Physiological Integrity Q 11
A 2-year-old toddler is admitted to the hospital. Which of the following nursing interventions would you expect?
A. Ask the parent/guardian to leave the room when assessments are being performed.
B. Ask the parent/guardian to take the child’s favorite blanket home because anything from the outside should not be brought into the hospital.
C. Ask the parent/guardian to room-in with the child.
D. If the child is screaming, tell him this is inappropriate behavior.
Correct Answer: C. Ask the parent/guardian to room-in with the child.
The nurse should encourage rooming-in to promote parent-child attachment. It is okay for the parents to be in the room for assessment of the child. Toddlers have a strong fear of strangers and they may feel like they are losing control and autonomy when at the hospital. Explain the procedures to them at the level of their understanding to further prevent anxiety.
Option A: Toddlers are afraid of strangers, so asking the parents to leave the room would increase the anxiety. The initial assessment of the interplay of key variables such as anxiety, coping and play can inform healthcare professionals by serving as a guide in order to determine a child’s risk for negative psychological outcomes due to hospitalization, to plan appropriate interventions and to provide substantial assistance to hospitalized children in the future.
Option B: Hospitalization for children means leaving their home and their caregivers and siblings and an interruption of their daily activities and routines. Moreover, hospital wards are often associated with staying in a “cold and medical” setting, facing fear of medical examinations, pain, uncertainty, and loss of control and safeness. Allowing the child to have items that are familiar to him is allowed and encouraged.
Option D: Telling the child that screaming is inappropriate behavior is not part of the nurse’s responsibilities. Usually, children feel anxious before encountering medical professionals, as well as experiencing a hospitalization. Empirical studies suggest that children express anxiety through regression in behaviors, aggression, lack of cooperation, withdrawal, and difficulty recovering from procedures.