HESI Gerontology Exam V1

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Sample questions from HESI Gerontology Exam V1

This material has 90 questions with answers and rationales. Here are the first 5.

1. 1.At change of shift on a medical unit, a 79-year-old client's condition has changed. Refer to the client's chart. Which action has the highest priority?

   • A.Administer the prescribed oral antipyretic
   • B.Obtain a routine urine specimen
   • C.Request a physical therapy consultation
   • D.Activate the rapid response team

   Rationale: The new confusion, BP of 86/48 mm Hg, tachycardia, and hypoxemia indicate acute deterioration consistent with sepsis and impaired perfusion. Activating rapid response mobilizes immediate stabilization and treatment. Urine collection and fever management may follow but must not delay resuscitation. Physical therapy is inappropriate during hemodynamic instability.

2. 2.During morning assignments in long-term care, an RN is working with an experienced unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP). Which task involving an older resident is appropriate to delegate?

   • A.Teach a 76-year-old how to use a new walker
   • B.Measure and record the weight of a stable 80-year-old with heart failure
   • C.Evaluate new dizziness in an 82-year-old taking a diuretic
   • D.Assess swallowing in a 90-year-old after a stroke

   Rationale: Obtaining a routine weight for a stable resident is a predictable task within the UAP role. The RN interprets the result and determines whether intervention is needed. New dizziness and swallowing ability require nursing assessment. Initial walker teaching also requires licensed nursing judgment.

3. 3.Before discharge from a hospital, a 78-year-old with heart failure reports difficulty reading medication labels and paying for prescriptions. The client lives alone and has missed two follow-up appointments. Which referrals should the RN initiate? Select all that apply.

   • A.Home health nursing for assessment of medication management
   • B.A social worker for medication assistance and transportation resources
   • C.Adult protective services solely because the client lives alone
   • D.A pharmacist for medication simplification and accessible labeling
   • E.Hospice solely because the client is older than 75

   Rationale: A pharmacist can reduce medication complexity and arrange labels the client can read. Social work addresses financial and transportation barriers, while home health can assess medication use in the home when eligibility criteria are met. Age alone does not establish hospice eligibility. Living alone without evidence of abuse, neglect, or inability to meet basic needs does not by itself justify an adult protective services referral.

4. 4.In a surgical clinic, an 81-year-old scheduled for cataract surgery says, 'I signed the form, but I still do not understand what could go wrong.' The client is alert and has decision-making capacity. What should the RN do?

   • A.Notify the surgeon that further explanation is needed
   • B.Ask the client's adult child to authorize the procedure
   • C.Explain all procedural risks and obtain another signature
   • D.Document that the signed form establishes informed consent

   Answer and rationale are in the full material.

5. 5.An advance directive accompanies a 92-year-old admitted from assisted living with pneumonia. It documents refusal of intubation, and the client currently lacks decision-making capacity. The adult son demands mechanical ventilation. Which response is most appropriate?

   • A.Withhold antibiotics because intubation was refused
   • B.Ask the son to replace the directive with a new consent
   • C.Communicate the directive to the provider and clarify treatment orders
   • D.Suspend the directive until the pneumonia resolves

   Answer and rationale are in the full material.