Peds cognitive and psychosocial
Steven, 16 months old, falls down a few stairs. He gets up and "scolds" the stairs as if they caused him to fall. This is an example of which of the following? a. Animism b. Ritualism c. Irreversibility d. Delayed cognitive development
A. Animism is the attribution of lifelike qualities to inanimate objects. By scolding the stairs, the toddler is attributing human characteristics to them. Ritualism is the need to maintain the sameness and reliability. It provides a sense of comfort to the toddler. Irreversibility is the inability to reverse or undo actions initiated physically. Steven is acting in an age-appropriate manner.
Which is an appropriate play activity for a 7-month-old infant to encourage visual stimulation? a. Playing peek-a-boo b. Playing pat-a-cake c. Imitating animal sounds d. Showing how to clap hands
A. Because object permanence is a new achievement, peek-a-boo is an excellent activity to practice this new skill for visual stimulation. Pat-a-cake and showing how to clap hands will help with kinetic stimulation. Imitating animal sounds will help with auditory stimulation.
A 4-month-old was born at 35 weeks of gestation. She seems to be developing normally, but her parents are concerned because she is a "more difficult" baby than their other child, who was term. What should the nurse's explanation include? a. Infants' temperaments are part of their unique characteristics. b. Infants become less difficult if they are not kept on scheduled feedings and structured routines. c. The infant's behavior is suggestive of failure to bond completely with her parents. d. The infant's difficult temperament is the result of painful experiences in the neonatal period.
A. Infant temperament has a strong biologic component. Together with interactions with the environment, primarily the family, the biologic component contributes to the infant's unique temperament. Children perceived as difficult may respond better to scheduled feedings and structured caregiving routines than to demand feedings and frequent changes in routines. The infant's temperament has been created by both biologic and environmental factors. The nurse should provide guidance in parenting techniques that are best suited to the infant's temperament.
Which is the leading cause of death during the toddler period? a. Injuries b. Infectious diseases c. Congenital disorders d. Childhood diseases
A. Injuries are the single most common cause of death in children ages 1 through 4 years. This represents the highest rate of death from injuries of any childhood age group except adolescence. Infectious diseases and childhood diseases are less common causes of deaths in this age group. Congenital disorders are the second leading cause of death in this age group.
Parents tell the nurse that their toddler daughter eats little at mealtime, only sits at the table with the family briefly, and wants snacks "all the time." Which intervention should the nurse recommend? a. Give her nutritious snacks. b. Offer rewards for eating at mealtimes c. Avoid snacks so she is hungry at mealtimes. d. Explain to her in a firm manner what is expected of her.
A. Most toddlers exhibit a physiologic anorexia in response to the decreased nutritional requirement associated with the slower growth rate. Parents should help the child develop healthy eating habits. The toddler is often unable to sit through a meal. Frequent nutritious snacks are a good way to ensure proper nutrition. To help with developing healthy eating habits, food should be not be used as positive or negative reinforcement for behavior. The child may develop habits of overeating or eat nonnutritious foods in response.
Which statement characterizes moral development in the older school-age child? a. They are able to judge an act by the intentions that prompted it rather than just by the consequences. b. Rules and judgments become more absolute and authoritarian. c. They view rule violations in an isolated context. d. They know the rules but cannot understand the reasons behind them.
A. Older school-age children are able to judge an act by the intentions that prompted the behavior rather than just by the consequences. Rules and judgments become less absolute and authoritarian. Rule violation is likely to be viewed in relation to the total context in which it appears. The situation and the morality of the rule itself influence reactions.
Which information could be given to the parents of a 12-month-old child regarding appropriate play activities? a. Give large push-pull toys for kinetic stimulation. b. Place cradle gym across crib to facilitate fine motor skills. c. Provide child with finger paints to enhance fine motor skills. d. Provide stick horse to develop gross motor coordination.
A. The 12-month-old child is able to pull to standing and walk holding on or independently. Appropriate toys for a child this age include large pull toys for kinesthetic stimulation. A cradle gym should not be placed across the crib. Finger paints are appropriate for older children. A 12-month-old child does not have the stability to use a stick horse.
The parents of a 2-year-old tell the nurse that they are concerned because the toddler has started to use "baby talk" since the arrival of their new baby. The nurse should recommend which intervention? a. Ignore the "baby talk." b. Explain to the toddler that "baby talk" is for babies. c. Tell the toddler frequently, "You are a big kid now." d. Encourage the toddler to practice more advanced patterns of speech.
A. The baby talk is a sign of regression in the toddler. It should be ignored, while praising the child for developmentally appropriate behaviors. Regression is children's way of expressing stress. The parents should not introduce new expectations and allow the child to master the developmental tasks without criticism.
Which technique is best for dealing with the negativism of the toddler? a. Offer the child choices. b. Remain serious and intent. c. Provide few or no choices for child. d. Quietly and calmly ask the child to comply.
A. The child should have few opportunities to respond in a negative manner. Questions and requests should provide choices. This allows the child to be in control and reduces opportunities for negativism. The child will continue trying to assert control. The toddler is too young for verbal explanations. The negativism is the child testing limits. These should be clearly defined by structured choices.
Which would be the best play activity for a 6-month-old infant to provide tactile stimulation? a. Allow to splash in bath. b. Give various colored blocks. c. Play music box, tapes, or CDs. d. Use infant swing or stroller.
A. The feel of the water while the infant is splashing will provide tactile stimulation. Various colored blocks would provide visual stimulation for a 4- to 6-month-old infant. Music box, tapes, and CDs provide auditory stimulation. Swings and strollers provide kinesthetic stimulation.
A nurse places some x-ray contrast the toddler is to drink in a small cup instead of a large cup. Which concept of a toddler's preoperational thinking is the nurse using? a. Inability to conserve b. Magical thinking c. Centration d. Irreversibility
A. The nurse is using the toddler's inability to conserve. This is when the toddler is unable to understand the idea that a mass can be changed in size, shape, volume, or length without losing or adding to the original mass. Instead, toddlers judge what they see by the immediate perceptual clues given to them. A small glass means less amount of contrast. Magical thinking is believing that thoughts are all-powerful and can cause events. Centration is focusing on one aspect rather than considering all possible alternatives. Irreversibility is the inability to undo or reverse the actions initiated, such as being unable to stop doing an action when told.
A parent of an 18-month-old boy tells the nurse that he says "no" to everything and has rapid mood swings. If he is scolded, he shows anger and then immediately wants to be held. The nurse's best interpretation of this behavior is included in which statement? a. This is normal behavior for his age. b. This is unusual behavior for his age. c. He is not effectively coping with stress. d. He is showing he needs more attention.
A. Toddlers use distinct behaviors in the quest for autonomy. They express their will with continued negativity and the use of the word "no." Children at this age also have rapid mood swings. The nurse should reassure the parents that their child is engaged in expected behavior for an 18-month-old. Having a rapid mood swing is an expected behavior for a toddler
Which are characteristic of physical development of a 30-month-old child? (Select all that apply.) a. Birth weight has doubled. b. Primary dentition is complete. c. Sphincter control is achieved. d. Anterior fontanel is open. e. Length from birth is doubled. f. Left- or right-handedness is established
B, C Usually by age 30 months, the primary dentition of 20 teeth is completed, and the child has sphincter control in preparation for bowel and bladder control. Birth weight doubles at approximately ages 5 to 6 months. The anterior fontanel closes at age 12 to 18 months. Birth length is doubled around age 4. Left- or right-handedness is not established until about age 5.
At what age should the nurse expect an infant to begin smiling in response to pleasurable stimuli? a. 1 month b. 2 months c. 3 months d. 4 months
B. At age 2 months, the infant has a social, responsive smile. A reflex smile is usually present at age 1 month. The 3-month-old can recognize familiar faces. At age 4 months, the infant can enjoy social interactions
Which is descriptive of a toddler's cognitive development at age 20 months? a. Searches for an object only if he or she sees it being hidden b. Realizes that "out of sight" is not out of reach c. Puts objects into a container but cannot take them out d. Understands the passage of time, such as "just a minute" and "in an hour"
B. At this age, the child is in the final sensorimotor stage. Children will now search for an object in several potential places, even though they saw only the original hiding place. Children have a more developed sense of objective permanence. They will search for objects even if they have not seen them hidden. When a child puts objects into a container but cannot take them out, this is indicative of tertiary circular reactions. An embryonic sense of time exists, although the children may behave appropriately to time-oriented phrases; their sense of timing is exaggerated.
Which should the nurse expect for a toddler's language development at age 18 months? a. Vocabulary of 25 words b. Increasing level of comprehension c. Use of holophrases d. Approximately one third of speech understandable
B. During the second year of life, level of comprehension and understanding of speech increases and is far greater than the child's vocabulary. This is also true for bilingual children, who are able to achieve this linguistic milestone in both languages. The 18-month-old child has a vocabulary of 10 or more words. At this age, the child does not use the one-word sentences that are characteristic of the 1-year-old child. The child has a limited vocabulary of single words that are comprehensible.
What is the most effective way to clean a toddler's teeth? a. Child to brush regularly with a toothpaste of his or her choice b. Parent to stabilize the chin with one hand and brush with the other c. Parent to brush the mandibular occlusive surfaces, leaving the rest for the child d. Parent to brush the front labial surfaces, leaving the rest for the child
B. For young children, the most effective cleaning of teeth is by the parents. Different positions can be used if the child's back is to the adult. The adult should use one hand to stabilize the chin and the other to brush the child's teeth. The child can participate in brushing, but for a thorough cleaning, adult intervention is necessary.
The nurse is discussing development and play activities with the parent of a 2-month-old. Recommendations should include giving a first rattle at about which age? a. 2 months b. 4 months c. 7 months d. 9 month
B. It is recommended that a brightly colored toy or rattle be given to the child at age 4 months. Grasping has begun as a deliberate act, and the infant grasps, holds, and begins shaking to hear a noise; 2 months is too young. The infant still has primarily reflex grips; 7 to 9 months is too old for the first rattle. The child should be given toys that provide for further exploratio
A nurse is conducting parenting classes for parents of adolescents. Which parenting style should the nurse recommend? a. Laissez-faire b. Authoritative c. Disciplinarian d. Confrontational
B. Parents should be guided toward an authoritative style of parenting in which authority is used to guide the adolescent while allowing developmentally appropriate levels of freedom and providing clear, consistent messages regarding expectations. The authoritative style of parenting has been shown to have both immediate and long-term protective effects toward adolescent risk reduction. The laissez-faire method would not give adolescents enough structure. The disciplinarian and confrontational styles would not allow any autonomy or independence.
Which is an appropriate recommendation for preventing tooth decay in young children? a. Substitute raisins for candy. b. Substitute sugarless gum for regular gum. c. Use honey or molasses instead of refined sugar. d. When sweets are to be eaten, select a time not during meals.
B. Regular gum has high sugar content. When the child chews gum, the sugar is in prolonged contact with the teeth. Sugarless gum is less cariogenic than regular gum. Raisins, honey, and molasses are highly cariogenic and should be avoided. Sweets should be consumed with meals so that the teeth can be cleaned afterward. This decreases the amount of time that the sugar is in contact with the teeth.
Which statement is correct about toilet training? a. Bladder training is usually accomplished before bowel training. b. Wanting to please the parent helps motivate the child to use the toilet. c. Watching older siblings use the toilet confuses the child. d. Children must be forced to sit on the toilet when first learning
B. Voluntary control of the anal and urethral sphincters is achieved sometime after the child is walking. The child must be able to recognize the urge to let go and to hold on. The child must want to please parent by holding on rather than pleasing self by letting go. Bowel training precedes bladder training. Watching older siblings provides role modeling and facilitates imitation for the toddler. The child should be introduced to the potty chair or toilet in a nonthreatening manner.
A nurse is assessing a preschool-age child and notes the child exhibits magical thinking. According to Piaget, which describes magical thinking? a. Events have cause and effect. b. God is like an imaginary friend. c. Thoughts are all-powerful. d. If the skin is broken, the child's insides will come out.
C. Because of their egocentrism and transductive reasoning, preschoolers believe that thoughts are all-powerful. Cause-and-effect implies logical thought, not magical thinking. Thinking God is like an imaginary friend is an example of concrete thinking in a preschooler's spiritual development. Thinking that if the skin is broken, the child's insides will come out is an example of concrete thinking in development of body image.
A parent asks the nurse "at what age do most infants begin to fear strangers?" The nurse should give which response? a. 2 months b. 4 months c. 6 months d. 12 month
C. Between ages 6 and 8 months, fear of strangers and stranger anxiety become prominent and are related to the infant's ability to discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar people. At 2 months, infants are just beginning to respond differentially to the mother. At age 4 months, the infant is beginning the process of separation-individuation when the infant begins to recognize self and mother as separate beings. Twelve months is too late and requires referral for evaluation if the child does not fear strangers at this age.
In the clinic waiting room, a nurse observes a parent showing an 18-month-old child how to make a tower out of blocks. What should the nurse recognize in this situation? a. Blocks at this age are used primarily for throwing b. Toddlers are too young to imitate the behavior of others c. Toddlers are capable of building a tower of blocks d. Toddlers are too young to build a tower of blocks
C. Building with blocks is a good parent-child interaction. The 18-month-old child is capable of building a tower of three or four blocks. The ability to build towers of blocks usually begins at age 15 months. With ongoing development, the child is able to build taller towers. The 18-month-old child imitates others around him or her.
Developmentally, what should most children at age 12 months be able to do? a. Use a spoon adeptly b. Relinquish the bottle voluntarily c. Eat the same food as the rest of the family d. Reject all solid food in preference to the bottle
C. By age 12 months, most children are eating the same food that is prepared for the rest of the family. Using a spoon usually is not mastered until age 18 months. The parents should be engaged in weaning a child from a bottle if that is the source of liquid. Toddlers should be encouraged to drink from a cup at the first birthday and be weaned from the bottle totally by 14 months. The child should be weaned from a milk- or formula-based diet to a balanced diet that includes iron-rich sources of food.
Which describes moral development in younger school-age children? a. The standards of behavior now come from within themselves. b. They do not yet experience a sense of guilt when they misbehave. c. They know the rules and behaviors expected of them but do not understand the reasons behind them. d. They no longer interpret accidents and misfortunes as punishment for misdeeds.
C. Children who are ages 6 and 7 years know the rules and behaviors expected of them but do not understand the reasons for these rules and behaviors. Young children do not believe that standards of behavior come from within themselves, but that rules are established and set down by others. Younger school-age children learn standards for acceptable behavior, act according to these standards, and feel guilty when they violate them. Misfortunes and accidents are viewed as punishment for bad acts
A nurse is conducting a teaching session for parents of infants. The nurse explains that which behavior indicates that an infant has developed object permanence? a. Recognizes familiar face, such as mother b. Recognizes familiar object, such as bottle c. Actively searches for a hidden object d. Secures objects by pulling on a string
C. During the first 6 months of life, infants believe that objects exist only as long as they can see them. When infants search for an object that is out of sight, this signals the attainment of object permanence, whereby an infant knows an object exists even when it is not visible. Between ages 8 and 12 weeks, infants begin to respond differentially to the mother. They cry, smile, vocalize, and show distinct preference for the mother. This preference is one of the stages that influences the attachment process but is too early for object permanence. Recognizing familiar objects is an important transition for the infant, but it does not signal object permanence. The ability to understand cause and effect is part of secondary schemata development
Although a 14-month-old girl received a shock from an electric outlet recently, her parent finds her about to place a paper clip in another outlet. Which is the best interpretation of this behavior? a. Her cognitive development is delayed. b. This is typical behavior because toddlers are not very developed. c. This is typical behavior because of the inability to transfer knowledge to new situations. d. This is not typical behavior because toddlers should know better than to repeat an act that caused pain.
C. During the tertiary circular reactions stage, children have only a rudimentary sense of the classification of objects. The appearance of an object denotes its function for these children. The slot of an outlet is for putting things into. Her cognitive development is appropriate for her age. Trying to put things into an outlet is typical behavior for a toddler. Only some awareness exists of a causal relation between events.
The school nurse tells adolescents in the clinic that confidentiality and privacy will be maintained unless a life-threatening situation arises. How should this practice be interpreted? a. Not appropriate in a school setting b. Never appropriate because adolescents are minors c. Important in establishing trusting relationships d. Suggestive that the nurse is meeting his or her own needs
C. Health professionals who work with adolescents should consider adolescents' increasing independence and responsibility while maintaining privacy and ensuring confidentiality. However, in some circumstances, such as self-destructive behavior or maltreatment by others, they are not able to maintain confidentiality. Confidentiality and privacy are necessary to build trust with this age group. The nurse must be aware of the limits placed on confidentiality by local jurisdiction.
According to Piaget, the 6-month-old infant should be in which developmental stage? a. Use of reflexes b. Primary circular reactions c. Secondary circular reactions d. Coordination of secondary schemata
C. Infants are usually in the secondary circular reaction stage from ages 4 to 8 months. This stage is characterized by a continuation of the primary circular reaction for the response that results. Shaking is performed to hear the noise of the rattle, not just for shaking. The use of reflexes is primarily during the first month of life. Primary circular reaction stage marks the replacement of reflexes with voluntary acts. The infant is in this stage from ages 1 to 4 months. The fourth sensorimotor stage is coordination of secondary schemata. This is a transitional stage in which increasing motor skills enable greater exploration of the environment.
At what age does an infant start to recognize familiar faces and objects, such as a feeding bottle? a. 1 month b. 2 months c. 3 months d. 4 month
C. The child can recognize familiar objects at approximately age 3 months. For the first 2 months of life, infants watch and observe their surroundings. The 4-month-old infant is able to anticipate feeding after seeing the bottle
A toddler's parent asks the nurse for suggestions on dealing with temper tantrums. Which is the most appropriate recommendation? a. Punish the child. b. Leave the child alone until the tantrum is over. c. Remain close by the child but without eye contact. d. Explain to child that this is wrong.
C. The parent should be told that the best way to deal with temper tantrums is to ignore the behaviors, provided that the actions are not dangerous to the child. Tantrums are common in toddlers as the child becomes more independent and overwhelmed by increasingly complex tasks. The parents and caregivers need to have consistent and developmentally appropriate expectations. Punishment and explanations will not be beneficial. The parent's presence is necessary both for safety and to provide a feeling of control and security to the child when the tantrum is over.
At what age should the nurse expect a child to give both first and last names when asked? a. 15 months b. 18 months c. 24 months d. 30 months
D. At 30 months, the child is able to give both first and last names and refer to self with an appropriate pronoun. At 15 and 18 months, the child is too young to give his or her own name. At 24 months, the child is able to give first name and refer to self by that name
What is the most common cause of death in the adolescent age group? a. Drownings b. Firearms c. Drug overdoses d. Motor vehicles
D. Forty percent of all adolescent deaths in the United States are the result of motor vehicle accidents. Drownings, firearms, and drug overdoses are major concerns in adolescence but are not the most common cause of death.
Which describes the cognitive abilities of school-age children? a. Have developed the ability to reason abstractly b. Are capable of scientific reasoning and formal logic c. Progress from making judgments based on what they reason to making judgments based on what they see d. Are able to classify, to group and sort, and to hold a concept in their minds while making decisions based on that concept
D. In Piaget's stage of concrete operations, children have the ability to group and sort and make conceptual decisions. Children cannot reason abstractly and logically until late adolescence. Making judgments based on what they reason to making judgments based on what they see is not a developmental skill.
A nurse is planning care for a 17-month-old child. According to Piaget, which stage should the nurse expect the child to be in cognitively? a. Trust b. Preoperational c. Secondary circular reaction d. Tertiary circular reaction
D. The 17-month-old child is in the fifth stage of the sensorimotor phase, tertiary circular reactions. The child uses active experimentation to achieve previously unattainable goals. Trust is Erikson's first stage. Preoperational is the stage of cognitive development usually present in older toddlers and preschoolers. Secondary circular reactions last from about ages 4 to 8 months.
Which characteristic best describes the gross motor skills of a 24-month-old child? a. Skips and can hop in place on one foot b. Rides tricycle and broad jumps c. Jumps with both feet and stands on one foot momentarily d. Walks up and down stairs and runs with a wide stance
D. The 24-month-old child can go up and down stairs alone with two feet on each step and runs with a wide stance. Skipping and hopping on one foot are achieved by 4-year-old children. Jumping with both feet and standing on one foot momentarily are achieved by 30-month-old children. Tricycle riding and broad jumping are achieved at age 3.
The parents of a newborn say that their toddler "hates the baby; he suggested that we put him in the trash can so the trash truck could take him away." Which is the nurse's best reply? a. "Let's see if we can figure out why he hates the new baby." b. "That's a strong statement to come from such a small boy." c. "Let's refer him to counseling to work this hatred out. It's not a normal response." d. "That is a normal response to the birth of a sibling. Let's look at ways to deal with this."
D. The arrival of a new infant represents a crisis for even the best-prepared toddler. Toddlers have their entire schedule and routines disrupted because of the new family member. The nurse should work with parents on ways to involve the toddler in the newborn's care and to help focus attention on the toddler. The toddler does not hate the infant. This is an expected response to the changes in routines and attention that affect the toddler. The toddler can be provided with a doll to tend to the doll's needs at the same time the parent is performing similar care for the newborn.
A parent asks the nurse about negativism in toddlers. Which is the most appropriate recommendation? a. Punish the child. b. Provide more attention. c. Ask child not always to say "no." d. Reduce the opportunities for a "no" answer.
D. The nurse should suggest to the parent that questions be phrased with realistic choices rather than yes or no answers. This provides the toddler with a sense of control and reduces the opportunity for negativism. Negativism is not an indication of stubbornness or insolence and should not be punished. The negativism is not a function of attention; the child is testing limits to gain an understanding of the world. The toddler is too young to be asked to not always say "no."
