Developmental Care Flashcards
7 cards from real RNC-NIC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Developmental Care flashcards as text
In the NIDCAP (Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program) framework, care is guided primarily by:
Answer: Observation of the individual infant's behavioral cues and responses
NIDCAP centers care on systematic observation of each infant's unique behavioral cues to individualize interventions and minimize stress.
A 32-week neonate is showing signs of autonomic instability during a diaper change, including color changes and oxygen desaturation. The PRIORITY nursing action is:
Answer: Pause the procedure and provide containment and comfort measures
Pausing the procedure and providing containment allows the infant's autonomic system to stabilize before care continues, preventing further physiologic stress.
Which of the following BEST describes the concept of 'environmental modification' in neonatal developmental care?
Answer: Adjusting NICU sensory inputs (light, sound, handling) to support neurodevelopment
Environmental modification involves adjusting sensory inputs such as lighting, noise levels, and handling patterns to create a womb-like environment that supports neurodevelopment.
A parent expresses concern that holding their critically ill 25-week infant will cause harm. The nurse's BEST response incorporates which evidence-based principle?
Answer: Appropriate holding, including skin-to-skin, is safe and beneficial when the infant is stable
Evidence supports that skin-to-skin and appropriate holding of stable preterm infants improves outcomes including temperature regulation, weight gain, and parent-infant bonding.
Noise levels in the NICU are recommended to be kept below what decibel level to support developmental care goals?
Answer: 45 dB
The AAP recommends NICU sound levels be maintained below 45 dB to prevent auditory stress and support healthy neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants.
Which behavioral state organization subsystem, according to Als' synactive theory, is MOST foundational and develops first in preterm infants?
Answer: Autonomic/physiologic subsystem
In Als' synactive theory, the autonomic/physiologic subsystem (heart rate, respiration, color) is the most basic and develops first; other subsystems build upon its stability.
A 34-week gestation infant exhibits rooting when the cheek is stroked but cannot coordinate suck-swallow-breathe during bottle feeding. This BEST represents:
Answer: Normal developmental progression where reflexes precede feeding coordination
Rooting precedes coordinated suck-swallow-breathe by several weeks; at 34 weeks, the presence of rooting with incomplete feeding coordination is developmentally normal.