Nursing Elites

1. The nurse has just started assessing a young child who is febrile and appears ill. There is hyperextension of the child's head (opisthotonos) with pain on flexion. Which is the most appropriate action?

• A. Ask the parent when the neck was injured
• B. Refer for immediate medical evaluation
• C. Continue assessment to determine the cause of the neck pain
• D. Record head lag on the assessment record and continue the assessment of the child

Correct answer: B

Rationale: Opisthotonos with pain on flexion is a sign of possible meningitis or other serious neurological conditions, requiring immediate medical evaluation.

2. According to Piaget, which principle supports a nine-year-old child's understanding that an arm will look the same when the IV is removed?

• A. The principle of conservation
• B. The principle of transductive reasoning
• C. The principle of identity
• D. The principle of reflex abilities

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A, the principle of conservation. Piaget's principle of conservation relates to a child's ability to understand that certain properties of objects remain unchanged despite modifications in their appearance. In this case, the child's understanding that an arm will look the same after the IV is removed demonstrates conservation of appearance. Choice B, transductive reasoning, involves making faulty generalizations based on specific instances and does not apply in this context. Choice C, the principle of identity, pertains to recognizing objects as the same even if they undergo transformations, which is not directly relevant to the scenario. Choice D, reflex abilities, refers to automatic responses to stimuli and is unrelated to the child's understanding of the arm's appearance post-IV removal.

3. A four-year-old boy is admitted to the hospital with leg pain and fever. He is pale-looking and has bruises over various areas of his body. The physician suspects acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Which test would be used to confirm the diagnosis?

• A. Bone marrow aspirate
• B. Red blood cell count
• C. Lumbar puncture
• D. Bone scan

Correct answer: A

Rationale: A bone marrow aspirate is the definitive test to confirm acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in this case. It allows for the examination of leukemic cells in the bone marrow, providing a direct assessment of the disease. Red blood cell count (Choice B) is not specific for diagnosing leukemia but may show anemia commonly seen in leukemia patients. Lumbar puncture (Choice C) is used to assess central nervous system involvement, not primarily for confirming ALL. Bone scan (Choice D) is not a standard diagnostic test for ALL and is mainly used for evaluating bone metastases in other conditions.

4. Several types of seizures can occur in neonates. What is characteristic of clonic seizures?

• A. Apnea
• B. Tremors
• C. Extension of all four limbs
• D. Jerking that cannot be stopped by flexion of the affected limb

Correct answer: D

Rationale: Clonic seizures are characterized by slow, rhythmic, jerking movements that cannot be stopped by flexion of the affected limb. Therefore, the correct characteristic of clonic seizures is option D. Option A, apnea, is not characteristic of clonic seizures. Option B, tremors, does not describe clonic seizures accurately. Option C, extension of all four limbs, is not a typical feature of clonic seizures but rather seen in tonic seizures.

5. The nurse is preparing to admit a child to the hospital with a diagnosis of acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis. The nurse understands that the peak age at onset for this disease is what?

• A. 2 to 4 years
• B. 5 to 7 years
• C. 8 to 10 years
• D. 11 to 13 years

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The peak age for the onset of acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis is typically between 5 and 7 years old. This age group is most affected due to the higher incidence of streptococcal infections in school-aged children, which can lead to this renal complication.

Similar Questions