Deck 32: The Child With an Emotional or Behavioral Condition

Question 1

An appropriate nursing intervention for a hospitalized child who is autistic would be to:

A) Place the child in a location where she can watch all of the activity on the unit.
B) Use the child's chronological age as a guide for communication.
C) Keep the child's room free of toys or objects that she might want to take home with her.
D) Organize care to provide as few disruptions to the routine as possible.

Answer 1

Organize care to provide as few disruptions to the routine as possible.

Question 2

Because young children cannot express themselves well, the nurse uses the therapeutic intervention that allows children to act out their feelings, which is:

A) Art therapy
B) Play therapy
C) Music therapy
D) Bibliotherapy

Answer 2

Play therapy

Question 3

The nurse explains that use of stimulants will decrease hyperactivity in the autistic child, but has the negative aspect of:

A) Sedating the child
B) Impairing cognition
C) Causing hypotension
D) Creating fluid retention

Answer 3

Impairing cognition

Question 4

A 9-year-old has been admitted to the hospital after "huffing" lighter fluid. The nurse should assess for:

A) Depressed respirations
B) Severe vomiting
C) Frightening hallucinations
D) Elevation of temperature

Question 5

The nurse explains that the person who is bulimic:

A) Is severely underweight
B) Alternates binge eating with purging
C) Is an introverted perfectionist
D) Has extremely close family relationships

Question 6

The school nurse suggests to the classroom teacher that the most appropriate classroom intervention for a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder would be:

A) Seat the child in the back of the room to prevent distractions for other children.
B) Pair the child with a student buddy to offer reminders to pay attention.
C) Divide work assignments into shorter periods with breaks in between.
D) Separate the child from others to increase his focus on schoolwork.

Question 7

The statement made by a parent of an adolescent with anorexia nervosa indicating an understanding of this condition is:

A) "There really isn't anything to worry about. Don't they say you can never be too thin?"
B) "My daughter just doesn't have much of an appetite."
C) "She is just trying to punish me for divorcing her father."
D) "She seems to see herself as fat, even though her weight is below normal."

Question 8

A mother is concerned because her teenage son is always in trouble for fighting at school and always seems to be angry. She mentions that her husband drinks a bit. The understanding guiding the nurse's response is:

A) The boy is displaying antisocial behavior and should be evaluated for mental illness.
B) He is displaying one of the typical defense patterns of children of alcoholics and should receive immediate treatment.
C) The mother is displaying her own anger with her husband's drinking, and she needs immediate intervention.
D) This boy is only one member of the family affected by alcoholism, and all members should receive immediate intervention.

Question 9

As the pediatric nurse listens to a 9-year-old child read to his 6-year-old roommate, the nurse assesses possible dyslexia when the child:

A) Becomes hyperactive and ceases to read
B) Reads the word GOD as DOG
C) Makes up a story rather than reading the text
D) Stutters as he reads

Question 10

What would be the appropriate response to an adolescent who states, "This has been the worst day of my life"?

A) "You should focus your mind on positive thoughts."
B) "Everybody has a bad day now and then."
C) "You're young. What could be so terrible?"
D) "Tell me about the worst day in your life."

Question 11

The nurse answering phone calls at a local suicide prevention hotline would recognize the statement indicating the greatest risk of suicide is:

A) "I just needed to talk to someone to keep myself from thinking silly thoughts about killing myself."
B) "My parents aren't home and won't be back for 4 hours. That should be enough time for the pills to work. I've got a hundred of them."
C) "My dad will be home first, so he'll find me. So I think I'll use his gun. I hope he didn't lock the cabinet."
D) "My girlfriend is here with me. She told me to call because I was talking crazy about killing myself."

Question 12

The nurse describes the members of a mental health team for child guidance as including a: Select all that apply.

A) Psychiatrist
B) Pediatrician
C) Psychologist
D) Dietitian
E) Social worker

Question 13

The nurse explains that the member of the child guidance team who is a medical doctor with special training in psychoanalytic theory is the:

A) Psychiatrist
B) Psychoanalyst
C) Psychologist
D) Counselor

Question 14

When the nurse is collecting a nursing history, an adolescent states that she has tried speed. The nurse recognizes this as the street name for:

A) Barbiturates
B) Cocaine
C) Methamphetamine
D) Marijuana

Question 15

A 14-year-old girl with obsessive-compulsive disorder tells the nurse other teens tease her because she washes her hands many times during the school day. The nurse is aware that this disorder puts the adolescent at greater risk for:

A) Anorexia nervosa
B) Suicidal behavior
C) Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
D) Learning disability

Question 16

An adolescent is brought to the emergency department after an automobile accident. When the nurse approaches the adolescent, he becomes combative. The nurse notes his speech is slurred and his gait is ataxic. The nurse suspects the adolescent has used:

A) Alcohol
B) Cocaine
C) Amphetamines
D) PCP

Question 17

The nurse asks, "Do your parents drink every day?" The adolescent suddenly shouts, "I'm not going to talk about that! It's none of your business, anyway! Leave me alone!" The nurse recognizes that the outburst was stimulated by the fact that the adolescent is:

A) Acting out and needs to be brought under control so the conference can continue
B) Trying to shift the focus of the conference away from himself, and the nurse needs to refocus
C) Demonstrating that this problem requires the assistance of a psychiatrist
D) Responding to the discrediting of his parents, which causes anxiety in the child; thus reassurance is needed that blame will not be directed at anyone

Question 18

A nurse planning to speak with a parent support group about childhood autism would include the information:

A) Significant signs of the disorder manifest by 1 year of age.
B) The earliest signs of autism are impulsivity and overactivity.
C) Autism is usually diagnosed when the child goes to elementary school.
D) Medications can cure childhood autism.

Question 19

The nurse assesses an early sign of depression in a 15- year-old boy who previously was active in a band, and had saved his money to buy a special guitar when he:

A) Gives up the band to spend time with his girlfriend
B) Spends all of his time at the library studying in order to qualify for the honor society
C) Gives his guitar away and spends his time listening to music in his room
D) Withdraws all of his money out of the bank to buy an expensive leather jacket

Question 20

When a parent asks the nurse to describe what is meant by a "learning disability," the nurse's most helpful response would be:

A) "A child may have difficulty with perception, language, comprehension, or memory."
B) "It is characterized by inattention, impulsiveness, and hyperactivity."
C) "The child's intellectual ability limits his learning."
D) "The child has difficulty learning because of brain damage."

Question 21

The nurse takes into consideration in planning the care of an adolescent with anorexia nervosa that the cause of this disorder is: Select all that apply.

A) Discomfort relative to emerging sexuality
B) Fear of intimacy
C) Pervasive low self-esteem
D) Egocentricity
E) Inability to meet developmental needs
F) None of the above

Question 22

The school nurse cautions a group of parents about the prevalence of children who get "high" by inhaling hydrocarbons and fluorocarbons, such as: Select all that apply.

A) Glue
B) Chlorine
C) Cleaning fluid
D) Copy machine toner
E) Aerosol sprays

Question 23

The nurse documents that every time the child is directed to discuss the relationship with her brother, she complains of shortness of breath and begins to have asthma-like symptoms. The nurse assesses this behavior as a ____________________ reaction.

Question 24

The nurse assists with the intervention of ____________________ therapy, which provides a physical and social environment that is stable and therapeutic.