ATI PN PEDIATRIC PROCTORED EXAM
(2026) QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS
RATIONALES 2026 Q&A | INSTANT
DOWNLOAD PDF.
Core Domains
Growth and Development
Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Acute and Chronic Illness Management
Medication Administration and Calculations
Safety and Injury Prevention
Family-Centered Care and Psychosocial Support
Ethical and Legal Considerations in Pediatric Nursing
Introduction
The ATI PN Pediatric Proctored Exam assesses the practical nursing student's
ability to apply foundational pediatric nursing concepts in real-world clinical
scenarios. It evaluates knowledge of growth and development, health
promotion, acute and chronic illness management, medication administration,
safety, and family-centered care. The exam utilizes multiple-choice and
scenario-based questions to emphasize clinical judgment, prioritization, and
decision-making. Mastery of these domains ensures the provision of safe,
effective, and developmentally appropriate nursing care to infants, children,
and adolescents across diverse healthcare settings.
Section One: Questions 1–100
1. A nurse is assessing a 6-month-old infant during a well-child visit.
Which of the following findings should the nurse report to the
provider?
,A. The infant has a positive Moro reflex.
B. The infant is unable to sit without support.
C. The infant has a closed anterior fontanel.
D. The infant has a heart rate of 130/min.
Correct answer: B
RATIONALE: A 6-month-old infant should be able to sit with support or
begin to sit without support. The inability to sit without support at 6 months
is a potential sign of developmental delay. The Moro reflex typically
disappears by 4 months. The anterior fontanel usually closes between 12 and
18 months. A heart rate of 130/min is within the expected range for an infant.
2. A nurse is providing education to the parents of a toddler who is
prescribed ferrous sulfate for iron-deficiency anemia. Which of the
following instructions should the nurse include?
A. Administer the medication with milk.
B. Administer the medication with orange juice.
C. Expect the stools to be clay-colored.
D. Give the medication at bedtime.
Correct answer: B
RATIONALE: Vitamin C enhances the absorption of iron. Orange juice is
a good source of vitamin C and should be given with ferrous sulfate. Milk
inhibits iron absorption. Ferrous sulfate can cause dark green or black stools,
not clay-colored. Administering iron at bedtime is not necessary, though it
should be given with food to minimize GI upset.
3. A nurse is caring for a child who is experiencing an acute asthma
exacerbation. Which of the following findings indicates a life-
threatening emergency?
A. Wheezing on auscultation.
B. A respiratory rate of 28/min.
,C. A silent chest.
D. Use of accessory muscles.
Correct answer: C
RATIONALE: A silent chest indicates that airflow is so severely obstructed
that wheezing is no longer audible. This is a life-threatening sign of
impending respiratory failure. Wheezing, tachypnea, and accessory muscle
use are signs of respiratory distress but are not as immediately life-
threatening as a silent chest.
4. A nurse is calculating the dose of acetaminophen for a child who
weighs 22 lb. The prescribed dose is 15 mg/kg/dose. How many mg
should the nurse administer per dose? (Round to the nearest whole
number.)
A. 100 mg
B. 150 mg
C. 330 mg
D. 220 mg
Correct answer: B
RATIONALE: First, convert the weight from pounds to kilograms: 22 lb ÷
2.2 = 10 kg. Then, multiply the weight by the prescribed dose: 10 kg × 15
mg/kg = 150 mg. Therefore, the nurse should administer 150 mg per dose.
5. A nurse is assessing a 4-year-old child. Which of the following
behaviors indicates the child is in Piaget's preoperational stage of
cognitive development?
A. The child can understand the concept of conservation.
B. The child engages in egocentric thinking.
C. The child can perform logical operations on concrete objects.
D. The child can think abstractly.
Correct answer: B
, RATIONALE: Piaget's preoperational stage (ages 2–7) is characterized by
egocentrism, animism, and centration. Conservation is mastered in the
concrete operational stage. Logical operations on concrete objects also occur
in the concrete operational stage. Abstract thinking is characteristic of the
formal operational stage.
6. A nurse is preparing to administer immunizations to a 2-month-old
infant. Which of the following vaccines should the nurse plan to
administer?
A. MMR, Varicella, and Hepatitis A
B. DTaP, IPV, Hib, Hepatitis B, and PCV13
C. Tdap, HPV, and Meningococcal
D. Influenza and Rotavirus
Correct answer: B
RATIONALE: At 2 months of age, the recommended vaccines are DTaP,
IPV, Hib, Hepatitis B, and PCV13. MMR and Varicella are given at 12–15
months. Hepatitis A is given at 12 months. Tdap, HPV, and Meningococcal are
given during adolescence. Influenza is recommended annually starting at 6
months. Rotavirus is given at 2, 4, and 6 months.
7. A nurse is caring for a child who is postoperative following a
tonsillectomy. Which of the following findings should the nurse report
to the provider immediately?
A. The child is drooling.
B. The child has a heart rate of 100/min.
C. The child reports pain of 3 on a scale of 0 to 10.
D. The child refuses to eat.
Correct answer: A
RATIONALE: Drooling in a postoperative tonsillectomy patient can
indicate bleeding or airway obstruction and should be reported immediately.
A heart rate of 100/min is within normal limits for a child. Pain of 3/10 is mild
(2026) QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS
RATIONALES 2026 Q&A | INSTANT
DOWNLOAD PDF.
Core Domains
Growth and Development
Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Acute and Chronic Illness Management
Medication Administration and Calculations
Safety and Injury Prevention
Family-Centered Care and Psychosocial Support
Ethical and Legal Considerations in Pediatric Nursing
Introduction
The ATI PN Pediatric Proctored Exam assesses the practical nursing student's
ability to apply foundational pediatric nursing concepts in real-world clinical
scenarios. It evaluates knowledge of growth and development, health
promotion, acute and chronic illness management, medication administration,
safety, and family-centered care. The exam utilizes multiple-choice and
scenario-based questions to emphasize clinical judgment, prioritization, and
decision-making. Mastery of these domains ensures the provision of safe,
effective, and developmentally appropriate nursing care to infants, children,
and adolescents across diverse healthcare settings.
Section One: Questions 1–100
1. A nurse is assessing a 6-month-old infant during a well-child visit.
Which of the following findings should the nurse report to the
provider?
,A. The infant has a positive Moro reflex.
B. The infant is unable to sit without support.
C. The infant has a closed anterior fontanel.
D. The infant has a heart rate of 130/min.
Correct answer: B
RATIONALE: A 6-month-old infant should be able to sit with support or
begin to sit without support. The inability to sit without support at 6 months
is a potential sign of developmental delay. The Moro reflex typically
disappears by 4 months. The anterior fontanel usually closes between 12 and
18 months. A heart rate of 130/min is within the expected range for an infant.
2. A nurse is providing education to the parents of a toddler who is
prescribed ferrous sulfate for iron-deficiency anemia. Which of the
following instructions should the nurse include?
A. Administer the medication with milk.
B. Administer the medication with orange juice.
C. Expect the stools to be clay-colored.
D. Give the medication at bedtime.
Correct answer: B
RATIONALE: Vitamin C enhances the absorption of iron. Orange juice is
a good source of vitamin C and should be given with ferrous sulfate. Milk
inhibits iron absorption. Ferrous sulfate can cause dark green or black stools,
not clay-colored. Administering iron at bedtime is not necessary, though it
should be given with food to minimize GI upset.
3. A nurse is caring for a child who is experiencing an acute asthma
exacerbation. Which of the following findings indicates a life-
threatening emergency?
A. Wheezing on auscultation.
B. A respiratory rate of 28/min.
,C. A silent chest.
D. Use of accessory muscles.
Correct answer: C
RATIONALE: A silent chest indicates that airflow is so severely obstructed
that wheezing is no longer audible. This is a life-threatening sign of
impending respiratory failure. Wheezing, tachypnea, and accessory muscle
use are signs of respiratory distress but are not as immediately life-
threatening as a silent chest.
4. A nurse is calculating the dose of acetaminophen for a child who
weighs 22 lb. The prescribed dose is 15 mg/kg/dose. How many mg
should the nurse administer per dose? (Round to the nearest whole
number.)
A. 100 mg
B. 150 mg
C. 330 mg
D. 220 mg
Correct answer: B
RATIONALE: First, convert the weight from pounds to kilograms: 22 lb ÷
2.2 = 10 kg. Then, multiply the weight by the prescribed dose: 10 kg × 15
mg/kg = 150 mg. Therefore, the nurse should administer 150 mg per dose.
5. A nurse is assessing a 4-year-old child. Which of the following
behaviors indicates the child is in Piaget's preoperational stage of
cognitive development?
A. The child can understand the concept of conservation.
B. The child engages in egocentric thinking.
C. The child can perform logical operations on concrete objects.
D. The child can think abstractly.
Correct answer: B
, RATIONALE: Piaget's preoperational stage (ages 2–7) is characterized by
egocentrism, animism, and centration. Conservation is mastered in the
concrete operational stage. Logical operations on concrete objects also occur
in the concrete operational stage. Abstract thinking is characteristic of the
formal operational stage.
6. A nurse is preparing to administer immunizations to a 2-month-old
infant. Which of the following vaccines should the nurse plan to
administer?
A. MMR, Varicella, and Hepatitis A
B. DTaP, IPV, Hib, Hepatitis B, and PCV13
C. Tdap, HPV, and Meningococcal
D. Influenza and Rotavirus
Correct answer: B
RATIONALE: At 2 months of age, the recommended vaccines are DTaP,
IPV, Hib, Hepatitis B, and PCV13. MMR and Varicella are given at 12–15
months. Hepatitis A is given at 12 months. Tdap, HPV, and Meningococcal are
given during adolescence. Influenza is recommended annually starting at 6
months. Rotavirus is given at 2, 4, and 6 months.
7. A nurse is caring for a child who is postoperative following a
tonsillectomy. Which of the following findings should the nurse report
to the provider immediately?
A. The child is drooling.
B. The child has a heart rate of 100/min.
C. The child reports pain of 3 on a scale of 0 to 10.
D. The child refuses to eat.
Correct answer: A
RATIONALE: Drooling in a postoperative tonsillectomy patient can
indicate bleeding or airway obstruction and should be reported immediately.
A heart rate of 100/min is within normal limits for a child. Pain of 3/10 is mild
