NCLEX Pediatric Nursing: Growth and Development 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A preschooler (age 4) believes that the moon follows them when they walk. This thinking reflects:
- Conservation
- Egocentrism (Correct answer)
- Abstract reasoning
- Object permanence
Correct answer: Egocentrism
Egocentrism, a feature of Piaget's preoperational stage, is the inability to view situations from another's perspective.
Question 2: According to Erikson, the school-age child (6-12 years) is working on which task?
- Initiative vs. guilt
- Industry vs. inferiority (Correct answer)
- Identity vs. role confusion
- Intimacy vs. isolation
Correct answer: Industry vs. inferiority
School-age children develop industry through mastering skills and accomplishing tasks, with the risk of feeling inferior.
Question 3: A nurse plans care for a hospitalized preschooler. Which is the most effective approach to reduce fear of bodily harm?
- Detailed adult-level explanations
- Use of bandages over puncture sites (Correct answer)
- Withholding all information
- Restraining the child for procedures
Correct answer: Use of bandages over puncture sites
Preschoolers fear bodily intrusion and mutilation, so applying a bandage reassures them their body remains intact.
Question 4: Which fine motor skill is expected of a typical 3-year-old?
- Tying shoelaces
- Copying a circle (Correct answer)
- Writing their full name
- Drawing a six-part person
Correct answer: Copying a circle
A 3-year-old can typically copy a circle, while more complex drawing and writing come later.
Question 5: A school-age child asks detailed questions about death. The nurse understands that children this age typically:
- Have no concept of death
- View death as reversible
- Understand death as permanent and universal (Correct answer)
- Believe death only affects the elderly
Correct answer: Understand death as permanent and universal
By school age, children grasp that death is final, irreversible, and happens to everyone.
Question 6: At what age can a child typically hop on one foot and use scissors well?
- 2 years
- 3 years
- 4-5 years (Correct answer)
- 7 years
Correct answer: 4-5 years
Hopping on one foot and competent scissor use are expected of the 4- to 5-year-old.
Question 7: A preschooler insists on the same bedtime story every night. The nurse explains this reflects:
- Regression
- The importance of ritual and routine (Correct answer)
- Cognitive delay
- Oppositional behavior
Correct answer: The importance of ritual and routine
Rituals and routines provide preschoolers a sense of security and control.
NCLEX Pediatric Nursing: Growth and Development 3
A preschooler (age 4) believes that the moon follows them when they walk.
This thinking reflects: