The nurse is preparing to assess an older adult and discovers ...

[809779]

The nurse is preparing to assess an older adult and discovers that the older adult is in severe pain. Which statement about pain and the older adult is true?
 
  a. Pain is inevitable with aging.
  b. Older adults with cognitive impairments feel less pain.
  c. Alleviating pain should be a priority over other aspects of the assessment.
  d. The assessment should take priority so that care decisions can be made.

Question 2

When beginning to assess a person's spirituality, which question by the nurse would be most appropriate?
 
  a. Do you believe in God?
  b. How does your spirituality relate to your health care decisions?
  c. What religious faith do you follow?
  d. Do you believe in the power of prayer?

[katara]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: C
If the older adult is experiencing pain or discomfort, then the depth of knowledge gathered through the assessments will suffer. Alleviating pain should be a priority over other aspects of the assessment. Remembering that older adults with cognitive impairment do not feel less pain is paramount.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: B
Open-ended questions provide a foundation for future discussions. The other responses are easily answered by one-word replies and are closed questions.

[809779]

Thanks for the timely response, appreciate it

[scottmt]

Great answer, keep it coming