand REF: 5 TOP: Nursing Process: Diagnosis
MSC: Health Promotion and Maintenance
9. The gerontological nurse collaborates with the wound care team about an older client who has
an ulcer. How is this nurse demonstrating leadership in the care of older people?
a. Assessing older adults effectively
b. Facilitating access to elder care programs
c. Coordinating members of the health care team
d. Empowering older adults to manage chronic illness
ANS: C
The nurse demonstrates leadership in the care of older adults by initiating and coordinating
collaboration with the wound care team to improve the health of an older adult. Screening and
assessing are only indirectly related to collaboration. In this case, the nurse’s collaborative
efforts are unrelated to facilitating access to a program. Thus far, the nurse has not educated or
trained this client in wound care.
PTS: 1 DIF: Apply REF: 5 TOP: Nursing Process: Evaluation
MSC: Health Promotion and Maintenance
10. Which organization had the largest role in enhancing the specialty of gerontological nursing?
a. American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
b. John Hartford Foundation
c. Medicare
d. Mutual of Omaha Insurance
ANS: B
The most significant influence in enhancing gerontological nursing has been the work of the
Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, funded by the John A. Hartford Foundation. The
foundation seeks to shape the quality of the nation’s health care for older Americans by
promoting geriatric nursing excellence to both the nursing profession and the larger health
care community. Initiatives in nursing education, nursing practice, nursing research, and
nursing policy include enhancing geriatrics in nursing education programs through curricular
reform and faculty development and the development of nine Centers of Geriatric Nursing
Excellence. AARP is a foundation that helps struggling seniors by being a force for change on
the most serious issues they face today. Medicare is a national social insurance program,
administered by the US federal government since 1965, that guarantees access to health
insurance for Americans ages 65 years and older and younger people with disabilities. Mutual
of Omaha is a Fortune 500 mutual insurance and financial services company based in Omaha,
Nebraska.
PTS: 1 DIF: Remember REF: 3
TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment MSC: Safe, Effective Care Environment
11. Which of the following statements is true about the National Hartford Centers of
Gerontological Nursing Excellence initiative?
a. It was developed to support the professional development and leadership growth of
nurses who provide care to older adults in long-term care.
b. It offers a Distinguished Educator in Gerontological Nursing Program.
c. It provides predoctoral and postdoctoral scholarships for study and research in
