NCLEX Paediatric Nursing 2025 — 60 Q&A Complete Test Bank
NGN Verified
Series:
CrashCourses Professional Study Series
Author:
Dr Z. Moomba, MBChB, MRCPsych | BethelWellness Ltd
Exam Target:
NCLEX Pediatrics
Year:
2025/2026
Format:
60 Questions with Verified Answers and Rationales
>
Author's Note:
This document is an original work produced for the CrashCourses Professional Study Series.
Clinical questions and professional scenarios were composed by Dr Z. Moomba based on current
exam objectives, published guidelines, and evidence-based sources (2024–2025). All patient
names, ages, and case details are fictional. Any resemblance to existing published Q&A banks is
coincidental. For personal study use only — not for reproduction or redistribution.
SECTION A — FOUNDATIONS
1. A 9-month-old infant is admitted to the paediatric ward. According to Erikson's stages of
psychosocial development, which nursing intervention best promotes the child's developmental
task?
A) Encouraging the parents to leave the room to foster independence.
B) Responding promptly to the infant's cries and feeding cues.
C) Providing a variety of puzzles to stimulate cognitive growth.
D) Setting strict limits on exploratory behaviour.
Answer: B
,Rationale:
a) Promptly responding to the infant's needs fosters a sense of trust in their caregivers and
environment.
b) The infant is in the "Trust vs. Mistrust" stage, where consistent caregiving is the primary
discriminator for successful resolution.
c) Encouraging parents to leave (Option A) ignores separation anxiety and undermines trust
formation, a tempting but incorrect approach for this age.
d) Trust is the foundation of all future psychosocial development; an unmet need here leads to
lifelong mistrust. [Erikson's Psychosocial Theory]
2. During a clinic visit, a 3-year-old child insists on dressing themselves, despite putting their shirt on
backwards. According to Erikson, the nurse should recognise this behaviour as indicative of which
stage?
A) Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
B) Initiative vs. Guilt
C) Industry vs. Inferiority
D) Identity vs. Role Confusion
Answer: A
Rationale:
a) The child is asserting independence, which aligns with the "Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt"
stage typical of toddlers.
b) The insistence on performing tasks independently, even if imperfectly, is the key clinical feature
of this developmental phase.
c) Initiative vs. Guilt (Option B) involves preschool-aged children planning and initiating activities,
not just basic self-care tasks.
d) Allowing toddlers to make simple choices (e.g., which cup to use) reduces tantrums and builds
autonomy. [Erikson's Psychosocial Theory]
3. A mother asks the nurse when she should expect her 6-month-old infant to start sitting without
support. What is the most accurate response?
A) "Most infants sit unsupported by 4 months of age."
B) "Sitting unsupported typically occurs around 8 months of age."
C) "Your baby should be sitting without support right now."
,D) "This milestone is usually achieved between 10 and 12 months."
Answer: B
Rationale:
a) Sitting unsupported is a gross motor milestone that most infants achieve by 8 months of age.
b) While a 6-month-old may sit with support (tripod position), independent sitting without hand
support is an 8-month milestone.
c) Option C is incorrect as expecting a 6-month-old to sit completely unsupported is premature
and may cause unnecessary parental anxiety.
d) Delay in sitting unsupported by 9 months warrants a developmental paediatric assessment.
[CDC Milestones 2024]
4. The nurse is assessing a 12-month-old infant. Which fine motor milestone should the nurse expect
the infant to have achieved?
A) Building a tower of six blocks.
B) Using a neat pincer grasp.
C) Drawing a continuous circle.
D) Using a spoon without spilling.
Answer: B
Rationale:
a) The neat pincer grasp (using the tips of the thumb and index finger) is typically developed by 10
to 12 months.
b) This refined movement allows the infant to pick up small objects, differentiating it from the
crude pincer grasp seen earlier.
c) Building a tower of six blocks (Option A) is a milestone for a 2-year-old, not a 12-month-old.
d) The emergence of the neat pincer grasp coincides with the ability to self-feed finger foods
safely. [AAP Developmental Guidelines]
5. According to Piaget's theory of cognitive development, a 4-year-old child who believes their teddy
bear feels pain is demonstrating:
A) Object permanence.
B) Conservation.
, C) Animism.
D) Abstract reasoning.
Answer: C
Rationale:
a) Animism is the attribution of lifelike qualities to inanimate objects, characteristic of the
preoperational stage.
b) The child's belief that a toy has feelings is the key discriminator for this cognitive phase (ages
2-7).
c) Object permanence (Option A) is achieved in the sensorimotor stage, not the preoperational
stage.
d) Understanding animism helps nurses tailor communication; explaining procedures on a doll can
be highly effective. [Piaget's Cognitive Stages]
6. The nurse is assessing a 14-year-old female patient. The nurse notes breast and papilla elevation
as a small mound and downy pubic hair. This corresponds to which Tanner stage?
A) Stage 1
B) Stage 2
C) Stage 3
D) Stage 4
Answer: B
Rationale:
a) Tanner Stage 2 in females is characterised by the breast bud stage and the appearance of
sparse, downy pubic hair.
b) The specific presence of a "small mound" rather than distinct separation of contours seals the
staging.
c) Stage 3 (Option C) involves further enlargement of the breast and darker, coarser pubic hair,
which does not fit this description.
d) Breast budding (thelarche) is usually the first sign of puberty in females and occurs roughly
between ages 9 and 13. [Tanner Staging Guidelines]
7. A nurse is reviewing the vital signs of a resting 3-year-old child. Which finding should be reported
to the healthcare provider immediately?
NGN Verified
Series:
CrashCourses Professional Study Series
Author:
Dr Z. Moomba, MBChB, MRCPsych | BethelWellness Ltd
Exam Target:
NCLEX Pediatrics
Year:
2025/2026
Format:
60 Questions with Verified Answers and Rationales
>
Author's Note:
This document is an original work produced for the CrashCourses Professional Study Series.
Clinical questions and professional scenarios were composed by Dr Z. Moomba based on current
exam objectives, published guidelines, and evidence-based sources (2024–2025). All patient
names, ages, and case details are fictional. Any resemblance to existing published Q&A banks is
coincidental. For personal study use only — not for reproduction or redistribution.
SECTION A — FOUNDATIONS
1. A 9-month-old infant is admitted to the paediatric ward. According to Erikson's stages of
psychosocial development, which nursing intervention best promotes the child's developmental
task?
A) Encouraging the parents to leave the room to foster independence.
B) Responding promptly to the infant's cries and feeding cues.
C) Providing a variety of puzzles to stimulate cognitive growth.
D) Setting strict limits on exploratory behaviour.
Answer: B
,Rationale:
a) Promptly responding to the infant's needs fosters a sense of trust in their caregivers and
environment.
b) The infant is in the "Trust vs. Mistrust" stage, where consistent caregiving is the primary
discriminator for successful resolution.
c) Encouraging parents to leave (Option A) ignores separation anxiety and undermines trust
formation, a tempting but incorrect approach for this age.
d) Trust is the foundation of all future psychosocial development; an unmet need here leads to
lifelong mistrust. [Erikson's Psychosocial Theory]
2. During a clinic visit, a 3-year-old child insists on dressing themselves, despite putting their shirt on
backwards. According to Erikson, the nurse should recognise this behaviour as indicative of which
stage?
A) Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
B) Initiative vs. Guilt
C) Industry vs. Inferiority
D) Identity vs. Role Confusion
Answer: A
Rationale:
a) The child is asserting independence, which aligns with the "Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt"
stage typical of toddlers.
b) The insistence on performing tasks independently, even if imperfectly, is the key clinical feature
of this developmental phase.
c) Initiative vs. Guilt (Option B) involves preschool-aged children planning and initiating activities,
not just basic self-care tasks.
d) Allowing toddlers to make simple choices (e.g., which cup to use) reduces tantrums and builds
autonomy. [Erikson's Psychosocial Theory]
3. A mother asks the nurse when she should expect her 6-month-old infant to start sitting without
support. What is the most accurate response?
A) "Most infants sit unsupported by 4 months of age."
B) "Sitting unsupported typically occurs around 8 months of age."
C) "Your baby should be sitting without support right now."
,D) "This milestone is usually achieved between 10 and 12 months."
Answer: B
Rationale:
a) Sitting unsupported is a gross motor milestone that most infants achieve by 8 months of age.
b) While a 6-month-old may sit with support (tripod position), independent sitting without hand
support is an 8-month milestone.
c) Option C is incorrect as expecting a 6-month-old to sit completely unsupported is premature
and may cause unnecessary parental anxiety.
d) Delay in sitting unsupported by 9 months warrants a developmental paediatric assessment.
[CDC Milestones 2024]
4. The nurse is assessing a 12-month-old infant. Which fine motor milestone should the nurse expect
the infant to have achieved?
A) Building a tower of six blocks.
B) Using a neat pincer grasp.
C) Drawing a continuous circle.
D) Using a spoon without spilling.
Answer: B
Rationale:
a) The neat pincer grasp (using the tips of the thumb and index finger) is typically developed by 10
to 12 months.
b) This refined movement allows the infant to pick up small objects, differentiating it from the
crude pincer grasp seen earlier.
c) Building a tower of six blocks (Option A) is a milestone for a 2-year-old, not a 12-month-old.
d) The emergence of the neat pincer grasp coincides with the ability to self-feed finger foods
safely. [AAP Developmental Guidelines]
5. According to Piaget's theory of cognitive development, a 4-year-old child who believes their teddy
bear feels pain is demonstrating:
A) Object permanence.
B) Conservation.
, C) Animism.
D) Abstract reasoning.
Answer: C
Rationale:
a) Animism is the attribution of lifelike qualities to inanimate objects, characteristic of the
preoperational stage.
b) The child's belief that a toy has feelings is the key discriminator for this cognitive phase (ages
2-7).
c) Object permanence (Option A) is achieved in the sensorimotor stage, not the preoperational
stage.
d) Understanding animism helps nurses tailor communication; explaining procedures on a doll can
be highly effective. [Piaget's Cognitive Stages]
6. The nurse is assessing a 14-year-old female patient. The nurse notes breast and papilla elevation
as a small mound and downy pubic hair. This corresponds to which Tanner stage?
A) Stage 1
B) Stage 2
C) Stage 3
D) Stage 4
Answer: B
Rationale:
a) Tanner Stage 2 in females is characterised by the breast bud stage and the appearance of
sparse, downy pubic hair.
b) The specific presence of a "small mound" rather than distinct separation of contours seals the
staging.
c) Stage 3 (Option C) involves further enlargement of the breast and darker, coarser pubic hair,
which does not fit this description.
d) Breast budding (thelarche) is usually the first sign of puberty in females and occurs roughly
between ages 9 and 13. [Tanner Staging Guidelines]
7. A nurse is reviewing the vital signs of a resting 3-year-old child. Which finding should be reported
to the healthcare provider immediately?
