A 5-year-old child will be starting kindergarten next month. She has cerebral palsy, and it has been determined that she needs to be in a special education classroom. Her parents are tearful when telling the nurse about this and state that they did not realize her disability was so severe. What is the best interpretation of this situation?
- A. This is a sign the parents are in denial.
- B. This is a normal anticipated time of parental stress.
- C. The parents need to learn more about cerebral palsy.
- D. The parents expectations are too high.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Parental stress often peaks at anticipated milestones like starting school, especially for a child with a disability like cerebral palsy, as it highlights the severity of limitations. This is a normal response, not denial, a knowledge deficit, or overly high expectations.
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What should the nurse determine to be the priority intervention for a family with an infant who has a disability?
- A. Focus on the childs disabilities to understand care needs.
- B. Institute age-appropriate discipline and limit setting.
- C. Enforce visiting hours to allow parents to have respite care.
- D. Foster feelings of competency by helping parents learn the special care needs of the infant.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Helping parents learn the special care needs of their infant fosters feelings of competency, enabling them to care confidently. This includes teaching techniques like special holding or breastfeeding support. Focusing solely on disabilities overlooks strengths, discipline is not a priority for infants, and rigid visiting hours may hinder family bonding.
The nurse notes that the parents of a critically ill child spend a large amount of time talking with the parents of another child who is also seriously ill. They talk with these parents more than with the nurses. How should the nurse interpret this situation?
- A. Parent-to-parent support is valuable.
- B. Dependence on other parents in crisis is unhealthy.
- C. This is occurring because the nurses are unresponsive to the parents.
- D. This has the potential to increase friction between the parents and nursing staff.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Parent-to-parent support is valuable, as parents who share similar experiences can offer unique emotional and practical support that nurses cannot provide. This is not unhealthy dependence, a sign of unresponsive nurses, or likely to cause friction, but rather a beneficial coping mechanism.
The nurse observes that a seriously ill child passively accepts all painful procedures. The nurse should recognize that this is most likely an indication that the child is experiencing what emotional response?
- A. Hopefulness
- B. Chronic sorrow
- C. Belief that procedures are a deserved punishment
- D. Understanding that procedures indicate impending death
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Passive acceptance of painful procedures in a seriously ill child often indicates a belief that they are deserved punishment, reflecting feelings of unworthiness. Hopefulness leads to active participation, chronic sorrow is more typical in parents, and understanding procedures as linked to death is less common in children.
What intervention is most appropriate for fostering the development of a school-age child with disabilities associated with cerebral palsy?
- A. Provide sensory experiences.
- B. Help develop abstract thinking.
- C. Encourage socialization with peers.
- D. Give choices to allow for feeling of control.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Encouraging socialization with peers supports cognitive, social, and emotional development in school-age children with cerebral palsy, fostering independence and identity. Sensory experiences are more critical for younger children, abstract thinking develops later, and while choices promote control, peer interaction is more impactful for this age group.
What is the major health concern of children in the United States?
- A. Acute illness
- B. Chronic illness
- C. Congenital disabilities
- D. Nervous system disorders
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: An estimated 18% of children in the United States have a chronic illness or disability requiring health care services beyond typical needs. Chronic illness has surpassed acute illness as the primary health concern for children. Congenital disabilities contribute to chronic illnesses but are not the main concern, and nervous system disorders account for about 17% of chronic illnesses, a subset of the broader issue.
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