The nurse is attempting to take the blood pressure of a four-year-old child. The child is afraid of the sphygmomanometer. Which action by the nurse will help allay the child's feelings of anxiety?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Allowing the child to handle the equipment and demonstrating how it works can help to reduce anxiety by providing a sense of control and familiarizing the child with the equipment. Simply explaining the procedure may not be enough to alleviate the child's fear, and having the mother hold the child still may further increase the child's anxiety. Assuring the child that it won't hurt is not necessarily accurate and may not alleviate fear.

The Nurse Is Attempting to Take the Blood Pressure of a Four-Year-Old