Which type of play should the nurse encourage for a preschool age child who is hospitalized?

Play in the hospital makes the hospital environment less scary and more child-friendly. It also encourages children and adolescents to focus on activity, rather than on their illness.

At WakeMed, we know children and adolescents are constantly learning and developing. Engaging in activities and socializing with others helps the growth and development process continue while in the hospital.

Always remember, Child Life Specialists are trained in teaching children and adolescents about medical procedures and helping them cope. They are a resource for you and your family.

Activities for school-agers

School-aged children like to talk about themselves and their interests.
School-agers typically like to play cards, board games and video games.
Organized and group play allows for a sense of security.
School-aged children are typically highly active (sports, dance, arts).

Social interactions

Being with friends is becoming increasingly important.
Children at this age begin taking pride in their work and seek recognition for their accomplishments.
School-agers are learning to understand others' perspectives.
They are learning rules for social cooperation and appropriate behaviors.

Common stressors and fears for school-agers in the hospital

Enforced dependence and loss of competence
Fear of loss of bodily function
Fears of body mutilation
Concerns about pain, imminent death or disability
Going under anesthesia creates anxiety and raises many questions for many school-agers.

What you can do to help while your school-ager is in the hospital

Honest preparations for procedures and surgery is imperative for this age group. Let them know if any procedures or medicines will change the way their bodies look or work.
Because a school-ager may be frustrated with being different while in the hospital, emphasize all the things that he/she can do (play games and other activities).
Allow choices whenever possible and encourage your child to help make decisions regarding his/her care.
Allow children to explore medical equipment, ask questions and rehearse coping techniques.

Please choose the correct answer for the following statements:

1. The major depriving factor in long term hospitalization of which the nurse should be aware is usually the:

A. Lack of play objects.

B. Lack of multisensory inputs.

C. Care provided only by a mother substitute.

D. Absence of interaction with a mother figure

2. To meet a major developmental need of a newborn in the immediate operative period the nurse should:

A. Give the infant a pacifier.

B. Put a mobile over the infant's crib.

C. Provide the infant with a soft cuddly toy.

D. Warm the infant's formula before feeding.

3. When reviewing the data recorded on a newborn's chart, the information that would indicate to the nurse that this baby requires special attention would be:

A. Birth weight of 3500g.

B. The apgar score at birth was 3.

C. The infant has a positive Baninski reflex.

D. 20 m of milky colored fluid aspirated from stomach.

4. Play during infancy is:

A. Initiated by the child.

B. A way of teaching how to share.

C. More important than in later years.

D. Mostly used for physical development.

5. When a mother with a 3-month-old infant comes to the well-baby clinic, the nurse should include in the accident prevention teaching plan the need to:

A. Remove all tiny objects from the floor.

B. Cover electric outlets with safety plugs.

C. Keep crib rails up to the highest position.

D. Remove poisonous substances from low areas.

6. When teaching a mother how to prevent accidents while caring for 6-month-old, the nurse should emphasize that at this age child can usually:

A. Sit up.

B. Roll over.

C. Crawl lengthy distances.

D. Stand while holding onto furniture.

7. In terms of preventive teaching for the parents of a 1-year-old, the nurse would speak to them about:

A. Accidents.

B. Toilet training.

C. Adequate nutrition.

D. Sexual development.

8. The primary task to be accomplished between 12 and 15 months of age is to learn to:

A. Walk erect.

B. Climb stairs.

C. Use a spoon.

D. Say simple words.

9. A 15 month old is playing in the playpen. The nurse evaluates the child's ability to perform physical tasks is at the age-related norm when the child is able to:

A. Build a tower of six blocks.

B. Walk across the playpen with ease.

C. Throw all the toys out of the playpen.

D. Stand in the playpen holding onto the sides.

10.When successfully learning autonomy and independence, the toddler would be learning:

A. Superego control.

B. Trust and security.

C. Roles within society.

D. To accept external limits.

11.The nurse observes a 2-year-old at play and notes that this age toddler:

A. Builds houses with blocks.

B. Is extremely possessive of toys.

C. Attempts to stay within the lines when coloring.

D. Amuses self with a picture book for 15 minutes.

12. A mother asks when to take her 2-year-old to the dentist. For dental prophylaxis, the nurse encourages her to take the child:

A. Before starting school.

B. Between 2 and 3 years of age.

C. When the child begins to lose deciduous teeth.

D. The next time another family member goes to the dentist.

13.The nurse explains to the mother of a 2-year-old girl that the child's negativism is normal for her age and that it is helping her meet her need for:

A. Trust.

B. Attention.

C. Discipline.

D. Independence.

14.When ordering a regular diet for a young toddler the nurse should choose foods such as:

A. SpaghettiOs and raisins.

B. Corn dog and French fries.

C. Hamburger with bun and grapes.

D. Hot dog with bun and potato chips.

15. During a nap, a 3-year-old hospitalized boy wets the bed. The best approach by the nurse would be to:

A. Tell him to help with remaking the bed.

B. Change his clothes and make no issue of it.

C. Change his bed, putting a rubber sheet on it.

D. Explain that big boys should try to call the nurse.

16.When evaluating a 3-year-old's developmental progress, the nurse should recognize that development is delayed when the child is unable to:

A. Copy a square.

B. Hop on one foot.

C. Catch a ball reliably.

D. Use a spoon effectively.

17.The nurse understands that a good snack for a 2-year-old with a diagnosis of acute asthma would be:

A. Grapes.

B. Apple slices.

C. A glass of milk.

D. A glass of cola.

18. To teach the correct way to administer eardrops to a small child, the nurse should instruct the parent to position the child on the side and instill the drops while pulling the auricle:

A. Forward.

B. Up and back.

C. Straight back.

D. Down and back.

19. When observing a toddler playing with other children in the playroom, the nurse would expect the toddler to engage in:

A. Parallel play.

B. Solitary play.

C. Competitive play.

D. Tumbling-type play.

20.The nurse is aware that an appropriate toy for a young toddler during hospitalization would be a:

A. Mobile.

B. Tricycle.

C. Ten-piece puzzle.

D. Carton of Play-Doh.

21.Preschool children role play. This is an important part of socialization because it:

A. Encourages expression.

B. Helps children think about careers.

C. Teaches children about stereotypes.

D. Provides guidelines for adult behavior.

22. When providing nursing care to a preschooler the nurse should remember that the child's fear is of:

A. Pain.

B. Death.

C. Isolation.

D. Intrusive procedures.

23. The nurse plans to talk to a mother about toilet training a toddler, knowing that the most important factor in the process of toilet training is the:

A. Child's desire to be dry.

B. Ability of the child to sit still.

C. Parent's willingness to work at it.

D. Approach and attitude of the parent.

24.The average 5 year old is incapable of:

A. Tying shoelaces.

B. Abstract thought.

C. Making decisions.

D. Hand-eye coordination.

25.The nurse should encourage two 6-year-old boys in the playroom to play with:

A. Clay.

B. Checkers.

C. A board game.

D. A building set.

26. A 9 year old who is in bed convalescing becomes very bored and irritable. The nurse plans activities that a school-age child would like and suggests the child:

A. Play chess.

B. Start a collection.

C. Do arithmetic puzzles.

D. Watch game shows on TV.

27. Postoperatively, to help relieve the anxiety of a young school-aged child, the nurse should:

A. Allow the child time to talk about feelings.

B. Tell a story about a child with similar surgery.

C. Ask the mother to room with the child for a few days.

D. Provide the child with bandages, tape, scissors, and a doll.

28.An 11-year-old male has gained weight. His mother is concerned that her son, who loves sports, may become obese. The nurse:

A. Advises an increase in activity.

B. Urges a decreased caloric intake.

C. Explains this is normal for a preadolescent.

D. Discusses the relationship of genetics and weight gain.

29. Therapeutic communication with an adolescent is best accomplished by:

A. Using teen language.

B. Relating on a peer level.

C. Dealing in concrete terms.

D. Establishing a relationship over time.

30.The nurse is aware that a characteristic that often affects an adolescent's approach to illness and treatment is that adolescents are:

A. Accurately in touch with their feelings.

B. Striving for industry as a developmental task.

C. Concerned more with the present than with the future.

D. Using thinking that is both concrete and reality oriented.

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