Pends Exam 1 NCLEX Style Questions
with Answers
To establish a good interview relationship with an adolescent, which
strategy is most appropriate?
1. Asking personal questions unrelated to the situation
2. Writing down everything the teen says
3. Asking open-ended questions
4. Discussing the nurse's own thoughts and feelings about the situation -
Correct Answer 3. Asking open-ended questions
RATIONALE: Open-ended questions allow the adolescent to share
information and feelings. Asking personal questions not related to the
situation jeopardizes the trust that must be established because the
adolescent may feel as though he's being interrogated with unnecessary
questions. Writing everything down during the interview can be a distraction
and doesn't allow the nurse to observe how the adolescent behaves.
Discussing the nurse's thoughts and feelings may bias the assessment and
is inappropriate when interviewing any client
A chronically ill school-age child is most vulnerable to which stressor?
1. Mutilation anxiety
2. Anticipatory grief
3. Anxiety over school absences
4. Fear of hospital procedures - Correct Answer 3. Anxiety over school
absences
RATIONALE: The school-age child is becoming industrious and attempts to
master school-related activities. Therefore, school absences are likely to
cause extreme anxiety for a school-age child who's chronically ill. Mutilation
anxiety is more common in adolescents. Anticipatory grief is rare in a
school-age child. Fear of hospital procedures is most pronounced in
preschool-age children.
,When developing a care plan for an adolescent, the nurse considers the
child's psychosocial needs. During adolescence, psychosocial development
focuses on:
1. becoming industrious.
2. establishing an identity.
3. achieving intimacy.
4. developing initiative. - Correct Answer 2. establishing an identity.
RATIONALE: According to Erikson, the primary psychosocial task during
adolescence is to establish a personal identity while overcoming role or
identity confusion. The adolescent attempts to establish a group identity by
seeking acceptance and approval from peers, and strives to attain a
personal identity by becoming more independent from his family. Becoming
industrious is the developmental task of the school-age child; achieving
intimacy is the task of the young adult; and developing initiative is the task
of the preschooler.
A nurse notes that an infant develops arm movement before fine-motor
finger skills and interprets this as an example of which pattern of
development?
1. Cephalocaudal
2. Proximodistal
3. Differentiation
4. Mass-to-specific - Correct Answer 2. Proximodistal
RATIONALE: Proximodistal development progresses from the center of the
body to the extremities, such as from the arm to the fingers. Cephalocaudal
development occurs along the body's long axis; for example, the infant
develops control over the head, mouth, and eye movements before the
upper body, torso, and legs. Mass-to-specific development, sometimes
called differentiation, occurs as the child masters simple operations before
complex functions and moves from broad, general patterns of behavior to
more refined ones.
A teenage mother brings her 1-year-old child to the pediatrician's office for
a well-baby checkup. She says that her infant can't sit alone or roll over. An
appropriate response by the nurse would be:
, 1. "This is very abnormal. Your child must be sick."
2. "Let's see about further developmental testing."
3. "Don't worry, this is normal for her age."
4. "Maybe you just haven't seen her do it." - Correct Answer . "Let's see
about further developmental testing."
RATIONALE: Stating that further developmental testing is necessary is
appropriate because at age 12 months a child should be sitting up and
rolling over. Therefore, this child may have developmental problems.
Saying the infant's behavior is abnormal or suggesting that the mother
hasn't seen her infant do these milestones isn't therapeutic and can cut off
communication with the mother. Telling the mother that the infant's
behavior is normal misleads the mother with false reassurance.
The mother of an 11-month-old infant reports to the nurse that her infant
sleeps much less than other children. The mother asks the nurse whether
her infant is getting sufficient sleep. What should be the nurse's initial
response?
1. Reassure the mother that each infant's sleep needs are individual.
2. Ask the mother for more information about the infant's sleep patterns.
3. Instruct the mother to decrease the infant's daytime sleep to increase his
nighttime sleep.
4. Inform the mother that her infant's growth and development are
appropriate for his age, so sleep isn't a concern. - Correct Answer 2. Ask
the mother for more information about the infant's sleep patterns.
RATIONALE: The nurse needs more information about the infant's sleep
patterns to rule out potential problems before determining whether the
infant is getting enough sleep. The nurse shouldn't offer advice or
reassurance without knowing more about the infant's specific sleep habits.
A nurse observes a 2½-year-old child playing with another child of the
same age in the playroom on the pediatric unit. What type of play should
the nurse expect the children to engage in?
1. Associative play
2. Parallel play
3. Cooperative play
with Answers
To establish a good interview relationship with an adolescent, which
strategy is most appropriate?
1. Asking personal questions unrelated to the situation
2. Writing down everything the teen says
3. Asking open-ended questions
4. Discussing the nurse's own thoughts and feelings about the situation -
Correct Answer 3. Asking open-ended questions
RATIONALE: Open-ended questions allow the adolescent to share
information and feelings. Asking personal questions not related to the
situation jeopardizes the trust that must be established because the
adolescent may feel as though he's being interrogated with unnecessary
questions. Writing everything down during the interview can be a distraction
and doesn't allow the nurse to observe how the adolescent behaves.
Discussing the nurse's thoughts and feelings may bias the assessment and
is inappropriate when interviewing any client
A chronically ill school-age child is most vulnerable to which stressor?
1. Mutilation anxiety
2. Anticipatory grief
3. Anxiety over school absences
4. Fear of hospital procedures - Correct Answer 3. Anxiety over school
absences
RATIONALE: The school-age child is becoming industrious and attempts to
master school-related activities. Therefore, school absences are likely to
cause extreme anxiety for a school-age child who's chronically ill. Mutilation
anxiety is more common in adolescents. Anticipatory grief is rare in a
school-age child. Fear of hospital procedures is most pronounced in
preschool-age children.
,When developing a care plan for an adolescent, the nurse considers the
child's psychosocial needs. During adolescence, psychosocial development
focuses on:
1. becoming industrious.
2. establishing an identity.
3. achieving intimacy.
4. developing initiative. - Correct Answer 2. establishing an identity.
RATIONALE: According to Erikson, the primary psychosocial task during
adolescence is to establish a personal identity while overcoming role or
identity confusion. The adolescent attempts to establish a group identity by
seeking acceptance and approval from peers, and strives to attain a
personal identity by becoming more independent from his family. Becoming
industrious is the developmental task of the school-age child; achieving
intimacy is the task of the young adult; and developing initiative is the task
of the preschooler.
A nurse notes that an infant develops arm movement before fine-motor
finger skills and interprets this as an example of which pattern of
development?
1. Cephalocaudal
2. Proximodistal
3. Differentiation
4. Mass-to-specific - Correct Answer 2. Proximodistal
RATIONALE: Proximodistal development progresses from the center of the
body to the extremities, such as from the arm to the fingers. Cephalocaudal
development occurs along the body's long axis; for example, the infant
develops control over the head, mouth, and eye movements before the
upper body, torso, and legs. Mass-to-specific development, sometimes
called differentiation, occurs as the child masters simple operations before
complex functions and moves from broad, general patterns of behavior to
more refined ones.
A teenage mother brings her 1-year-old child to the pediatrician's office for
a well-baby checkup. She says that her infant can't sit alone or roll over. An
appropriate response by the nurse would be:
, 1. "This is very abnormal. Your child must be sick."
2. "Let's see about further developmental testing."
3. "Don't worry, this is normal for her age."
4. "Maybe you just haven't seen her do it." - Correct Answer . "Let's see
about further developmental testing."
RATIONALE: Stating that further developmental testing is necessary is
appropriate because at age 12 months a child should be sitting up and
rolling over. Therefore, this child may have developmental problems.
Saying the infant's behavior is abnormal or suggesting that the mother
hasn't seen her infant do these milestones isn't therapeutic and can cut off
communication with the mother. Telling the mother that the infant's
behavior is normal misleads the mother with false reassurance.
The mother of an 11-month-old infant reports to the nurse that her infant
sleeps much less than other children. The mother asks the nurse whether
her infant is getting sufficient sleep. What should be the nurse's initial
response?
1. Reassure the mother that each infant's sleep needs are individual.
2. Ask the mother for more information about the infant's sleep patterns.
3. Instruct the mother to decrease the infant's daytime sleep to increase his
nighttime sleep.
4. Inform the mother that her infant's growth and development are
appropriate for his age, so sleep isn't a concern. - Correct Answer 2. Ask
the mother for more information about the infant's sleep patterns.
RATIONALE: The nurse needs more information about the infant's sleep
patterns to rule out potential problems before determining whether the
infant is getting enough sleep. The nurse shouldn't offer advice or
reassurance without knowing more about the infant's specific sleep habits.
A nurse observes a 2½-year-old child playing with another child of the
same age in the playroom on the pediatric unit. What type of play should
the nurse expect the children to engage in?
1. Associative play
2. Parallel play
3. Cooperative play
