35: Key Pediatric Nursing Interventions

When describing the differences affecting the pharmacokinetics of drugs administered to children, which of the following would the nurse include? A) Oral drugs are absorbed more quickly in children than adults. B) Absorption of intramuscularly administered drugs is fairly constant. C) Topical drugs are absorbed more quickly in young children than adults. D) Absorption of drugs administered by subcutaneous injection is increased.

C) Topical drugs are absorbed more quickly in young children than adults.

The nurse is teaching the student nurse the factors that affect the pharmacodynamics of the drugs they are administering. Which of the following is a factor affecting this property of drugs? A) Immature body systems B) Weight C) Body surface D) Body composition

A) Immature body systems

The nurse is providing care for a 10-year-old girl who has required multiple venipunctures and a computed tomography (CT) scan in a single day. The girl has expressed no fear or need for comfort. How should the nurse respond? A) "Tell me about your day today." B) "Are you doing okay?" C) "Are you feeling okay?" D) "You have done really well today."

A) "Tell me about your day today."

The nurse is administering a crushed tablet to an 18-month-old infant. Which of the following is a recommended guideline for this intervention? A) Mix the crushed tablet with a small amount of applesauce. B) Place the crushed tablet in the infant's formula. C) Mix the crushed tablet with the infant's cereal. D) Crushed tablets should only be mixed with water.

A) Mix the crushed tablet with a small amount of applesauce.

The nurse is caring for an 8-year-old girl who requires medication that is only available in an enteric tablet form. The nurse is teaching the mother how to help the girl swallow the medication. Which of the following statements indicates a need for further teaching? A) "I can encourage her to place it on the back of her tongue." B) "I can pinch her nose to make it easier to swallow." C) "We cannot crush this type of pill as it will affect the delivery of the medication." D) "We can place the tablet in a spoonful of applesauce."

B) "I can pinch her nose to make it easier to swallow."

The nurse is providing teaching for the mother of an infant who receives all of his nutrition through a tube. The nurse is reviewing interventions to promote growth and development. Which of the following responses from the mother indicates a need for further teaching? A) "I will give him a pacifier during feeding time." B) "We need to keep feeding time very quiet." C) "We need to make sure he doesn't lose the desire to eat by mouth." D) "Sucking produces saliva, which aids in digestion."

B) "We need to keep feeding time very quiet."

The nurse is explaining to the student nurse the therapeutic effects of total parenteral nutrition (TPN). Which of the following accurately describes the use of TPN? A) It is used short term to supply additional calories and nutrients as needed. B) It is delivered via the peripheral vein to allow rapid dilution of hypertonic solution. C) It is a highly concentrated solution of carbohydrates, electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals. D) It is usually used when the child's nutritional status is within acceptable parameters.

C) It is a highly concentrated solution of carbohydrates, electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals.

The nurse is supporting an 8-year-old child who is having blood specimens drawn. Which method would be least appropriate to use for distraction? A) "Squeeze my hand as tight as you can." B) "Look at how many dots there are on the ceiling." C) "Count with me slowly from 1 to 20." D) "It's okay to scream if it hurts."

D) "It's okay to scream if it hurts."

The nurse is preparing a 5-year-old for a radiograph. Which of the following would be the best communication to prepare the child for the procedure? A) "We are going to take some x-rays of your body." B) "We need to look inside at some of your organs." C) "X-rays are not painful; you won't feel a thing." D) "We are going to use a big camera to take pictures inside your body."

D) "We are going to use a big camera to take pictures inside your body."

The nurse is administering a liquid medication to a 3-year-old using an oral syringe. Which action would be most appropriate? A) Direct the liquid toward the anterior side of the mouth. B) Keep the child's hand away from the oral syringe when squirting the medication. C) Give all of the drug in the syringe at one time with one squirt. D) Allow the child time to swallow the medication in between amounts.

D) Allow the child time to swallow the medication in between amounts.

A nurse is caring for a 14-year-old with a gastrostomy tube. The girl has skin breakdown and irritation at the insertion site. Which of the following would be the most appropriate method to clean and secure the gastrostomy tube? A) Make sure the tube cannot be moved in and out of the child's stomach. B) Use adhesive tape to tape the tube in place and prevent movement. C) Place a transparent dressing over the site whether there is drainage or not. D) If any drainage is present, use a presplit 2 Å~ 2 and place it loosely around the site.

D) If any drainage is present, use a presplit 2 Å~ 2 and place it loosely around the site.

The nurse is preparing to administer ear drops to a 6-year-old. To ensure that the medication is instilled properly, the nurse does which of the following? A) Pulls the pinna downward B) Pulls the pinna downward and back C) Pulls the pinna upward D) Pulls the pinna upward and back

D) Pulls the pinna upward and back

The nurse is helping a 14-year old boy who has asthma to administer medication via an inhaler. Which of the following describes a developmentally appropriate nursing intervention for this child? A) Involve the adolescent's parents in the administration of the medication. B) Allow the adolescent to handle a demo inhaler prior to administering the medication. C) Offer the adolescent a special treat if he uses his inhaler correctly. D) Treat the adolescent as an adult when explaining the use of the inhaler.

D) Treat the adolescent as an adult when explaining the use of the inhaler.