Pediatric Nursing Q 168
The parents of Suzanne, a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, tell the nurse they have tried everything to calm their child and nothing has worked. Which action by the nurse is most appropriate initially?
A. Actively listen to the parents' concern before planning interventions
B. Encourage the parents to discuss these issues with the mental health team
C. Provide literature regarding the disorder and its management
D. Tell the parents they are overreacting to the problem
Correct Answer: A. Actively listens to the parents’ concerns before planning interventions.
The nurse would encourage parents to fully discuss and describe their perception of the problem in order to assess the family system before determining appropriate interventions. The nurse must listen to parents’ feelings; including parents in providing and planning care for the child with ADHD is important.
Option B: The nurse has not explored the problem and is deciding before adequately assessing the situation that the mental team should be consulted. Give positive feedback for meeting expectations; manage the environment (e.g. provide a quiet place free of distractions for task completion).
Option C: Providing literature regarding the disorder and its management may be useful intervention; however, the initial action needs to involve a more thorough exploration of the parents’ concerns. Ensuring the child’s safety and that of others; stop unsafe behavior; provide close supervision, and give clear directions about acceptable and unacceptable behavior.
Option D: Telling the parents they are overreacting to the problem is inappropriate because it dismisses the parents’ legitimate concerns and belittles their feelings.