Quiz about GERO-BC

Question 1

During hygiene care, a personal religious item is accidentally discarded from the bedside table, and the hospitalized older adult patient becomes tearful. Which RN action is most appropriate to reduce spiritual distress?

Accepted Answer

Acknowledge the patient’s feelings, apologize, ask what spiritual practices are important during illness, and incorporate any clinically safe practices and safeguards for personal items into the plan of care.

Answer

Acknowledge the patient’s feelings, apologize, attempt to locate or replace the item through the unit process, and then proceed with care without further discussion of spiritual needs.

Answer

Acknowledge the patient’s feelings, offer to request a chaplain visit, and encourage the patient to talk with the chaplain rather than discussing spiritual practices with the nursing team.

Answer

Acknowledge the patient’s feelings, explain that personal items should not be kept at the bedside to prevent loss, and ask the patient to have family take religious items home until discharge.

Question 2

During a routine visit, an older adult patient asks whether it is still safe to continue driving. Which assessment finding is most strongly associated with increased risk for adverse driving events?

Accepted Answer

Reports two falls in the past 18 months.

Answer

Reports driving only during daylight hours and in good weather.

Answer

Reports avoiding rush hour traffic and avoiding freeways.

Answer

Reports driving shorter distances and driving more slowly.

Question 3

An 86-year-old patient with dementia has become withdrawn and no longer walks to meals, saying, “I feel uncomfortable.” Which pain assessment approach is most appropriate for the RN to use?

Accepted Answer

Use PQRST, treat the patient’s report of “uncomfortable” as possible pain, and add nonverbal cues and change in function to complete the assessment.

Answer

Attempt a numeric pain scale, and if the patient cannot use it reliably, switch to a descriptive pain intensity scale while noting mobility changes and pain behaviors.

Answer

Use a visual analog scale with step-by-step coaching, then compare the score with caregiver observations and the patient’s participation in activity.

Answer

Gather caregiver input about baseline function, monitor vital signs and walking tolerance during care, and request diagnostic services before completing a structured pain history.

Question 4

An 88-year-old patient with a prostate has severe chronic illness and an estimated 6-year life expectancy and asks about prostate cancer screening. What is the best response?

Accepted Answer

Because prostate cancer often progresses slowly, screening is unlikely to help when life expectancy is under about 10 years.

Answer

Because prostate cancer can be present without symptoms, screening is likely to help even when life expectancy is under about 10 years.

Answer

Because screening benefits are usually achieved within about 10 years, screening is likely to help when life expectancy is under about 10 years.

Answer

Because screening decisions are based mainly on chronological age, a life expectancy estimate should not affect prostate cancer screening choices.

Question 5

An older adult receiving chemotherapy for cancer says, “I’m going to stop chemo and use an herbal product advertised as a cure.” Which teaching statement should the RN provide?

Accepted Answer

Do not replace chemotherapy with an unsafe, unproven herbal therapy; review any products with the healthcare provider.

Answer

You may switch to the herbal product when chemotherapy adverse effects feel hard to tolerate.

Answer

Hold chemotherapy for a short trial of the herbal product and monitor symptoms closely each day.

Answer

You can take the herbal product during chemotherapy if you separate the doses by a few hours.

Question 6

An 84-year-old patient living in a long-term care facility reports new onset fecal incontinence. Which nursing action best supports prompt assessment and timely follow-up?

Accepted Answer

Complete a focused assessment, review medications and laxative use, assess for constipation and possible fecal impaction (including bowel sounds and a digital rectal exam (DRE) if indicated), and notify the healthcare provider to coordinate further evaluation.

Answer

Provide reassurance, suggest increasing dietary fiber, and wait until the next scheduled visit to reassess.

Answer

Limit oral fluids, encourage daily stimulant laxatives, and observe the stool pattern over the next several weeks.

Answer

Encourage bed rest, restrict usual activities, and reassess after fecal incontinence resolves.

Question 7

A 76-year-old patient is receiving isoniazid (INH), rifampin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol for active tuberculosis. The most recent liver function tests (LFTs) show aspartate aminotransferase (AST) 160 units/L and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 180 units/L. Which action should the nurse take?

Accepted Answer

Notify the healthcare provider promptly about the elevated AST and ALT during active therapy.

Answer

Teach the patient to take pyridoxine (vitamin B6) daily with isoniazid (INH) to prevent peripheral neuropathy.

Answer

Continue the current regimen and plan to recheck LFTs when the full course of therapy is completed.

Answer

Collect a sputum specimen for acid-fast bacillus testing before administering the next dose.

Question 8

A patient with symptomatic cholelithiasis reports right-upper quadrant pain after a large, high-fat meal. Later, the patient becomes newly jaundiced and reports clay-colored stools. What is the priority nursing action?

Accepted Answer

Notify the healthcare provider promptly, perform focused reassessments, and monitor for worsening abdominal pain and signs of pancreatitis.

Answer

Document the findings, reassess with the next scheduled vital signs, and include the update in the next handoff report.

Answer

Provide small, frequent meals that are high in protein and calories, and monitor weight and oral intake for adequacy.

Answer

Implement comfort measures, administer prescribed analgesics, and reinforce teaching about avoiding large, high-fat meals.

Question 9

An older patient with diabetes is being discharged and has hand stiffness that makes using a glucometer difficult. Which teaching plan best supports emergency identification and safe home glucose monitoring?

Accepted Answer

Recommend a medic alert bracelet or necklace, and collaborate with primary healthcare providers to individualize a home glucose monitoring schedule the patient can perform.

Answer

Recommend a medic alert bracelet or necklace, and use one standard home glucose monitoring schedule for every patient after discharge.

Answer

Recommend a medic alert bracelet or necklace, and perform home glucose monitoring only when the patient notices symptoms of hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia.

Answer

Recommend a medic alert bracelet or necklace, and defer home glucose monitoring teaching until the next appointment with primary healthcare providers.

Question 10

During an outpatient clinic visit, a patient asks when information about HIPAA privacy measures is provided. When should the nurse ensure the patient receives this information?

Accepted Answer

Ensure it is provided at the initial visit, before initiating any care.

Answer

Ensure it is provided after the visit is completed and documentation is finalized.

Answer

Ensure it is provided only if a privacy concern occurs and the patient requests clarification.

Answer

Ensure it is provided during an annual update when staff complete HIPAA training modules.

Question 11

During a home health intake, the nurse assesses living arrangement and nearby informal support for several older adult patients. Which patient is at greatest risk for institutionalization?

Accepted Answer

Lives alone in a nonmetropolitan area; few nearby neighbors and family members live several hours away.

Answer

Lives with a spouse in a metropolitan area; an adult child lives nearby and visits regularly.

Answer

Lives with an adult family member in an area where many residents are over 65; family provides daily help.

Answer

Lives alone in a metropolitan area; a neighbor checks in each day and a sibling lives close enough to assist.

Question 12

An older patient reports hand weakness and wants to keep preparing meals independently. Which nursing intervention best maintains independence while compensating for functional loss?

Accepted Answer

Partner with the patient to streamline the meal routine, practice safe hand-use methods, and incorporate adaptive utensils or built-up grips to complete key steps.

Answer

Help the patient choose enjoyable interpersonal and social activities and set a weekly schedule to stay engaged as cooking becomes more challenging over time.

Answer

Invite the patient to talk about accepting that death is inevitable while also identifying personal hopes and sources of meaning for the time ahead.

Answer

Offer to handle most meal preparation, set up ready-to-eat foods, and encourage the patient to limit hand use to prevent fatigue related to hand weakness.

Question 13

During discharge medication reconciliation, an 80-year-old patient taking multiple prescribed medications reports daily comfrey tea use for the first time; the healthcare provider was not previously aware. Which action should the RN take?

Accepted Answer

Document the comfrey tea use and notify the healthcare provider promptly.

Answer

Document the comfrey tea use and tell the patient it is usually safe.

Answer

Document the comfrey tea use and suggest capsules instead of tea.

Answer

Document the comfrey tea use and advise the patient to cut back for now.

Question 14

On admission, an older adult patient indicates a preference to communicate in a non-English language. Which unit practice best reflects culturally and linguistically appropriate services standards?

Accepted Answer

Arrange timely communication support using qualified bilingual staff or a trained medical interpreter, and record the patient’s spoken and written languages in the health record.

Answer

Ask a family member to interpret during teaching and document the patient’s ethnicity, but do not record the patient’s spoken and written languages in the health record.

Answer

Wait to request interpreter services until a bilingual coworker is available, and keep unit signs and patient education materials only in the unit’s primary language.

Answer

Document patient-reported race during admission, but do not update language preferences over time or integrate language data into the organization’s management information systems.

Question 15

A hospitalized patient completes the Timed Up and Go (TUG) in 34 seconds while using a cane. Which inpatient fall-prevention plan is indicated?

Accepted Answer

Lock the bed in a low position, keep the call light within reach with return demonstration, and reinforce cane use with a night-light and clean, dry floors.

Answer

Keep the bed at standard height, place the call light on the overbed table, and revise the plan of care only after a fall.

Answer

Use a night-light, provide well-fitted nonskid footwear, and raise both side rails for safety.

Answer

Encourage the patient to walk to the bathroom without the cane to improve strength, and limit reminders to use the call light.

Category	Details
Exam Description	A comprehensive certification exam for registered nurses specializing in gerontological nursing.
Credential Earned	Gerontological Nurse - Board Certified (GERO-BC).
Eligibility Requirements	Active RN license with at least two years of full-time practice as a registered nurse, a minimum of 2,000 hours of clinical practice, and 30 hours of continuing education in gerontological nursing within the last three years.
Completion Time	3 hours.
Subjects Covered	Assessment and diagnosis, planning, implementation and evaluation, and professional foundation.
Number of Questions	150 multiple-choice questions, including 125 scored items and 25 unscored pretest questions.
Exam Format	Multiple-choice, computer-based examination.
Exam Proctoring	Administered at Prometric test centers.
Recertification Details	Recertification is required every five years and includes proof of ongoing professional development.
Pass/Fail Rates	Pass rates vary annually, with an average of approximately 63%.
Difficulty Level	Hard
Study Material	BoardCerts GERO-BC Exam Prep, which follows the exam Blueprint.

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