Inquire through: | Professional | Confidential Support
Chapter 20: Nursing Care of the Child With
an Alteration in Bowel
Elimination/Gastrointestinal Disorder
Verified and Updated Questions and
Answers (100% Correct Answers)
1. The nurse is teaching the mother of a 5-year-old boy with a history of impaction
how to administer enemas at home. Which response from the mother indicates a
need for further teaching?
A) "I should position him on his abdomen with knees bent."
B) "He will require 250 to 500 mL of enema solution."
C) "I should wash my hands and then wear gloves."
D) "He should retain the solution for 5 to 10 minutes."
Answer: Ans: A
Feedback: A 5-year-old child should lie on his left side with his right leg flexed
toward the chest. An infant or toddler is positioned on his abdomen. Using 250 to
500 mL of solution, washing hands and wearing gloves, and retaining the solution for
5 to 10 minutes are appropriate responses.
2. The nurse is taking a health history of an 11-year-old girl with recurrent
abdominal pain. Which response would lead the nurse to suspect irritable bowel
syndrome?
A) "I always feel better after I have a bowel movement."
B) "I don't take any medicine right now."
C) "The pain comes and goes."
D) "The pain doesn't wake me up in the middle of the night."
Answer: Ans: A
Feedback: In cases of irritable bowel syndrome, the pain may be relieved by
defecation. Use of medications and pain that comes and goes or wakes the person up
, Inquire through: | Professional | Confidential Support
in the middle of the night are all relevant findings pertinent to recurrent abdominal
pain.
3. The nurse is caring for a 3-year-old girl with short bowel syndrome as a result of
trauma to the small intestine. The girl's mother is extremely anxious and tells the
nurse she is afraid she will never learn how to care for her daughter at home. How
should the nurse respond?
A) "I will help you become an expert on your daughter's care."
B) "You must learn how to care for your daughter at home."
C) "You really need the support of your husband."
D) "There is a lot to learn and you need a positive attitude."
Answer: Ans: A
Feedback: The nurse needs to empower families to become the experts on their
children's needs and conditions via education and participation in care. The most
positive approach in this case is to let the mother know the nurse will support her
and help her become an expert on her daughter's care. Telling the mother that she
must learn how to care for her daughter or that she must have a positive attitude is
not helpful. Telling her that she needs the support of her husband is irrelevant and
unhelpful
4. The nurse is conducting a physical examination of a child with suspected Crohn
disease. Which finding would be the most suspicious of Crohn disease?
A) Normal growth patterns
B) Perianal skin tags or fissures
C) Poor growth patterns
D) Abdominal tenderness
Answer: Ans: B
Feedback: Perianal skin tags and/or fissures are highly suspicious of Crohn disease.
Poor growth patterns and abdominal tenderness are common to Crohn disease but
are also seen with many other conditions. Normal growth patterns would not point to
Crohn disease because of problems with absorbing nutrients.
Chapter 20: Nursing Care of the Child With
an Alteration in Bowel
Elimination/Gastrointestinal Disorder
Verified and Updated Questions and
Answers (100% Correct Answers)
1. The nurse is teaching the mother of a 5-year-old boy with a history of impaction
how to administer enemas at home. Which response from the mother indicates a
need for further teaching?
A) "I should position him on his abdomen with knees bent."
B) "He will require 250 to 500 mL of enema solution."
C) "I should wash my hands and then wear gloves."
D) "He should retain the solution for 5 to 10 minutes."
Answer: Ans: A
Feedback: A 5-year-old child should lie on his left side with his right leg flexed
toward the chest. An infant or toddler is positioned on his abdomen. Using 250 to
500 mL of solution, washing hands and wearing gloves, and retaining the solution for
5 to 10 minutes are appropriate responses.
2. The nurse is taking a health history of an 11-year-old girl with recurrent
abdominal pain. Which response would lead the nurse to suspect irritable bowel
syndrome?
A) "I always feel better after I have a bowel movement."
B) "I don't take any medicine right now."
C) "The pain comes and goes."
D) "The pain doesn't wake me up in the middle of the night."
Answer: Ans: A
Feedback: In cases of irritable bowel syndrome, the pain may be relieved by
defecation. Use of medications and pain that comes and goes or wakes the person up
, Inquire through: | Professional | Confidential Support
in the middle of the night are all relevant findings pertinent to recurrent abdominal
pain.
3. The nurse is caring for a 3-year-old girl with short bowel syndrome as a result of
trauma to the small intestine. The girl's mother is extremely anxious and tells the
nurse she is afraid she will never learn how to care for her daughter at home. How
should the nurse respond?
A) "I will help you become an expert on your daughter's care."
B) "You must learn how to care for your daughter at home."
C) "You really need the support of your husband."
D) "There is a lot to learn and you need a positive attitude."
Answer: Ans: A
Feedback: The nurse needs to empower families to become the experts on their
children's needs and conditions via education and participation in care. The most
positive approach in this case is to let the mother know the nurse will support her
and help her become an expert on her daughter's care. Telling the mother that she
must learn how to care for her daughter or that she must have a positive attitude is
not helpful. Telling her that she needs the support of her husband is irrelevant and
unhelpful
4. The nurse is conducting a physical examination of a child with suspected Crohn
disease. Which finding would be the most suspicious of Crohn disease?
A) Normal growth patterns
B) Perianal skin tags or fissures
C) Poor growth patterns
D) Abdominal tenderness
Answer: Ans: B
Feedback: Perianal skin tags and/or fissures are highly suspicious of Crohn disease.
Poor growth patterns and abdominal tenderness are common to Crohn disease but
are also seen with many other conditions. Normal growth patterns would not point to
Crohn disease because of problems with absorbing nutrients.
