Chapter 20. Pediatric Variations of Nursing Interventions

3. A 4-year-old girl is admitted to outpatient surgery for removal of a cyst on her back. Her mother puts the hospital gown on her, but the child is crying because she wants to leave on her underpants. What is the most appropriate nursing action at this time?? a. Allow her to wear her underpants. b. Discuss with her mother why this is important to the child. c. Ask her mother to explain to her why she cannot wear them. d. Explain in a kind, matter-of-fact manner that this is hospital policy.

a. Allow her to wear her underpants.

10. A 10-year-old child requires daily medications for a chronic illness. Her mother tells the nurse that the child continually forgets to take the medicine unless reminded. What nursing action is most appropriate to promote adherence to the medication regimen? a. Establish a contract with her, including rewards. b. Suggest time-outs when she forgets her medicine. c. Discuss with her mother the damaging effects of her rescuing the child. d. Ask the child to bring her medicine containers to each appointment so they can be counted.

a. Establish a contract with her, including rewards.

1. A 16-year-old girl comes to the pediatric clinic for information on birth control. The nurse knows that before this young woman can be examined, consent must be obtained from which source? a. Herself b. Her mother c. Court order d. Legal guardian

a. Herself

14. A child, age 7 years, has a fever associated with a viral illness. She is being cared for at home. What is the principal reason for treating fever in this child? a. Relief of discomfort b. Reassurance that illness is temporary c. Prevention of secondary bacterial infection d. Avoidance of life-threatening complications

a. Relief of discomfort

12. A 6-year-old boy is hospitalized for intravenous antibiotic therapy. He eats very little on his regular diet trays. He tells the nurse that all he wants to eat is pizza, tacos, and ice cream. What nursing action is the most appropriate? a. Request these favorite foods for him. b. Identify healthier food choices that he likes. c. Explain that he needs fruits and vegetables. d. Reward him with ice cream at the end of every meal that he eats.

a. Request these favorite foods for him.

17. A child who has cystic fibrosis is admitted to the pediatric unit with methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection. The nurse recognizes that in addition to a private room, the child is placed on what precautions? a. Droplet b. Contact c. Airborne d. Standard

b. Contact

16. The nurse gives an injection in a patients room. How should the nurse dispose of the needle? a. Remove the needle from the syringe and dispose of it in a proper container. b. Dispose of the syringe and needle in a rigid, puncture-resistant container in the patients room. c. Close the safety cover on the needle and return it to the medication preparation area for proper disposal. d. Place the syringe and needle in a rigid, puncture-resistant container in an area outside of the patients room.

b. Dispose of the syringe and needle in a rigid, puncture-resistant container in the patients room.

6. A bone marrow biopsy will be performed on a 7-year-old girl. She wants her mother to hold her during the procedure. How should the nurse respond? a. Holding your child is unsafe. b. Holding may help your child relax. c. Hospital policy prohibits this interaction. d. Holding your child is unnecessary given the childs age.

b. Holding may help your child relax.

19. A nurse must do a venipuncture on a 6-year-old child. What consideration is important in providing atraumatic care? a. Use an 18-gauge needle if possible. b. Show the child the equipment to be used before the procedure. c. If not successful after four attempts, have another nurse try. d. Restrain the child completely.

b. Show the child the equipment to be used before the procedure.

18. An 11-month-old hospitalized boy is restrained because he is receiving intravenous (IV) fluids. His grandmother has come to stay with him for the afternoon and asks the nurse if the restraints can be removed. What nurses response is best? a. Restraints need to be kept on all the time. b. That is fine as long as you are with him. c. That is fine if we have his parents consent. d. The restraints can be off only when the nursing staff is present.

b. That is fine as long as you are with him.

8. A toddler is being sent to the operating room for surgery at 9 AM. As the nurse prepares the child, what is the priority intervention? a. Administering preoperative antibiotic b. Verifying that the child and procedure are correct c. Ensuring that the toddler has been NPO since midnight d. Informing the parents where they can wait during the procedure

b. Verifying that the child and procedure are correct

15. A critically ill child has hyperthermia. The parents ask the nurse to give an antipyretic such as acetaminophen. How should the nurse respond to the parents? a. Febrile seizures can result. b. Antipyretics may cause malignant hyperthermia. c. Antipyretics are of no value in treating hyperthermia. d. Liver damage may occur in critically ill children.

c. Antipyretics are of no value in treating hyperthermia.

4. Using knowledge of child development, what approach is best when preparing a toddler for a procedure? a. Avoid asking the child to make choices. b. Plan for a teaching session to last about 20 minutes. c. Demonstrate on a doll how the procedure will be done. d. Show the necessary equipment without allowing child to handle it.

c. Demonstrate on a doll how the procedure will be done.

5. The nurse is preparing a 9-year-old boy before obtaining a blood specimen by venipuncture. The child tells the nurse he does not want to lose his blood. What approach is best by the nurse? a. Explain that it will not be painful. b. Suggest to him that he not worry about losing just a little bit of blood. c. Discuss with him how his body is always in the process of making blood. d. Tell the child that he will not even need a Band-Aid afterward because it is a simple procedur

c. Discuss with him how his body is always in the process of making blood

11. A 7-year-old is identified as being at risk for skin breakdown. What intervention should the nursing care plan include? a. Massaging reddened bony prominences b. Teaching the parents to turn the child every 4 hours c. Ensuring that nutritional intake meets requirements d. Minimizing use of extra linens, which can irritate the childs skin

c. Ensuring that nutritional intake meets requirements

13. A 14-year-old adolescent is hospitalized with cystic fibrosis. What nursing note entry represents best documentation of his breakfast meal? a. Tolerated breakfast well b. Finished all of breakfast ordered c. One pancake, eggs, and 240 ml OJ d. No documentation is needed for this age child.

c. One pancake, eggs, and 240 ml OJ

20. A 2-year-old child is being admitted to the hospital for possible bacterial meningitis. When preparing for a lumbar puncture, what should the nurse do? a. Set up a tray with equipment the same size as for adults. b. Apply EMLA to the puncture site 15 minutes before the procedure. c. Prepare the child for conscious sedation being used for the procedure. d. Reassure the parents that the test is simple, painless, and risk free.

c. Prepare the child for conscious sedation being used for the procedure.

9. A 5-year-old child returns from the pediatric intensive care unit after abdominal surgery. The orders state to monitor vital signs every 2 hours. On assessment, the nurse observes that the childs heart rate is 20 beats/min less than it was preoperatively. What should be the nurses next action? a. Follow the orders and check in 2 hours. b. Ask the parents if this is the childs usual heart rate. c. Recheck the pulse and blood pressure in 15 minutes. d. Notify the surgeon that the child is probably going into shock.

c. Recheck the pulse and blood pressure in 15 minutes

7. A 6-year-old child needs to drink 1 L of GoLYTELY in preparation for a computed tomography scan of the abdomen. To encourage the child to drink, what should the nurse do? a. Give him a large cup with ice so it tastes better. b. Restrict him to his room until he drinks the GoLYTELY. c. Use little cups and make a game to reward him for each cup he drinks. d. Tell him that if he does not finish drinking by a set time, the practitioner will be angry

c. Use little cups and make a game to reward him for each cup he drinks.

2. The nurse needs to take the blood pressure of a preschool boy for the first time. What action would be best in gaining his cooperation? a. Tell him that this procedure will help him get well faster. b. Take his blood pressure when a parent is there to comfort him. c. Explain to him how the blood flows through the arm and why the blood pressure is important. d. Permit him to handle the equipment and see the cuff inflate and deflate before putting the cuff in place.

d. Permit him to handle the equipment and see the cuff inflate and deflate before putting the cuff in place.