Test Yourself
Even when I was in elementary school, ahem, I loved taking tests. I studied voraciously and felt I had failed if I made less than 95 percent. In high school, the desire to study gave way to seeking a more active social life. Still, I crammed for tests, invoking my previously learned test-taking skills, and managed to graduate second in my class. Over thirty years later when I was the oldest student in my nursing class, test-taking was daunting but still enjoyable (most of the time). The challenge as well as the opportunity to explore new information are incentives to tackle a test. Below is a multiple-choice quiz composed of twenty eclectic questions related to caregiving. Take a few minutes and test yourself!
Choose the phrase that best completes each statement. (Answers below)
- Common symptoms of dehydration do not include (a) profuse sweating and hunger (b) fatigue, dark yellow urine, rapid heartbeat (c) light headedness upon standing and muscle cramps.
- For an elderly person living alone, the hot water thermostat should be adjusted to no more than (a) 98.6° (b) 107° (c) 120°.
- Atrophy of muscles occurs due to a lack of (a) sleep (b) good nutrition (c) exercise.
- Cigarette smoking, ultraviolent light and genetics all play a part in the development of cataracts, but the most common cause is (a) overuse of certain drugs (b) trauma (c) aging.
- Recent statistics show that (a) 25% (b) 50% (c) 80% of persons with Alzheimer’s disease are cared for at home.
- Decubitus ulcer is the technical term for (a) a stomach ulcer (b) a bedsore (c) an ulcer that occurs on the mucous membrane of the oral cavity
- Diastolic (a) refers to the lower of the two numbers in a blood pressure reading (b) is the phase of the pressure in the arteries between heartbeats (c) both a and b.
- Dysuria refers to (a) frequent urination (b) extreme confusion (c) painful or difficult urination
- The apical pulse can be heard by placing a stethoscope over the (a) neck (b) bottom left of the heart (c) wrist
- Constipation is most often defined as (a) having a bowel movement less than three times a week (b) the inability to have a bowel movement every day (c) every-other-day stools passed with little effort.
- Which of the following is not a safety measure? (a) placing scatter rugs throughout the home (b) installing grabs bars in the bathroom (c) using night lights.
- A nosocomial infection is one (a) for which there is no treatment (b) that originates in a hospital (c) that is easily curable.
- Systolic (a) refers to the higher of the two numbers in a blood pressure reading (b) is the phase of the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats (c) both a and b.
- A clear liquid diet may include (a) orange juice, coffee with cream, sherbet (b) plain Jell-O, apple juice, fat-free broth (c) Coke, cream of tomato soup, vanilla milkshakes.
- The universal sign for choking is (a) uncontrollable coughing (b) hands clutched to the throat (c) pleas of “Help me, I’m choking!”
- Phantom pain refers to (a) pain that comes and goes (b) psychological pain (c) pain from a body part that has been amputated
- A tympanic temperature is taken (a) in the axillary (armpit) area (b) in the ear (c) under the tongue
- When using stairs, an elderly person should always remove (a) shoes (b) loose-fitting clothing (c) reading glasses
- The Institute of Medicine estimates that family caregivers provide ______ of long-term care in America. (a) 50% (b) 75% (c) 90%
- A caregiver who makes it a priority to take care of herself/himself is acting (a) wisely (b) selfishly (c) thoughtlessly.
ANSWERS: 1(a) 2(b) 3(c) 4(c) 5(c) 6(b) 7(c) 8(c) 9(b) 10(a) 11(a) 12(b) 13(c) 14(b) 15(b) 16(c) 17(b) 18(c) 19(c) 20(a)