Test Bank for Maternal Child Nursing 5th Edition by
McKinney
1. The nurse is planning to evaluate the development of a preschool-age child. On what
should the nurse focus when performing this evaluation?
A) Appetite
B) Current weight
C) Change in height
D) Ability to perform a skill - ANSWER---Ans: D
Feedback:
Development is measured by observing a child's ability to perform specific skills.
Growth is used to denote an increase in physical size such as height and weight.
Appetite is not used to evaluate growth or development.
2. A patient asks if a school-age child is going to be tall like others in the family. What
should the nurse explain as having the least impact on the child's ultimate height?
A) Participation in sports
B) Occupations of parents
C) Inherited genetic material
D) Ingestion of nutritious food - ANSWER---Ans: A
Feedback:
Although children cannot grow taller than their genetically programmed height potential,
their adult height can be considerably less than their genetic potential if their
environment hinders their growth. Environmental influences on height include
socioeconomic status or occupations of parents, genetic material inherited, and
availability and ingestion of nutritious foods. Participation in sports will not influence the
child's ultimate height.
3. The mother of several children is amazed that the youngest male child achieved toilet
training much earlier than the other children. What should the nurse explain as the
reason for this early development?
A) "He has exceptional intelligence."
B) "He learned by watching your other children."
C) "He needs testing because he is developing too quickly."
D) "He most likely will wet the bed for many years to come." - ANSWER---Ans: B
Feedback:
Children learn by watching other children so a youngest child who has many examples
to watch may excel in skills such as toilet training. The child did not become toilet
trained early because of exceptional intelligence. The child is not developing too quickly.
There is no way for the nurse to know if the child will wet the bed.
4. A patient is concerned that the new baby is going to have a weight problem growing
up because other family members are obese. What should the nurse respond to this
patient?
,A) Restrict all fatty foods up until age 5 years.
B) Restrict fatty foods after the age of 10 years.
C) Do not restrict fatty foods until the age of 2 years.
D) Keep fat intake to less than 50% of total daily intake. - ANSWER---Ans: C
Feedback:
For children, fat intake does not need to be restricted for the first 2 years of life because
fat is necessary for myelination of spinal nerves. After the age of 2 years, fat intake can
be tailored to meet the guidelines of 30% total intake for both children and adults. The
patient should not restrict all fatty foods up until the age of 5 years or after the age of 10
years. Fat intake after the age of 2 years should be limited to 30% of total caloric intake.
5. During a home visit, the nurse observes an 8-year-old child pick up toys and place
them in the toy box. The child then looks to the mother who says, "Thank you for
helping me." Which stage of Kohlberg's moral development is this child demonstrating?
A) Individualism
B) Maintenance of social order
C) Punishment/obedience orientation
D) Interpersonal relations of mutuality - ANSWER---Ans: D
Feedback:
In the stage of interpersonal relations of mutuality, the child will follow rules because of
a need to be a "good" person in their own eyes and in the eyes of others. The mother's
praise reinforces this behavior. In the punishment/obedience stage, the child does
"right" to avoid punishment. In the individualism stage, the child will carry out actions to
satisfy own needs rather than others. In the maintenance of social order stage, the child
will follow rules of authority figures as well as parents in an effort to keep the "system"
working.
6. Which activity should the nurse encourage a new mother to perform to foster the
developmental tasks of a toddler according to Erikson's developmental stages?
A) Feed the child lunch.
B) Read the child a story every night.
C) Allow the child to pull a talking duck toy.
D) Have the child watch a puppet show on television. - ANSWER---Ans: C
Feedback:
The developmental task of the toddler is to learn autonomy versus shame or doubt.
Autonomy comes from the toddler's new motor and mental abilities. Children take pride
in the new things they can accomplish, and they want to do everything independently.
Pulling a talking duck toy will support the development of autonomy. Doing things such
as feeding, reading, and watching television does not foster autonomy in the toddler.
7. The nurse pours liquid medication from one tall container to a shorter container. How
would the preschool-age child interpret this exchange of the medication?
A) The amount of medicine is less.
B) The glass changed shape to accommodate the medicine.
C) Pouring medicine hurts it in some way because it changes.
D) The amount of medicine did not change, only the appearance. - ANSWER---Ans: A
Feedback:
The preschool-age child has not developed conservation or the ability to discern truth,
even though physical properties change. This is why the child will think that there is less
, medicine in the shorter container. The preschool-age child will not interpret this action
as the glass changing shape or it is painful to pour medicine. An older child will
understand that the appearance of the medication changed but not the amount.
8. The nurse is preparing to assess a school-age child in the community clinic. Which
action supports the 2020 National Health Goals for growth and development of
children?
A) Helping the child with math homework
B) Measuring the child's height and weight
C) Talking about favorite television programs
D) Asking the child to name a favorite subject in school - ANSWER---Ans: B
Feedback:
Recognizing normal growth and development patterns of children helps to determine if
children are following normal development and when referrals are needed. Nurses are
the health care providers who interact with children and measure height and weight,
which are used to recognize developmental delays. Helping with homework, talking
about television, and identifying favorite subjects in school will not support the 2020
National Health Goals for growth and development of children.
9. During a home visit, the nurse observes a mother prepare a bottle for an 18-month-
old child consisting of skim milk. Which nursing diagnosis should the nurse use to base
instruction for this mother?
A) Imbalanced nutrition
B) Health-seeking behaviors
C) Delayed growth and development
D) Readiness for enhanced family coping - ANSWER---Ans: A
Feedback:
The nursing diagnosis of imbalanced nutrition is appropriate because the child's fat
intake should not be restricted up until the age of 2 years. The developing body needs
fat to ensure development of the nervous system. The mother using skim milk for the
child's bottle does not indicate health-seeking behaviors, delayed growth and
development, or readiness for enhanced family coping.
10. Which observation by the nurse indicates that an adolescent's cognitive thinking is
developing at an expected level?
A) Adolescent says that all plastic remote controls break easily.
B) Adolescent asks the mother to provide the sharp item needed to cut meat.
C) Adolescent explains how working a part-time job will help pay for a car.
D) Adolescent tells the parent that the dog moved the bicycle into the driveway. -
ANSWER---Ans: C
Feedback:
The adolescent is capable of abstract reasoning, which would be observed when the
adolescent explains how working a part-time job will help pay for a car. All plastic
remote controls breaking would be concrete thinking. Asking for a sharp item to cut
meat is an example of preschool-age thinking. Saying that the dog moved the bicycle
into the driveway is an example of preschool-age thinking.
11. While in the waiting room, a child begins to cry when a toy has been taken from him.
The mother immediately hands the child another toy and the crying stops. How should
the nurse interpret the child's behavior?
McKinney
1. The nurse is planning to evaluate the development of a preschool-age child. On what
should the nurse focus when performing this evaluation?
A) Appetite
B) Current weight
C) Change in height
D) Ability to perform a skill - ANSWER---Ans: D
Feedback:
Development is measured by observing a child's ability to perform specific skills.
Growth is used to denote an increase in physical size such as height and weight.
Appetite is not used to evaluate growth or development.
2. A patient asks if a school-age child is going to be tall like others in the family. What
should the nurse explain as having the least impact on the child's ultimate height?
A) Participation in sports
B) Occupations of parents
C) Inherited genetic material
D) Ingestion of nutritious food - ANSWER---Ans: A
Feedback:
Although children cannot grow taller than their genetically programmed height potential,
their adult height can be considerably less than their genetic potential if their
environment hinders their growth. Environmental influences on height include
socioeconomic status or occupations of parents, genetic material inherited, and
availability and ingestion of nutritious foods. Participation in sports will not influence the
child's ultimate height.
3. The mother of several children is amazed that the youngest male child achieved toilet
training much earlier than the other children. What should the nurse explain as the
reason for this early development?
A) "He has exceptional intelligence."
B) "He learned by watching your other children."
C) "He needs testing because he is developing too quickly."
D) "He most likely will wet the bed for many years to come." - ANSWER---Ans: B
Feedback:
Children learn by watching other children so a youngest child who has many examples
to watch may excel in skills such as toilet training. The child did not become toilet
trained early because of exceptional intelligence. The child is not developing too quickly.
There is no way for the nurse to know if the child will wet the bed.
4. A patient is concerned that the new baby is going to have a weight problem growing
up because other family members are obese. What should the nurse respond to this
patient?
,A) Restrict all fatty foods up until age 5 years.
B) Restrict fatty foods after the age of 10 years.
C) Do not restrict fatty foods until the age of 2 years.
D) Keep fat intake to less than 50% of total daily intake. - ANSWER---Ans: C
Feedback:
For children, fat intake does not need to be restricted for the first 2 years of life because
fat is necessary for myelination of spinal nerves. After the age of 2 years, fat intake can
be tailored to meet the guidelines of 30% total intake for both children and adults. The
patient should not restrict all fatty foods up until the age of 5 years or after the age of 10
years. Fat intake after the age of 2 years should be limited to 30% of total caloric intake.
5. During a home visit, the nurse observes an 8-year-old child pick up toys and place
them in the toy box. The child then looks to the mother who says, "Thank you for
helping me." Which stage of Kohlberg's moral development is this child demonstrating?
A) Individualism
B) Maintenance of social order
C) Punishment/obedience orientation
D) Interpersonal relations of mutuality - ANSWER---Ans: D
Feedback:
In the stage of interpersonal relations of mutuality, the child will follow rules because of
a need to be a "good" person in their own eyes and in the eyes of others. The mother's
praise reinforces this behavior. In the punishment/obedience stage, the child does
"right" to avoid punishment. In the individualism stage, the child will carry out actions to
satisfy own needs rather than others. In the maintenance of social order stage, the child
will follow rules of authority figures as well as parents in an effort to keep the "system"
working.
6. Which activity should the nurse encourage a new mother to perform to foster the
developmental tasks of a toddler according to Erikson's developmental stages?
A) Feed the child lunch.
B) Read the child a story every night.
C) Allow the child to pull a talking duck toy.
D) Have the child watch a puppet show on television. - ANSWER---Ans: C
Feedback:
The developmental task of the toddler is to learn autonomy versus shame or doubt.
Autonomy comes from the toddler's new motor and mental abilities. Children take pride
in the new things they can accomplish, and they want to do everything independently.
Pulling a talking duck toy will support the development of autonomy. Doing things such
as feeding, reading, and watching television does not foster autonomy in the toddler.
7. The nurse pours liquid medication from one tall container to a shorter container. How
would the preschool-age child interpret this exchange of the medication?
A) The amount of medicine is less.
B) The glass changed shape to accommodate the medicine.
C) Pouring medicine hurts it in some way because it changes.
D) The amount of medicine did not change, only the appearance. - ANSWER---Ans: A
Feedback:
The preschool-age child has not developed conservation or the ability to discern truth,
even though physical properties change. This is why the child will think that there is less
, medicine in the shorter container. The preschool-age child will not interpret this action
as the glass changing shape or it is painful to pour medicine. An older child will
understand that the appearance of the medication changed but not the amount.
8. The nurse is preparing to assess a school-age child in the community clinic. Which
action supports the 2020 National Health Goals for growth and development of
children?
A) Helping the child with math homework
B) Measuring the child's height and weight
C) Talking about favorite television programs
D) Asking the child to name a favorite subject in school - ANSWER---Ans: B
Feedback:
Recognizing normal growth and development patterns of children helps to determine if
children are following normal development and when referrals are needed. Nurses are
the health care providers who interact with children and measure height and weight,
which are used to recognize developmental delays. Helping with homework, talking
about television, and identifying favorite subjects in school will not support the 2020
National Health Goals for growth and development of children.
9. During a home visit, the nurse observes a mother prepare a bottle for an 18-month-
old child consisting of skim milk. Which nursing diagnosis should the nurse use to base
instruction for this mother?
A) Imbalanced nutrition
B) Health-seeking behaviors
C) Delayed growth and development
D) Readiness for enhanced family coping - ANSWER---Ans: A
Feedback:
The nursing diagnosis of imbalanced nutrition is appropriate because the child's fat
intake should not be restricted up until the age of 2 years. The developing body needs
fat to ensure development of the nervous system. The mother using skim milk for the
child's bottle does not indicate health-seeking behaviors, delayed growth and
development, or readiness for enhanced family coping.
10. Which observation by the nurse indicates that an adolescent's cognitive thinking is
developing at an expected level?
A) Adolescent says that all plastic remote controls break easily.
B) Adolescent asks the mother to provide the sharp item needed to cut meat.
C) Adolescent explains how working a part-time job will help pay for a car.
D) Adolescent tells the parent that the dog moved the bicycle into the driveway. -
ANSWER---Ans: C
Feedback:
The adolescent is capable of abstract reasoning, which would be observed when the
adolescent explains how working a part-time job will help pay for a car. All plastic
remote controls breaking would be concrete thinking. Asking for a sharp item to cut
meat is an example of preschool-age thinking. Saying that the dog moved the bicycle
into the driveway is an example of preschool-age thinking.
11. While in the waiting room, a child begins to cry when a toy has been taken from him.
The mother immediately hands the child another toy and the crying stops. How should
the nurse interpret the child's behavior?
