Author Question: An older woman tells the nurse that she has experienced increasing fatigue and shortness of breath ... (Read 88 times)

swpotter12 · **on:** Jul 11, 2018

An older woman tells the nurse that she has experienced increasing fatigue and shortness of breath over the last 2 days. Which goal is the nurse's priority?

a. Promote safety to prevent injury.
b. Complete nutritional assessment.
c. Balance exercise and rest periods.
d. Explore the woman's complaints.

Question 2

Which statement describes aging in developing countries?

a. Aged dependence is likely to improve from 1:4 to 1:2.
b. The biggest problem for older adults will be the lack of food.
c. Most older adults are likely to reside in these countries.
d. Similar to fertility, life expectancy is in-creasing, although at a different rate.

amanda_14 · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 11, 2018

Answer to Question 1

D
Investigating the complaint is the nurse's priority; fatigue and shortness of breath can indicate cardiac disease, especially in women. Women with cardiac disease often exhibit atypical symp-toms, and because it tends to be treated less aggressively in women, the nurse must be careful not to miss indicators of potential cardiac disease. In addition, in investigating the older woman's chief complaint, the nurse investigates all possible causes.
Promoting safety and preventing injury are reasonable goals to include for this adult but are not as important as investigating the chief complaint; breathing and circulation are two of the three most important physical needs. Completing the nutritional assessment for this adult is rea-sonable because the symptoms can be related to nutritional deficiencies; however, this assessment should be a part of the examination of the chief complaint. Balancing rest and exercise is a reasonable approach to a complaint of fatigue and shortness of breath if the adult is decondi-tioned; however, the nurse must investigate the chief complaint to determine whether decondi-tioning is a factor.

Answer to Question 2

C
Currently, developing countries already contain two thirds of the world's older adult population.
Aged dependence is likely to deteriorate from 1:4 to 1:2 . The biggest problem of the world's oldest adults is most likely to be a lack of regular income. Life expectancy is increasing, but fertility is decreasing worldwide.