Gerontological Nurse Test Study Guide 2026

Validation therapy focuses on empathetically acknowledging the feelings and subjective reality of a person with dementia rather than correcting or reorienting them.

Health literacy is directly related to a lack of understanding about the purpose of the therapy and the significance of sustaining adherence, even though many other variables (such as lack of insurance) may also play a role in nonadherence. Patients who are unfamiliar with anatomy, bodily processes, or disease frequently struggle to understand instructions or the advantages of doing so.

The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, whole grains, lean proteins, and reduced sodium to lower blood pressure.

Universal fall precautions include keeping beds in the lowest position, call lights within reach, non-slip footwear provided, and bed brakes locked—applied to all patients regardless of assessed risk level.

Cheyne-Stokes respirations—cyclic periods of increasing then decreasing breathing depth with apneic episodes—are a normal physiologic sign of imminent death as brain stem regulation declines.

POLST is a physician order that translates patient wishes into actionable medical orders honored across all care settings, unlike a living will which is a legal directive that must be interpreted.