AGE SPECIFIC COMPETENCY TEST 


1) A 17 year-old female survives a motor vehicle accident and has several facial 
sutures and a kidney contusion.  Considering the special needs of the 
adolescent, which of the following interventions would be important to consider?

a) involving a parent in every aspect of care
b) putting a sign on the door saying "No Visitors"
c) offering privacy as appropriate, encouraging socialization with peers, and 
being sensitive 
to her concerns about body image

2) True or False?  Adolescents are generally in good health.  Eighty percent of 
deaths in this age group are due to accidents, homicide, and suicide.  However, 
health problems such as anorexia and bulimia, drug and alcohol abuse, and 
sexually transmitted diseases affect a sizable number of adolescents.

3) True or False?  When obtaining a history from an adolescent, always have the 
patient's parents present.

4) True or False?  It is best to communicate with adolescents by telling them 
exactly what to do, instead of giving them choices, and by speaking in concrete 
and factual manner.

5) True or False?  Pain perception in the elderly is less acute than for younger 
people; therefore pain medication should be given only if they complain.

6) True or False?  It is important to encourage the elderly to keep their 
glasses or hearing aids on or close by and to keep a bathroom light on at night.

7) True or False?  There is no reason to be concerned about the nutritional 
needs of an elderly person.

8) Mr. Greene, a 75 year old is two days post total hip replacement, appears to 
be having difficulty understanding or remembering anything you teach.  The best 
teaching approach should include:

a) encourage him to wear his glasses and hearing aids
b) providing a quiet, non-distracting environment and encouraging participation 
c) keeping teaching periods short, pacing learning tasks to his stamina
d) teaching what is really important for him to know and reinforcing learning
e) all the above

9)	True or False?   By age 12, children should be able to take total 
responsibility for their own self-care needs such as insulin injections.

10)	True or False?   It is important to provide rules and boundaries to a 
hospitalized seven-year-old.

11)	True or False?   School age children (ages 7-12) need to feel included in
groups or club activities.

12)	True or False?   Since toddlers (13 mos.- 3 years) are unable to make 
choices, all choices should be made for them.

13) True or False?  It is normal for a child to regress under stress.

14) True or False?  Be honest.  Don't hide the truth from children.

15)  True or False?   Relationships with peers are unimportant in the preschool 
years (ages 4- 6)

16)  True or False?  When children in the preschool age (4-6) are sick, they 
don't want to play. 	

17) True or False?  Preschoolers ask a lot of "why" and "what" questions, but 
they really don't want explanations.

18) True or False?  Infants below the age of 6 months are not able to 
communicate their needs.

19) True or False?  Separation and stranger anxiety may occur during the second 
half of the baby's first year.

20) The middle-aged adult who is hospitalized may be concerned about his 
employment status. Occupational stress affects physical and emotional well 
being.