Deck 13: Child and Family Communication

Question 1

Which of the following factors is most important in determining the success of relationships used in delivering care?

A) transference and countertransference
B) effective communication
C) personality of the participants
D) type of illness of the client

Answer 1

effective communication

Question 2

The major components of the communication process are:

A) message, sender, channel, receiver, and feedback
B) facial expression, tone of voice, and gestures
C) verbal, written, and nonverbal
D) speaker, listener, and reply

Answer 2

message, sender, channel, receiver, and feedback

Question 3

Barriers to communication include:

A) open-ended questions
B) preconceived ideas
C) encouragement
D) selective reflection

Answer 3

preconceived ideas

Question 4

In order to make verbal communication more effective, the nurse will:

A) be brief, clear, and relevant in speech
B) use a consistent tone, never varying it
C) avoid speaking slowly
D) use medical terms

Question 5

The tone and pitch of the voice, volume, inflection, speed, grunts, and other vocalizations are referred to by which of the following terms?

A) third element
B) ancillary speech
C) paraverbal clues
D) enhancements

Question 6

Informal communication takes place then individuals talk and is best described by saying the participants:

A) are relaxed
B) are involved in a preexisting informal relationship
C) have no particular agenda or protocol
D) talk with slang words

Question 7

Touch is one of the most important communicative behaviors that nurses use; however, nurses must keep in mind which of the following facts before using touch?

A) Everyone likes to be touched, but most prefer a light touch on the upper body.
B) Touch can have many different meanings to different children and their families.
C) Touch needs to be used very sparingly and only then necessary and asked for.
D) The opposite gender almost always interprets touch as having a sexual meaning.

Question 8

Most communication is:

A) verbal
B) spatial
C) nonverbal
D) ineffective

Question 9

You are the nurse preparing to meet with a client for the first time. You realize that before effective communication can take place, you must:

A) share personal information about yourself
B) develop trust and rapport with the client
C) set some rules of communication with the client
D) clarify your purpose in talking with the client

Question 10

You are the nurse trying to get a child to take his medication. The child refuses to take the medicine, saying, "I hate this medicine because it tastes yucky." Your best response is:

A) "Your daddy and mommy will be upset if you don't take this medicine. Your health care practitioner will be upset with you too."
B) "You will not get well if you don't take this medicine. It is good for you and will make you well again."
C) "Good boys and girls always take their medicine. If you are a good little child, you will take your medicine and Santa will bring you a present."
D) "I understand that the medicine does not taste good and you don't want to take it, but I am so proud of you then you take it and you can be proud of yourself."

Question 11

You are working with a child and the child's family. Which of the following actions on your part would most help to establish trust?

A) Call caregivers at least 24 hours before canceling appointments.
B) Explain procedures in a way that you feel comfortable with.
C) Don't make promises you cannot keep, and keep all the ones you make.
D) Maintain client confidentiality for information that would upset the client if disclosed.

Question 12

You are working with a family that has nicknames for all the members. Mother is called Mimi and Father is called Papa. The children are called Bubby and Sissy. After introductions, you would:

A) call the children Bubby and Sissy and refer to the caregivers as Mother and Dad
B) address the caregivers as Mimi and Papa and the children as Bubby and Sissy
C) ask each family member what he or she would prefer to be called
D) call the children Miss and Mr. and the caregivers Mr. and Mrs.

Question 13

To encourage caregivers to share their concerns and ask questions, a nurse would:

A) let the family know that the nurse's time is limited
B) periodically advise the family of the amount of time left
C) let the family know that the nurse has time to spend with them
D) socialize with the family and child so they feel comfortable with the nurse

Question 14

When working with a child in isolation, the nurse knows that smiling while wearing a mask:

A) is unnecessary, as the child cannot see the smile
B) can be seen in the actions of the eyes and the area around the eyes
C) makes the nurse feel better even if the child cannot tell
D) is not good, as it allows germs to escape from the open mouth

Question 15

Empathy is best described in which of the following situations?

A) The nurse gets down on the floor to see the world as a toddler sees it.
B) Condolences are offered by a nurse then the caregivers lose a child.
C) Working with a dying child, the nurse feels sorry for the child and his family.
D) The nurse is subjective in interactions with the child and caregivers.

Question 16

In conflict management, the win-win approach occurs then:

A) both parties involved are committed to solving the conflict
B) there are two conflicts and the parties agree to each win one
C) each party gives in on 50% of the disagreements making up the conflict
D) the conflict is settled out of court so the legal system and the parties win

Question 17

When one person allows the conflict to be resolved at his or her own expense, this is referred to in conflict management as:

A) winning while losing
B) the lose-win approach
C) the win-lose approach
D) losing

Question 18

In maintaining professional boundaries in therapeutic relationships, the nurse must commit to which of the following behaviors?

A) accepting and giving gifts
B) becoming emotionally involved
C) doing all the care for the child
D) being a nurse and not a social friend

Question 19

When the nurse is assigned to a child and his or her family, shares personal information such as home addresses and telephone numbers, or socializes with the family, this behavior on the part of the nurse:

A) is helpful in developing trust and rapport
B) signals over-involvement on the part of the nurse
C) keeps the nurse from becoming burned out
D) makes the nurse feel like part of the family

Question 20

A nurse coworker, who has been working with a child and his family, asks you for advice about buying a gift for the child and the family. Which of the following would be the best advice you could give this nurse?

A) Do not buy them a gift unless they buy you one first.
B) If you buy a gift, be certain that it is a small token only.
C) Not giving gifts or receiving them is part of being professional.
D) You should not buy gifts, but it is all right to receive them.

Question 21

A nurse is sitting with a family who has just heard some upsetting news about their child's prognosis. The nurse sits with the family in silence. The nurse's silence is best interpreted as:

A) not knowing what to say
B) fear of saying the wrong thing
C) respect, concern, and a desire to comfort the caregivers
D) waiting for the family to speak and tell the nurse what they need

Question 22

You are the nurse working with a small child who is in a four-bed ward. You need to do an assessment with the caregivers. Which of the following actions would be best on your part?

A) Provide the assessment on a written form so caregivers can fill it out in the room.
B) Ask all the other visitors to step out while you do the assessment with the caregivers.
C) Talk low so others in the room will not hear.
D) Take the caregivers to a nearby quiet, private area.

Question 23

Children will experience less stress, irritability, and fatigue in caregiving situations then the nurse and other caregivers:

A) make the child adhere to the hospital schedule and fit the unit's needs
B) give instructions and information about tests the day before they take place
C) tell the child that he or she has nothing to fear, as lots of kids have experienced this
D) assist the child to remain in control of physical and personal space whenever possible

Question 24

You are the nurse working with a child who is fearful, has difficulty trusting the staff, and says very little. Which of the following methods would be best for you to try in order to get this child to relax, focus on your message, and respond verbally?

A) taking turns reading a book
B) using a puppet or stuffed toy in third-party communication
C) asking the mother to talk to the child and get the answers you want
D) asking the health care practitioner for an order to medicate the child with a mild tranquilizer

Question 25

Which of the following approaches has been recognized as most healing and capable of bridging communication gaps with children and families?

A) limit setting
B) authoritarian
C) humor
D) direct communication

Question 26

Which of the following is likely to be the most effective method of communicating with older school-age children and adolescents?

A) direct communication
B) written communication
C) nonverbal body language
D) telephone conversation

Question 27

You are the nurse working with a preschool child who has just drawn an interesting picture of his family. Your best action is to:

A) ask the child to tell a story about the picture
B) ask the child questions to ascertain the meaning of the picture
C) interpret the picture and give the child a chance to approve or deny your interpretation
D) get another child to tell you about the picture

Question 28

The nurse is working with a group of older children and adolescents who have diabetes. The nurse wants to explore the feelings of the children and encourage them to wear a MedicAlert bracelet and carry hard candy. The nurse will probably have the greatest success in getting the children to talk about feelings and to comply with the bracelet and candy if the nurse uses which of the following approaches?

A) Tell the story in the third person, using the case of another girl unknown to the group to get the points across.
B) Contract with the children in writing what the nurse is expected to do and what the children are expected to do.
C) Use behavior modification, rewarding the children with candy if they comply and having consequences if they do not.
D) Have a contest to see who can comply the fastest and the longest in wearing the bracelet and carrying candy.

Question 29

In working with the caregivers of a child with an acute or chronic illness, the nurse would:

A) teach care early and allow the caregivers to provide daily care for as many aspects of the child's care as possible
B) delegate care of the child to a nurse's aide and make certain he or she understands the care delegated and completes it
C) take responsibility for the child's care until the day before the child leaves, and then give caregivers instructions
D) teach care daily and let the caregivers do a return demonstration just before discharge

Question 30

Which of the following approaches will work best then the nurse is communicating with an infant?

A) Communicate through the caregivers.
B) Allow the child time to warm up to the nurse.
C) Respond only after the child cries for a little while.
D) Use an adult voice just as you would for anyone.

Question 31

Which of the following statements best describes "motherese"?

A) being oversolicitous to a child
B) patting a child and touching frequently
C) a type of speech using short, simple sentences in a high-pitched voice
D) the way that mothers always seem to know what their babies need and want

Question 32

Which of the following best describes a difference in communicating with school-age children versus toddlers?

A) The number of words is more then communicating with a toddler than it is with a school-aged child.
B) For toddlers, preparation for procedures is just before the procedure and much earlier for school-aged children.
C) Toddlers require more empathy and more touching and holding.
D) Caregivers need less information then care involves a school-aged child.

Question 33

When the nurse is caring for an infant who is experiencing stranger anxiety, the nurse tries to get the caregiver involved in the care. If the caregiver is not able to be involved, the nurse needs to:

A) hold the infant so the caregiver is in view
B) swaddle the baby and hold the baby so he or she cannot see the caregiver
C) keep the caregiver away so the baby will not fuss
D) feed the baby, as babies bond with whoever feeds them

Question 34

Which of the following skills does the toddler master?

A) ability to take responsibility for his or her own actions
B) mastery of spatial, temporal, and numerical concepts and serialization
C) capacity to do abstract thinking some of the time
D) ability to participate in turn-taking rules of social communication

Question 35

Two-word utterances by a child become common around which of the following ages?

A) 12 months
B) 16 months
C) 2 years
D) 3 years

Question 36

The nurse is preparing to give a preschool child some oral medicine. Which of the following statements by the nurse would be most helpful to the child's development?

A) "This medicine is good for you. Take it, or your mother will be upset."
B) "Would you like water or a mouthful of flavored gelatin after your medicine?"
C) "The health care practitioner has ordered this medicine especially for you."
D) "Do you want to take this medicine? I'd like for you to take it."

Question 37

Preschoolers are able to see things from which of the following perspectives?

A) only their own
B) their own and their mother's
C) their own and their caregivers'
D) their peers'

Question 38

When the nurse communicates with a preschool child, he or she should communicate with:

A) fantasy and abstract language
B) magical language
C) honesty and concrete language
D) stories about a hypothetical child

Question 39

The nurse is preparing to give the child an intramuscular injection. The nurse's best approach would be to:

A) smile and laugh about the injection
B) say, "I am going to give you a little stick."
C) say, "Good little children don't cry."
D) say, "I am going to give you an injection that may hurt a little."

Question 40

A preschool child asks the nurse if the X-ray will hurt and why he needs an X-ray. The best response by the nurse is:

A) "The X-ray is a picture of your tummy to see what makes it hurt. The X-ray will not hurt."
B) "I will go get a book that describes the special rays involved in X-rays, the different types of X-rays, and how the film is developed to provide a picture."
C) "Let me get someone from X-ray to explain this to you and to take you down to X-ray so you can see all the different equipment."
D) "Your health care practitioner will explain this complicated process to you and your caregivers just before you have the X-ray."

Question 41

Rhymes, chants, and rituals such as knocking on wood serve which of the following purposes for school-aged children?

A) substitute for aggressive acts toward peers and adults in their environment
B) door opener for friendships with other children participating in these activities
C) means of emotional-social control in frightening and confusing contexts
D) entertainment in an otherwise dull and dreary world run by adults

Question 42

In working with school-aged children, the nurse keeps in mind that the child of this age has which of the following skills mastered?

A) understanding of words with double meanings
B) ability to understand philosophical meanings
C) spatial, temporal, and numerical concepts
D) interest in and ability to create metaphors

Question 43

Adolescents most need people to:

A) talk with them and explain the world to them
B) honestly tell them then their ideas are wrong
C) agree with them and give positive reinforcement then they are right
D) listen to them verbalize what the world should be like

Question 44

When working with clients who are Japanese and who were raised with Japanese customs, you would keep in mind that the Japanese tend to:

A) use a lot of touch and appreciate touch from health care professionals
B) speak a lot and view feelings as less important than words
C) complain then something, such as pain, is bothering them
D) avoid direct eye contact, as this is seen as a lack of respect

Question 45

When working with clients who are from Mexico or have been raised with Hispanic customs, the nurse would keep in mind that people of these cultural groups tend to:

A) avoid direct eye contact
B) use few gestures and tend not to vary voice tone
C) find discussions of personal topics easier if the nurse is the same gender as the client
D) get right to the point in any discussion, as they view small talk as a waste of time

Question 46

A nurse is providing family education on conflict resolution through communication. Which of the following statements made by the parent indicates that the teaching has been effective? Select all that apply.

A) "I will try to overlook our differences."
B) "I'm willing to compromise and accept my spouse's solutions to our problems."
C) "I will actively listen to our child."
D) "I am going to take your feelings seriously."

Question 47

A nurse is providing education to an adolescent who is planning to have surgery. Which of the following developmentally appropriate strategies should the nurse implement? Select all that apply.

A) Prepare the adolescent up to 24 hours prior to the procedure.
B) Include the peer group since the adolescent does not prefer to have privacy.
C) Use appropriate medical terminology.
D) Draw a diagram of the surgery to describe the procedure if the adolescent questions how the procedure will be done.