Nursing Elites

1. A mother reports to the nurse that her 6-year-old child is highly active, irritable, irregular in habits, and adapts slowly to new routines, people, or situations. Which pattern of temperament would best describe the child?

• A. The 'easy' child
• B. The 'difficult' child
• C. The 'slow-to-warm-up' child
• D. The 'fast-to-warm-up' child

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The 'difficult' child is the best way to describe the child in this scenario. This temperament is characterized by high activity levels, irritability, irregular habits, and difficulty adapting to changes. Choice A, the 'easy' child, is known for being generally positive and adaptable. Choice C, the 'slow-to-warm-up' child, typically needs time to adapt to new situations but is not necessarily highly active or irritable. Choice D, the 'fast-to-warm-up' child, adapts quickly to new situations, which contrasts with the child's slow adaptation mentioned in the scenario.

2. The nurse suspects fluid overload in an infant receiving intravenous fluids. What clinical manifestation is suggestive of water intoxication?

• A. Oliguria
• B. Weight loss
• C. Irritability and seizures
• D. Muscle weakness and cardiac dysrhythmias

Correct answer: C

Rationale: Water intoxication can lead to cerebral edema, causing neurological symptoms such as irritability and seizures. Oliguria, weight loss, and muscle weakness are not typical signs of water intoxication.

3. The parents of a 2-month-old boy are concerned about spoiling their son by picking him up when he cries. What is the nurse's best response?

• A. Allow him to cry for no longer than 15 minutes and then pick him up
• B. Babies need comforting and cuddling. Meeting these needs will not spoil him
• C. Babies this young cry when they are hungry. Try feeding him when he cries
• D. If he isn’t soiled or wet, leave him, and he'll cry himself to sleep

Correct answer: B

Rationale: Comforting and cuddling a 2-month-old baby when they cry helps build trust and security. At this age, responding to cries does not lead to spoiling, but rather supports healthy emotional development.

4. What is the appropriate site to administer an intramuscular (IM) vaccine to a newborn?

• A. The dorsal gluteal muscle
• B. The vastus lateralis muscle
• C. The ventral gluteal muscle
• D. The biceps muscle

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct site to administer an intramuscular (IM) vaccine to a newborn is the vastus lateralis muscle. For newborns, the vastus lateralis is preferred over the dorsogluteal site because the dorsogluteal site has been associated with low antibody seroconversion rates, indicating a reduced immune response. The vastus lateralis is also recommended for IM injections in newborns, while the deltoid muscle is preferred for older infants and children. The ventral gluteal muscle and the biceps muscle are not appropriate sites for IM injections. Therefore, choice B is the correct answer.

5. The nurse is educating a new nurse on the identification of pain in children. What does the nurse teach about physiologic measurements in children’s pain assessment?

• A. Not useful as the only indicator for pain
• B. Best indicator of pain in children of all ages
• C. Most valuable when children also report having pain
• D. Essential to determine whether a child is telling the truth about pain

Correct answer: A

Rationale: Physiologic manifestations of pain may vary considerably, so they do not provide a consistent measure of pain. Heart rate may increase or decrease. The same signs that may suggest fear, anxiety, or anger also indicate pain. In chronic pain, the body adapts, and these signs decrease or stabilize. Physiologic measurements are of limited value and must be viewed in the context of a pain rating scale, behavioral assessment, and parental report. When the child reports pain on an appropriate pain scale, the appropriate interventions should be used. Therefore, physiologic measurements are not considered a reliable standalone indicator for pain in children, making choice A the correct answer. Choice B is incorrect because physiologic measurements alone do not serve as the best indicator of pain. Choice C is incorrect as physiologic measurements are still limited even when children report pain. Choice D is incorrect as physiologic measurements are not primarily used to determine the truthfulness of a child's pain report.

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