Northern Kentucky University
Pediatric Primary Care and Pharmacology
Key Coverage Areas
1. Pediatric and family health assessment
2. Communication and interviewing children and families
3. Growth and developmental assessment
4. Developmental surveillance and screening
5. Newborn and neonatal assessment
6. Infant health supervision
7. Toddler and preschool development
8. School-age assessment and health promotion
9. Adolescent assessment and anticipatory guidance
10. Pediatric pharmacology, prevention, and family-centered care
QUESTIONS
1.
What approach should the pediatric nurse practitioner use first when beginning a comprehensive health
assessment of a young child?
A. Ask the parent to leave immediately
B. Establish rapport with the child and caregiver
C. Perform the most invasive examination first
D. Begin with detailed medication calculations
Answer: B
Rationale: Establishing rapport promotes cooperation and helps the clinician obtain accurate information
from both the child and caregiver.
2.
Which interviewing technique is most appropriate when obtaining a health history from the parent of a
preschool-aged child?
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,A. Use only medical terminology
B. Ask only yes-or-no questions
C. Begin with broad, open-ended questions
D. Direct every question exclusively to the child
Answer: C
Rationale: Open-ended questions allow caregivers to describe concerns and provide information without
unnecessarily restricting their responses.
3.
Why should a pediatric clinician consider the child's developmental level before beginning the physical
examination?
A. Development determines the child's blood type
B. Development influences communication and cooperation
C. Development eliminates the need for parental history
D. Development determines whether vital signs are required
Answer: B
Rationale: Developmental level affects how a child understands instructions, communicates symptoms,
and responds to unfamiliar examination procedures.
4.
Which behavior most strongly indicates that an infant is developing an appropriate social response during
early infancy?
A. Consistently solving complex problems
B. Demonstrating a social smile
C. Reading simple written words
D. Following multistep verbal commands
Answer: B
Rationale: The emergence of a social smile is an important early social and emotional developmental
milestone.
5.
What is the primary purpose of developmental surveillance during routine pediatric primary care visits?
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,A. To diagnose every developmental disorder
B. To identify children who may need further evaluation
C. To replace physical examination findings
D. To determine the child's future occupation
Answer: B
Rationale: Surveillance helps identify concerns early so that formal screening or additional evaluation can
be performed when indicated.
6.
Which developmental domain primarily evaluates a child's ability to use large muscle groups for movement
and posture?
A. Fine motor development
B. Gross motor development
C. Language development
D. Social development
Answer: B
Rationale: Gross motor development includes large-muscle activities such as sitting, walking, running, and
jumping.
7.
Which finding would most appropriately prompt additional developmental evaluation during a well-child
visit?
A. Development consistent with age expectations
B. Progress across several developmental domains
C. Significant loss of previously acquired skills
D. Normal variation in preferred play activities
Answer: C
Rationale: Regression or loss of previously acquired developmental skills is concerning and requires
prompt evaluation.
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, 8.
How should a clinician generally respond when a parent reports concern about a child's developmental
progress?
A. Dismiss the concern if the child appears healthy
B. Compare the child only with siblings
C. Explore the concern and perform appropriate developmental assessment
D. Wait until school age before investigating
Answer: C
Rationale: Parent concerns are important sources of developmental information and should be explored
rather than dismissed.
9.
Which observation is especially useful when assessing developmental functioning in a young child?
A. The child's interaction with the examiner
B. The parent's occupation
C. The family's preferred television programs
D. The child's favorite color
Answer: A
Rationale: Interaction, communication, play, and behavior provide valuable information about
developmental functioning.
10.
Why is obtaining a complete family history particularly important during pediatric primary care
assessment?
A. Most childhood illnesses are inherited directly
B. Family history can identify inherited and familial health risks
C. Family history replaces physical examination
D. Family history determines developmental milestones
Answer: B
Rationale: Family history may identify genetic disorders, chronic disease risks, and other conditions
relevant to pediatric care.
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