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A 15-year-old adolescent is referred to a residential program after an arrest for theft and running away from home. At the program, the adolescent refuses to participate in scheduled activities and pushes a staff member, causing a fall. Which approach by the nursing staff would be most therapeutic?
- A. Neutrally permit refusals.
- B. Coax to gain compliance.
- C. Offer rewards in advance.
- D. Establish firm limits.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Firm limits are necessary to ensure physical safety and emotional security. Limit setting will also protect other patients from the teenager's thoughtless or aggressive behavior. Permitting refusals to participate in the treatment plan, coaxing, and bargaining are strategies that do not help the patient learn to abide by rules or structure.
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A 12-year-old child has been the neighborhood bully for several years. The parents say, 'We can't believe anything our child says.' Recently, the child shot a dog with a pellet gun and set fire to a trash bin outside a store. The child's behaviors are most consistent with which disorder?
- A. Conduct disorder (CD)
- B. Defiance of authority
- C. Anxiety over separation from a parent
- D. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The behaviors mentioned are most consistent with the DSM-5 criteria for CD: aggression against people and animals; destruction of property; deceitfulness; rule violations; and impairment in social, academic, or occupational functioning. The behaviors are not consistent with ADHD and separation anxiety and are more pervasive than defiance of authority.
An 11-year-old child, who has been diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), becomes angry over the rules at a residential treatment program and begins shouting at the nurse. What is the best method to defuse the situation?
- A. Assign the child to a short time-out.
- B. Administer an antipsychotic medication.
- C. Place the child in a therapeutic hold.
- D. Call a staff member to seclude the child.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Time-out is a useful strategy for interrupting the angry expression of feelings and allows the child an opportunity to exert self-control. This method is the least restrictive alternative of those listed and should be tried before resorting to more restrictive measures.
The child most likely to receive propranolol to manage tremors is one diagnosed with which disorder?
- A. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- B. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- C. A motor disorder
- D. Separation anxiety
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Propranolol is useful for managing tremors associated with various motor disorders. This medication is not indicated in any of the other disorders.
A 5-year-old child diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) bounces out of a chair in the waiting room, runs across the room, and begins to slap another child. What is the nurse's best action?
- A. Call for emergency assistance from another staff member.
- B. Instruct the parents to take the child home immediately.
- C. Direct this child to stop, and then comfort the other child.
- D. Take the child into another room with toys to act out feelings.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The use of play to express feelings is appropriate; the cognitive and language abilities of the child may require the acting out of feelings if verbal expression is limited. The incorrect options provide no outlet for feelings or opportunity to develop coping skills.
A nurse assesses the four children below. Which assessment findings should prompt the nurse to refer the child for further evaluation?
- A. A 4-year-old who stuttered for 3 weeks after the birth of a sibling.
- B. A 9-month-old who does not eat vegetables and likes to be rocked.
- C. A 3-month-old who cries after feeding until burped and sucks a thumb.
- D. A 3-year-old who is mute, passive toward adults, and twirls while walking.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Symptoms consistent with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) are evident in the correct answer. The behaviors of the other children are expected and within normal ranges.