Question 1

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?

Accepted Answer

Veteran parents share experiences that cannot be supplied by other support systems. They have known the stress related to diagnosis, have weathered the many transition times, and have a practical remembering of resources. The parents can be mutually supportive during times of crisis. Nursing staff cannot provide the type of support that is realized from other parents who are experiencing similar situations. Friction should not exist between the nursing staff and the family of the child who is critically ill.

Question 2

What nursing intervention is most appropriate in promoting normalization in a school-age child with a chronic illness?

Accepted Answer

The school-age child who is ill may be forced into a period of dependency. To foster normalcy, the child should be given as much control as possible. It is unrealistic for one individual to make the child feel normal. The child has a chronic illness, so it would be unacceptable to convince the child that nothing is wrong. The family rules should be similar for each of the children in a family. Resentment and hostility can arise if different standards are applied to each child.

Question 3

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?

Accepted Answer

Parenting a child with a chronic illness can be stressful. At certain anticipated times, parental stress increases. One of these identified times is when the child begins school. Nurses can help parents recognize and plan interventions to work through these stressful periods. The parents are not in denial; rather, they are responding to the child's placement in school. The parents are not exhibiting signs of a remembering deficit; this is their first interaction with the school system with this child.

Question 4

What is the major health concern of children in the United States?

Accepted Answer

An estimated 18% of children in the United States have a chronic illness or disability that warrants health care services beyond those usually required by children. Chronic illness has surpassed acute illness as the major health concern for children. Congenital disabilities exist from birth but may not be hereditary. These represent a portion of the number of children with chronic illnesses. Mental and nervous system disorders account for approximately 17% of chronic illnesses in children.

Question 5

What should the nurse determine to be the priority intervention for a family with an infant who has a disability?

Accepted Answer

It is important that the parents learn how to care for their infant so they feel competent. The nurse facilitates this by teaching special holding techniques, supporting breastfeeding, and encouraging frequent visiting and rooming in. The focus should be on the infant's capabilities and positive features. Infants do not usually require discipline. As the child gets older, this is necessary, but it is not a priority intervention at this time. The nursing staff negotiates with the family about the need for respite care.

Question 6

The nurse is assessing the coping behaviors of the parents of a child recently diagnosed with a chronic illness. What behavior should the nurse consider an "approach behavior" that results in movement toward adjustment?

Accepted Answer

The parents who anticipate future problems and seek guidance and answers are demonstrating approach behaviors. These are positive actions in caring for their child. Being unable to adjust, looking for new cures, and failing to recognize the seriousness of the child's condition are avoidance behaviors. The parents are moving away from adjustment or exhibiting maladaptation to the crisis of a child with chronic illness or disability.

Question 7

What intervention is most appropriate for fostering the development of a school-age child with disabilities associated with cerebral palsy?

Accepted Answer

Peer interaction is especially important in relation to cognitive development, social development, and maturation. Cognitive development is facilitated by interaction with peers, parents, and teachers. The identification with those outside the family helps the child fulfill the striving for independence. Sensory experiences are beneficial, especially for younger children. School-age children are too young for abstract thinking. Giving school-age children choices is always an important intervention. Providing structured choices allows for a feeling of control.

Question 8

What manifestation observed by the nurse is suggestive of parental overprotection?

Accepted Answer

Parental overprotection is manifested when the parents fear letting the child achieve any new skill, avoid all discipline, and cater to every desire to prevent frustration. Overprotective parents do not allow the child to assume responsibility for self-care of the illness. The parents prefer to remain in the role of total caregiver. The parents do not encourage the child to participate in social and educational activities.

Question 9

What is the single most prevalent cause of disability in children and responsible for the recent increase in childhood disability?

Accepted Answer

Asthma is the single most prevalent cause of disability in children and has been largely responsible for much of the recent increase in childhood disability.

Question 10

The nurse is talking to the parent of a child with special needs. The parent has expressed worry about how to support the siblings at home. What suggestion is appropriate for the nurse to give to the parent?

Accepted Answer

Appropriate information to give to a parent who wants to support the siblings of a child with special needs includes helping the siblings see the differences and similarities between themselves and the child with special needs to promote an understanding environment. The parent should be encouraged to allow the siblings to participate in activities that do not always include the child with special needs, to limit caregiving responsibilities, and to allow the children to settle their own differences rather than step in all the time.

Question 11

A 16-year-old boy with a chronic illness has recently become rebellious and is taking risks such as missing doses of his medication. What should the nurse explain to his parents?

Accepted Answer

Risk taking, rebelliousness, and lack of cooperation are normal parts of adolescence, during which young adults are establishing independence. If the parents increase the amount of discipline, he will most likely be more rebellious. More socialization with peers does not address the problem of risk-taking behavior.

Question 12

What nursing intervention is especially helpful in assessing feelings of parental guilt when a disability or chronic illness is diagnosed?

Accepted Answer

Guilt may be associated with cultural or religious beliefs. Some parents are convinced that they are being punished for some previous misdeed. Others may see the disorder as a trial sent by God to test their religious beliefs. The nurse can help the parents explore their religious beliefs. On direct questioning, the parents may not be able to identify the feelings of guilt. It would be appropriate for the nurse to explore their adjustment responses. Overprotectiveness is a parental response during the adjustment phase. The parents fear letting the child achieve any new skill and avoid all discipline.

Question 13

What finding by the nurse is most characteristic of chronic sorrow?

Accepted Answer

Chronic sorrow is manifested by feelings of sorrow and loss that recur in waves over time. The sorrow is a response to the recognition of the child's limitations. The family should be assessed in an ongoing manner to provide appropriate support as their needs change. The sorrow is not preventable. The chronic sorrow occurs during the reintegration and acknowledgment stage.

Question 14

The parents of a child born with disabilities ask the nurse for advice about discipline. The nurse's response should be based on remembering that discipline is which?

Accepted Answer

Discipline is essential for the child. It provides boundaries on which she can test out her behavior and teaches her socially acceptable behaviors. The nurse should teach the parents ways to manage the child's behavior before it becomes problematic. Punishment is not effective in managing behavior.

Question 15

Parents ask for help for their other children to cope with the changes in the family resulting from the special needs of their sibling. What strategy does the nurse recommend?

Accepted Answer

Siblings should be invited to attend meeting to be part of the care team for the child. They can learn about an individualized education plan and help design strategies that will work at home. Embarrassment may be associated with having a sibling with a chronic illness or disability. Parents must be able to respond in an appropriate manner without punishing the sibling. The parents may need assistance with the care of the child. Most siblings are positive about the extra responsibilities. Parents need to inform the siblings about the child's condition before a nonfamily member does so. The parents do not want the siblings to fantasize about what is wrong with the child.

Question 16

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?

Accepted Answer

The nurse should be particularly alert to a child who withdraws and passively accepts all painful procedures. This child may believe that such acts are inflicted as deserved punishment for being less worthy. A child who is hopeful is mobilized into goal-directed actions. This child would actively participate in care. Chronic sorrow is the feeling of sorrow and loss that recurs in waves over time. It is usually evident in the parents, not in the child. The seriously ill child would actively participate in care. Nursing interventions should be used to minimize the pain.

Question 17

The potential effects of chronic illness or disability on a child's development vary at different ages. What developmental alteration is a threat to a toddler's normal development?

Accepted Answer

Toddlers are acquiring a sense of autonomy, developing self-control, and forming symbolic representation through language acquisition. Mobility is the primary tool used by toddlers to experiment with maintaining control. Loss of mobility can create a sense of helplessness. Toddlers do not socialize. They are sensitive to changes in family routines. A sense of guilt is more likely to occur in a preschooler. Toilet training is not usually mastered until the end of the toddler period.

Question 18

What is a major premise of family-centered care?

Accepted Answer

As parents become increasingly responsible for their children, they are the experts. It is essential that the health care team recognize the family's expertise. In family-centered care, consistent attention is given to the effects of the child's chronic illness on all family members, not just the child. Nurses are adjuncts in the child's care. The nurse builds alliances with parents. Family members are involved in decision making about the child's physical care.

Question 19

Families progress through various stages of reactions when a child is diagnosed with a chronic illness or disability. After the shock phase, a period of adjustment usually follows. This is often characterized by what response?

Accepted Answer

For most families, the adjustment phase is accompanied by several responses, including guilt, self-accusation, bitterness, and anger. The initial diagnosis of a chronic illness or disability often is met with intense emotion and characterized by shock and denial. Social reintegration and acceptance of the child's limitations are the culmination of the adjustment process.

Question 20

A feeling of guilt that the child "caused" the disability or illness is especially common in which age group?

Accepted Answer

Preschoolers are most likely to be affected by feelings of guilt that they caused the illness or disability or are being punished for wrongdoings. Toddlers are focused on establishing their autonomy. The illness fosters dependency. School-age children have limited opportunities for achievement and may not be able to understand limitations. Adolescents face the task of incorporating their disabilities into their changing self-concept.

Quiz 19: Family-Centered Care of the Child with Chronic Illness or Disability