LVN Pediatric Nursing Care 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A 2-year-old is brought to the ER with stridor, drooling, and a high fever. The nurse suspects epiglottitis. What is the priority nursing action?
- Prepare for immediate intubation and keep child calm (Correct answer)
- Obtain a throat swab for culture
- Administer oral fluids to prevent dehydration
- Place the child in Trendelenburg position
Correct answer: Prepare for immediate intubation and keep child calm
Epiglottitis is a life-threatening airway emergency; the priority is maintaining a patent airway while avoiding agitation that could cause complete obstruction.
Question 2: Which developmental milestone is expected for a healthy 6-month-old infant?
- Walking with support
- Saying 2–3 word phrases
- Sitting with support and rolling over (Correct answer)
- Pincer grasp
Correct answer: Sitting with support and rolling over
By 6 months, infants typically roll from front to back and back to front and can sit briefly with support.
Question 3: A nurse is caring for a child with Kawasaki disease. Which finding is most characteristic of this condition?
- Generalized petechiae
- Prolonged fever lasting more than 5 days with strawberry tongue (Correct answer)
- Unilateral enlarged lymph node
- Vesicular rash on the palms
Correct answer: Prolonged fever lasting more than 5 days with strawberry tongue
Kawasaki disease presents with high fever lasting ≥5 days, strawberry tongue, conjunctival injection, rash, and lymphadenopathy.
Question 4: When calculating maintenance IV fluids for a 20 kg child using the Holliday-Segar method, how many mL/hr should the nurse infuse?
- 40 mL/hr
- 60 mL/hr (Correct answer)
- 80 mL/hr
- 100 mL/hr
Correct answer: 60 mL/hr
Using Holliday-Segar: 100 mL/kg for first 10 kg + 50 mL/kg for next 10 kg = 1500 mL/24hr ÷ 24 = 60 mL/hr.
Question 5: A 5-year-old scheduled for a tonsillectomy tells the nurse, 'The doctor is going to cut my throat.' Which response is most therapeutic?
- Don't worry, it won't hurt a bit.
- The doctor will remove the tonsils inside your throat to help you feel better. (Correct answer)
- You'll be asleep so you won't know what's happening.
- Ask your parents to explain it to you.
Correct answer: The doctor will remove the tonsils inside your throat to help you feel better.
Using age-appropriate, honest language reduces anxiety and builds trust with preschool-age children.
Question 6: A neonate is born at 32 weeks gestation. Which complication is the nurse most alert for due to surfactant deficiency?
- Necrotizing enterocolitis
- Respiratory distress syndrome (Correct answer)
- Hyperbilirubinemia
- Retinopathy of prematurity
Correct answer: Respiratory distress syndrome
Surfactant deficiency in premature neonates leads to alveolar collapse and respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).
Question 7: The nurse is teaching parents about preventing sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Which instruction is most important?
- Place the infant on their stomach to sleep
- Use a soft mattress with bumper pads
- Place the infant on their back on a firm surface to sleep (Correct answer)
- Keep the infant's room warm above 75°F
Correct answer: Place the infant on their back on a firm surface to sleep
The 'Back to Sleep' campaign recommends supine positioning on a firm, flat surface as the primary SIDS prevention strategy.
LVN Pediatric Nursing Care 2
A 2-year-old is brought to the ER with stridor, drooling, and a high fever.
The nurse suspects epiglottitis.
What is the priority nursing action?