Pediatric Rotation Exam Question

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  1. Which answer would you have gone with?

    • 6
      A
    • 1
      B
    • 0
      C
    • 2
      D

9 members have participated

Following my second pediatric exam, as my classmates and I are going over exam questions, we all have come up with different answers for this question and I'm wondering if I can receive any input on how other student nurses might answer this question..

The father of a 3-year-old talks to a primary care nurse during a well child visit. he states that his son does not yet talk and spends long periods of time sitting on the floor watching the ceiling fan. which of the following questions would be MOST appropriate for the nurse to ask.

A. is your son receiving speech therapy?

B. how many other children do you have at home?

c. do you have trouble getting a babysitter for your son?

D. does your son have a favorite toy or security blanket?

As I first read this question... I picked up on the fact that they were male, 3 years old, nonverbal and fixated on an object and immediately thought Autism (because this was a topic on the material of the exam). So, at first I thought to answer D to see if the child had a specific toy that they liked to play with, as this is common in children diagnosed with Autism. However, another common choice was A. The child is not speaking and the nurse would also want to know what interventions are being done to help facilitate the delay. So, the MOST appropriate would be intervention?

Any other input would be greatly appreciated! thank you (:

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Specializes in Pedi.

As a pediatric nurse of 11 years, I'd say A. A 3 year old who doesn't talk should have been in Early Intervention since he was found to be speech delayed until he turned 3 and should be getting services through the public school system now. (Early Intervention ends at 3.) Another appropriate question would be if the child's hearing had been tested as that's the first thing that should be assessed for a child who doesn't talk on time.

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Thank you very much for your reply! I completely see why this would be the answer as intervention should be priority from a nurses standpoint. Thanks again.

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Specializes in PICU, Sedation/Radiology, PACU.

The only question that directly addresses the subjective information provided is option A. The other questions are either irrelevant (B) or the answers don't provide helpful information. A favorite toy or blanket is developmentally appropriate for any 3 year old. Difficulty finding a babysitter could mean the family lacks a support system or doesn't have financial means to pay a babysitter. Asking about speech therapy directly assesses whether the child is receiving the appropriate interventions for the stated delays.

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

The only correct answer is A. A favored toy is not a hallmark of autism in a 3 year old, it's developmentally appropriate for a preschooler to have a favorite toy or object. Since he's 3, he should have been in EI and transitioned to preschool-disabled in the local public school by age 3. If he hasn't been referred for speech, audiology screening or to the local public school for an evaluation these are many red flags

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