Deck 24: Assisting With Nutrition

Question 1

What is the appropriate action for the nursing assistant to take to meet the nutritional needs for a resident during the summer?

A) Encourage the resident to drink noncaffeinated drinks even when not thirsty.
B) Add more salty foods to the diet to help the resident to drink more fluids.
C) Choose foods low in proteins and higher in carbohydrates for snacks.
D) Establish the need for high-protein shakes that offer additional calories.

Answer 1

Encourage the resident to drink noncaffeinated drinks even when not thirsty.

Question 2

The nursing assistant is caring for an older adult in the home. The client asks the nursing assistant how to get proper nutrition on a fixed budget. How would the nursing assistant reply?

A) "Avoid canned fruits and vegetables altogether because they are high in salt and sugar."
B) "Eat several servings of brightly colored fruits and vegetables each day using MyPlate for 70+."
C) "Check with the social worker to see if you qualify for food stamps to help purchase foods."
D) "As long as you take a multivitamin, you will be fine with your nutritional health and wellness."

Answer 2

"Eat several servings of brightly colored fruits and vegetables each day using MyPlate for 70+."

Question 3

To function, the body needs a continuous supply of energy, which it gets from the:

A) intake of food.
B) metabolism of nutrients.
C) regulatory effects of vitamins and minerals.
D) transfer of nutrients from the digestive tract into the bloodstream.

Answer 3

metabolism of nutrients.

Question 4

The client with diabetes has a low blood sugar. The nurse asks the nursing assistant to get a quick carbohydrate snack. What is the best snack for the nursing assistant to obtain?

A) Orange juice
B) Zero-calorie cola
C) Cheese and crackers
D) Slice of turkey

Question 5

The nursing assistant is preparing a lunch tray and observes the older client's mouth is dry, but the client denies thirst. What is the appropriate action for the nursing assistant to take?

A) Report the client's lack of thirst immediately to the nurse for further assessment for signs and symptoms of dehydration.
B) Choose to provide the client's favorite drinks to entice the client to drink fluids to restore fluid balance.
C) Explain the need to drink water and noncaffeinated drinks to help with delivery of nutrients and fluids to cells.
D) Take no action because it is perfectly normal for older adults to be less thirsty and for their mucous membranes to be drier.

Question 6

Which food would be a good source of protein?

A) Bread
B) Apples
C) Fruit juice
D) Peanut butter

Question 7

Green leafy vegetables are an excellent source of:

A) sodium.
B) folic acid.
C) vitamin E.
D) protein.

Question 8

Calcium, a mineral essential for keeping bones strong, is most abundant in which food group?

A) Milk and dairy products
B) Meat and citrus fruits
C) Fruits and vegetables
D) Cereal and grains

Question 9

The purpose of the MyPlate Guide for Older Adults is to:

A) serve as a guide for making daily food choices.
B) guide the dietary assessment of a new client or resident.
C) provide information about the nutritional value of various foods.
D) ensure that government regulations pertaining to meals are followed.

Question 10

Which factor is least likely to affect a client's eating habits?

A) Personal taste
B) Cultural routines
C) Religious beliefs
D) The facility's menu

Question 11

The client with pneumonia is experiencing dyspnea and anorexia. What is the best action taken up by the nursing assistant?

A) Report the observations to the nurse so a dietician may be consulted.
B) Feed the client food and liquids to conserve strength.
C) Split the meals in half offering smaller portions more often.
D) Puree foods in a blender to make them easier to swallow.

Question 12

When a resident has not eaten a certain food on the tray, the nursing assistant will:

A) insist that the resident eats the food, promising to stay until the food is eaten.
B) talk with the resident about why the resident is not eating the food.
C) respect the resident's right not to eat food the resident does not like.
D) offer extra dessert if the resident finishes the food.

Question 13

What is the most important reason for the nursing assistant to be familiar with the special diets provided by the health care facility?

A) To help the resident choose foods from the facility's daily menus
B) To accurately assist residents in making good nutritional choices
C) To demonstrate respect for the resident's favorite foods
D) To recognize if a resident is given the wrong meal

Question 14

Nutritional supplements most often take the form of:

A) fresh fruit.
B) a flavored shake or drink.
C) a mixture of nuts and dried fruit.
D) multivitamins taken with breakfast.

Question 15

Which action would best prepare a resident to eat a meal safely in bed?

A) Assisting with toileting first
B) Smoothing bed linens to remove wrinkles
C) Positioning the person in a comfortable sitting position
D) Placing the meal tray on the overbed table within easy reach

Question 16

Which assistive device is most appropriate for helping a client with the use of only one hand to eat independently?

A) A plate guard
B) A cup holder
C) A bowl instead of a plate
D) A spoon instead of a fork

Question 17

A resident has been diagnosed with dementia. Which action would the nursing assistant take while assisting the resident with meals?

A) Use of the clock-face method of food placement
B) Offer small bites of food slowly
C) Cut and season the resident's food
D) Provide the resident with a cup holder

Question 18

The nursing assistant enters the client's room to aid with a bedpan. The client, who is receiving continuous enteral feeding, suddenly develops forceful coughing. What is the priority action for the nursing assistant to take?

A) Administer the bedpan.
B) Report to the nurse the onset of diarrhea.
C) Examine the enteral tube insertion site.
D) Raise the head of the bed to 30 degrees.

Question 19

An individual who is receiving nourishment through an enteral tube is at high risk for:

A) malnutrition.
B) aspiration.
C) inhalation.
D) sodium restriction.

Question 20

The nursing assistant is caring for a client diagnosed with kidney disease on a fluid restriction of 1,000 mL per day. The client is on a renal diet, restricting potassium and protein. The nurse states that 300 mL is used for medications, and 400 mL per day is provided for dietary trays. What is the best action for the nursing assistant to perform?

A) Provide 300 mL of ice water in the client's water pitcher for the entire 24-hour period.
B) Determine the client's choice of drinks and follow the fluid restriction.
C) Employ the fluid restriction providing ice chips and frequent mouth care.
D) Ask the nurse how much water should be provided during each shift.

Question 21

The nursing assistant is recording the intake and output of a client. What would the nursing assistant expect, at the end of the shift, if the client has a normal fluid balance?

A) Intake will be greater than the output.
B) Output should be greater than the intake.
C) Intake should equal the output.
D) Balance is dependent upon adequate intake.

Question 22

The nursing assistant can best help decrease the discomfort of a person who is put on NPO ("nothing by mouth") status by providing:

A) a few ice chips.
B) frequent oral care.
C) flavored chewing gum.
D) only small sips of water.

Question 23

Which source of fluid intake will be recorded only by the nurse?

A) Vanilla ice cream
B) Cherry popsicles
C) Enteral feedings
D) Chocolate pudding

Question 24

The nursing assistant calculates the amount of intake from the client's lunch tray. The client drank 8 ounces of milk, 4 ounces of cranberry juice, and 6 ounces of iced tea. What is the best way for the nursing assistant to record these findings?

A) 1 cup, 2 ounces
B) 540 mL
C) 18 fluid ounces
D) ½ glass of milk, all the cranberry juice, and ½ glass of iced tea

Question 25

When a client vomits on the bed linens, the amount of vomitus will be measured by the:

A) nurse measuring the stain on the linen.
B) nurse estimating the amount of vomitus.
C) nursing assistant using the markings on the emesis basin.
D) nursing assistant placing the vomitus into a graduated container.

Question 26

A resident has recently begun receiving enteral feedings. It is most important for the nursing assistant to report to the nurse that the resident:

A) has developed diarrhea.
B) reports missing solid foods.
C) asks to go to the dining room at meal times.
D) wants to watch television while receiving feeding.

Question 27

Besides assistance with eating, what other benefit does the client get when being fed by the nursing assistant?

A) Having companionship during the meal
B) Assurance of a nutritious meal
C) Enough food to keep from being hungry
D) A guarantee of being fed favorite foods

Question 28

When providing a pleasant environment for a client about to eat breakfast, the nursing assistant will:

A) help the client with hand washing.
B) place the bedpan in the bedside stand.
C) be sure the food is warm, but not too hot.
D) ask if the client would like help cutting the food.

Question 29

A resident eats only half of the sandwich served for lunch but finishes all of the soup. How will the nursing assistant document this meal?

A) The resident enjoyed the lunch of soup and a sandwich.
B) 50% of the sandwich and 100% of the soup
C) Half of the sandwich and all of the soup
D) 50% of the soup and sandwich lunch.

Question 30

The nursing assistant is feeding a resident who is blind and has diabetes. What will the nursing assistant do when the resident wants to eat only 50% of the meal?

A) Offer to bring the resident a snack later.
B) Identify for the resident where the food is on the plate using the clock-face method.
C) Tell the nurse immediately that the resident does not eat the entire meal.
D) Discuss changing the resident's menu choices to include more favorite foods.