NSG 3600 PEDIATRIC NURSING EXAM QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALES
2026–2027 Q&A | GALEN COLLEGE NSG 3600 EXAM 1, 2, 3, 4 &
FINAL STUDY GUIDE | INSTANT DOWNLOAD PDF.
Core Domains
Growth and Development
Pediatric Assessment
Health Promotion
Congenital Heart Defects
Respiratory Disorders
Gastrointestinal Disorders
Renal Disorders
Neurological Disorders
Oncology and Hematology
Pediatric Pharmacology
Introduction
The NSG 3600 Pediatric Nursing Exam assesses the nursing
student's mastery of holistic care for children and families across
the healthcare continuum. This comprehensive examination
evaluates knowledge of growth and development principles,
pediatric assessment techniques, and the management of common
childhood disorders. The test utilizes multiple-choice and scenario-
based questions to measure clinical judgment, prioritization, and
family-centered care. Emphasis is placed on applying
developmental principles, recognizing deterioration, and
implementing evidence-based interventions in real-world pediatric
clinical situations.
,SECTION ONE: QUESTIONS 1–150
1. A nurse is assessing a 6-month-old infant during a well-child
visit. Which developmental milestone should the nurse expect
the infant to have achieved?
A. Sitting without support
B. Rolling from back to abdomen
C. Transferring objects from hand to hand
D. Pulling to a standing position
🟢 B. Rolling from back to abdomen
🔴 RATIONALE: Rolling from back to abdomen is typically
achieved by 6 months of age. Sitting without support usually
occurs by 8 months, transferring objects from hand to hand by 7
months, and pulling to a standing position by 9 to 10 months.
2. A 3-year-old child insists on dressing himself each morning
and becomes upset when his mother tries to help. Which
nursing response best supports the child's developmental stage
according to Erikson?
A. "Let me help you so we don't get late; I'll put your shirt on for
you."
B. "It's okay, you're still too little to dress yourself. Mommy will do
it."
C. "That's wonderful you want to dress yourself! Let me help with
the buttons so we have time for breakfast."
D. "If you can't dress yourself quickly, I'm going to have to pick
out your clothes tonight."
🟢 C. "That's wonderful you want to dress yourself! Let me help
with the buttons so we have time for breakfast."
,🔴 RATIONALE: At ages 1-3 years, the child is in Erikson's
Autonomy vs Shame and Doubt stage. Encouraging
independence while offering appropriate assistance fosters
autonomy; taking over creates shame and doubt about the child's
abilities.
3. A 5-year-old child tells the nurse, "The moon follows me
when I ride in the car." According to Piaget's cognitive
development theory, which characteristic best describes this
child's thinking?
A. Conservation
B. Reversibility
C. Animism
D. Object permanence
🟢 C. Animism
🔴 RATIONALE: The child is in Piaget's Preoperational stage (2-7
years), where animism is common — attributing lifelike qualities
to inanimate objects. The belief that the moon "follows" the car is
a classic example of animistic thinking in the preoperational child.
4. A 9-year-old child is hospitalized and successfully completes a
puzzle, then explains the steps in reverse order. Which Piaget
cognitive stage does this demonstrate?
A. Sensorimotor
B. Preoperational
C. Concrete Operations
D. Formal Operations
🟢 C. Concrete Operations
🔴 RATIONALE: The ability to understand reversibility and
conservation is characteristic of Piaget's Concrete Operations
, stage (7-11 years). The child can mentally trace steps forward and
backward, indicating logical and concrete operational thinking.
5. A 15-year-old adolescent tells the school nurse, "No one
understands me. I don't even know who I am or what I want to
do with my life." Which Erikson developmental stage is this
adolescent experiencing?
A. Trust vs Mistrust
B. Identity vs Role Confusion
C. Intimacy vs Isolation
D. Industry vs Inferiority
🟢 B. Identity vs Role Confusion
🔴 RATIONALE: Erikson's Identity vs Role Confusion stage occurs
during adolescence (12-18 years). The teenager explores personal
values, beliefs, and goals to form a coherent self-identity; failure
to do so leads to role confusion.
6. A 12-month-old infant repeatedly drops a toy from the high
chair and watches it fall while laughing. According to Piaget,
which substage of the sensorimotor stage does this behavior
represent?
A. Primary circular reactions
B. Secondary circular reactions
C. Tertiary circular reactions
D. Reflexive schemes
🟢 C. Tertiary circular reactions
🔴 RATIONALE: Tertiary circular reactions (12-18 months) involve
intentional experimentation with objects, such as dropping toys
repeatedly to observe the results. This represents the infant's
active exploration of cause and effect.
CORRECT ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) PLUS RATIONALES
2026–2027 Q&A | GALEN COLLEGE NSG 3600 EXAM 1, 2, 3, 4 &
FINAL STUDY GUIDE | INSTANT DOWNLOAD PDF.
Core Domains
Growth and Development
Pediatric Assessment
Health Promotion
Congenital Heart Defects
Respiratory Disorders
Gastrointestinal Disorders
Renal Disorders
Neurological Disorders
Oncology and Hematology
Pediatric Pharmacology
Introduction
The NSG 3600 Pediatric Nursing Exam assesses the nursing
student's mastery of holistic care for children and families across
the healthcare continuum. This comprehensive examination
evaluates knowledge of growth and development principles,
pediatric assessment techniques, and the management of common
childhood disorders. The test utilizes multiple-choice and scenario-
based questions to measure clinical judgment, prioritization, and
family-centered care. Emphasis is placed on applying
developmental principles, recognizing deterioration, and
implementing evidence-based interventions in real-world pediatric
clinical situations.
,SECTION ONE: QUESTIONS 1–150
1. A nurse is assessing a 6-month-old infant during a well-child
visit. Which developmental milestone should the nurse expect
the infant to have achieved?
A. Sitting without support
B. Rolling from back to abdomen
C. Transferring objects from hand to hand
D. Pulling to a standing position
🟢 B. Rolling from back to abdomen
🔴 RATIONALE: Rolling from back to abdomen is typically
achieved by 6 months of age. Sitting without support usually
occurs by 8 months, transferring objects from hand to hand by 7
months, and pulling to a standing position by 9 to 10 months.
2. A 3-year-old child insists on dressing himself each morning
and becomes upset when his mother tries to help. Which
nursing response best supports the child's developmental stage
according to Erikson?
A. "Let me help you so we don't get late; I'll put your shirt on for
you."
B. "It's okay, you're still too little to dress yourself. Mommy will do
it."
C. "That's wonderful you want to dress yourself! Let me help with
the buttons so we have time for breakfast."
D. "If you can't dress yourself quickly, I'm going to have to pick
out your clothes tonight."
🟢 C. "That's wonderful you want to dress yourself! Let me help
with the buttons so we have time for breakfast."
,🔴 RATIONALE: At ages 1-3 years, the child is in Erikson's
Autonomy vs Shame and Doubt stage. Encouraging
independence while offering appropriate assistance fosters
autonomy; taking over creates shame and doubt about the child's
abilities.
3. A 5-year-old child tells the nurse, "The moon follows me
when I ride in the car." According to Piaget's cognitive
development theory, which characteristic best describes this
child's thinking?
A. Conservation
B. Reversibility
C. Animism
D. Object permanence
🟢 C. Animism
🔴 RATIONALE: The child is in Piaget's Preoperational stage (2-7
years), where animism is common — attributing lifelike qualities
to inanimate objects. The belief that the moon "follows" the car is
a classic example of animistic thinking in the preoperational child.
4. A 9-year-old child is hospitalized and successfully completes a
puzzle, then explains the steps in reverse order. Which Piaget
cognitive stage does this demonstrate?
A. Sensorimotor
B. Preoperational
C. Concrete Operations
D. Formal Operations
🟢 C. Concrete Operations
🔴 RATIONALE: The ability to understand reversibility and
conservation is characteristic of Piaget's Concrete Operations
, stage (7-11 years). The child can mentally trace steps forward and
backward, indicating logical and concrete operational thinking.
5. A 15-year-old adolescent tells the school nurse, "No one
understands me. I don't even know who I am or what I want to
do with my life." Which Erikson developmental stage is this
adolescent experiencing?
A. Trust vs Mistrust
B. Identity vs Role Confusion
C. Intimacy vs Isolation
D. Industry vs Inferiority
🟢 B. Identity vs Role Confusion
🔴 RATIONALE: Erikson's Identity vs Role Confusion stage occurs
during adolescence (12-18 years). The teenager explores personal
values, beliefs, and goals to form a coherent self-identity; failure
to do so leads to role confusion.
6. A 12-month-old infant repeatedly drops a toy from the high
chair and watches it fall while laughing. According to Piaget,
which substage of the sensorimotor stage does this behavior
represent?
A. Primary circular reactions
B. Secondary circular reactions
C. Tertiary circular reactions
D. Reflexive schemes
🟢 C. Tertiary circular reactions
🔴 RATIONALE: Tertiary circular reactions (12-18 months) involve
intentional experimentation with objects, such as dropping toys
repeatedly to observe the results. This represents the infant's
active exploration of cause and effect.
