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
Which parental behavior MOST effectively supports the development of attachment in the NICU setting?
Answer: Reading aloud, singing, and providing skin-to-skin contact during stable periods
Active parental engagement through voice, touch, and skin-to-skin contact during stable periods promotes attachment, parental confidence, and positive neurodevelopmental outcomes.
A 29-week infant on CPAP demonstrates hand-to-mouth movements. The developmental care nurse should interpret this as:
Answer: A self-regulatory behavior the infant uses to manage sensory input
Hand-to-mouth movements are self-regulatory behaviors that help the preterm infant manage sensory stimulation and maintain behavioral organization.
The concept of 'individualized care' in the NICU means care plans are modified based on which of the following?
Answer: The infant's ongoing behavioral responses and physiologic stability
Individualized care requires continuous assessment of each infant's behavioral and physiologic responses to guide and modify interventions in real time.
Which sensory system is LAST to mature in the preterm neonate and should receive the LEAST stimulation in the NICU?
Answer: Visual
The visual system matures last among sensory systems; excessive light and visual stimulation in the NICU can be stressful and potentially harmful to the developing visual cortex.
An RNC-NIC is evaluating a 33-week infant who becomes bradycardic during routine suctioning. The BEST developmental care response is:
Answer: Pause suctioning, allow recovery, use only gentle suction when clinically necessary
Pausing suctioning to allow autonomic recovery and limiting suctioning to clinical necessity reduces iatrogenic stress and supports physiologic stability.
Which neonatal population is at GREATEST risk for sensory processing difficulties related to NICU experience?
Answer: Extremely preterm infants with prolonged NICU stays and high procedural exposure
Extremely preterm infants with prolonged NICU stays experience the most disruption to normal sensory development and face the greatest risk for long-term sensory processing difficulties.
A nurse incorporates 'quiet time' periods into the NICU schedule. Which physiologic outcome is MOST directly supported by this practice?
Answer: Increased growth hormone release occurring during deep sleep
Growth hormone is predominantly released during deep (quiet) sleep; NICU quiet time periods protect sleep architecture and directly support somatic and brain growth.