ATI Pediatrics 2026/2027 | ATI Pediatric
Nursing Study Guide & Exam Prep | RN & PN
Pediatrics Practice Questions, Answers &
Detailed Rationales | Growth & Development,
Pediatric Assessment, Pharmacology, Common
Disorders, Safety & Clinical Judgment
Question 1: A nurse is assessing a 9-month-old infant during a well-
child visit. Which developmental milestone should the nurse expect
to observe?
A. Walking independently
B. Using a pincer grasp to pick up small objects
C. Speaking in two-word sentences
D. Building a tower of six blocks
CORRECT ANSWER: B. Using a pincer grasp to pick up small
objects
Rationale: The pincer grasp (using the thumb and forefinger) typically
develops around 9 months of age. Walking independently occurs around
12–15 months, two-word sentences emerge at 18–24 months, and building
a tower of six blocks is a 3-year skill .
Question 2: A nurse is providing anticipatory guidance to the
parents of a 12-month-old infant. Which statement by the parent
indicates a correct understanding of expected development?
A. "My child should have a vocabulary of about 50 words."
B. "My child should be able to walk without support."
C. "My child should be able to feed themselves with a spoon."
D. "My child should be able to kick a ball."
CORRECT ANSWER: B. "My child should be able to walk without
support."
Rationale: By 12 months, most infants can walk with minimal or no support.
A vocabulary of 50 words is expected at 24 months, self-feeding with a
spoon occurs at 18–24 months, and kicking a ball is a 2-year milestone .
Question 3: A nurse is caring for a preschooler who requires a
painful procedure. Which approach is most appropriate for
preparing this child?
,A. Provide a detailed explanation one week in advance
B. Use play therapy to demonstrate the procedure
C. Allow the child to make all decisions about care
D. Avoid discussing the procedure to reduce anxiety
CORRECT ANSWER: B. Use play therapy to demonstrate the
procedure
Rationale: Preschoolers benefit from play therapy and simple explanations
using concrete terms. Detailed explanations too far in advance can increase
anxiety, children should have choices but not make all decisions, and
avoiding discussion does not reduce anxiety .
Question 4: A nurse is assessing a 5-year-old child's developmental
milestones. Which finding is expected for this age?
A. Can tie shoelaces
B. Can skip and hop on one foot
C. Can use a knife to cut food
D. Can write in cursive
CORRECT ANSWER: B. Can skip and hop on one foot
Rationale: A 5-year-old can typically hop on one foot, skip, and draw a
person with six body parts. Tying shoelaces is a 6-year skill, using a knife to
cut food is a 6–7 year skill, and cursive writing is taught later .
Question 5: A nurse is assessing a 15-month-old toddler's language
development. Which finding is expected?
A. Says 4–6 words
B. Uses two-word sentences
C. Has a vocabulary of 50 words
D. Speaks in four- to six-word sentences
CORRECT ANSWER: A. Says 4–6 words
Rationale: A 15-month-old typically has a vocabulary of 4–6 words. Two-
word sentences are expected at 18–24 months, a vocabulary of 50 words is
expected at 24 months, and four- to six-word sentences are expected at 3–4
years .
,Question 6: A nurse is providing anticipatory guidance to the
parents of a 4-year-old child about discipline. Which
recommendation is most appropriate?
A. Use time-out for discipline
B. Use physical punishment to correct behavior
C. Ignore all misbehavior
D. Allow the child to set the rules
CORRECT ANSWER: A. Use time-out for discipline
Rationale: Time-out is an appropriate discipline technique for preschoolers.
Physical punishment is not recommended, ignoring all misbehavior does
not teach appropriate behavior, and children should not be allowed to set
rules .
Question 7: A nurse is assessing a 7-year-old child's developmental
milestones. Which finding is expected?
A. Can read simple books
B. Can write in cursive
C. Can solve complex math problems
D. Can do abstract reasoning
CORRECT ANSWER: A. Can read simple books
Rationale: A 7-year-old can typically read simple books. Cursive writing is
taught later, complex math and abstract reasoning develop around age 11–
12 .
Question 8: A nurse is teaching a parent about developmental
milestones for a 12-year-old adolescent. Which statement indicates
correct understanding?
A. "My child should have completed puberty by age 12."
B. "My child may have mood swings due to hormonal changes."
C. "My child should not have any physical changes yet."
D. "My child should be completely independent."
CORRECT ANSWER: B. "My child may have mood swings due to
hormonal changes."
Rationale: Mood swings due to hormonal changes are common during
adolescence. Puberty is not typically completed by age 12, physical
, changes are expected, and complete independence is not expected at age
12 .
Question 9: A nurse is caring for a hospitalized adolescent. Which
nursing intervention best supports this patient's developmental
needs?
A. Encourage parental presence at all times
B. Provide opportunities for privacy and autonomy
C. Use toys and play for distraction
D. Maintain strict rules and expectations
CORRECT ANSWER: B. Provide opportunities for privacy and
autonomy
Rationale: Adolescents value privacy and autonomy. While parents are
important, the adolescent should have opportunities for independent
decision-making. Play is more appropriate for younger children, and strict
rules do not support developmental needs .
Question 10: A nurse is assessing a newborn and expects to find
which reflexes present at birth?
A. Moro reflex
B. Startle reflex
C. Rooting reflex
D. All of the above
CORRECT ANSWER: D. All of the above
Rationale: Normal newborn reflexes include the Moro reflex, startle reflex,
rooting reflex, grasp reflex, and Babinski reflex. These reflexes indicate an
intact neurological system and should be present at birth .
Question 11: A nurse is providing teaching to parents about the
feeding of a 6-month-old infant. Which food should the nurse
recommend as the first solid food?
A. Rice cereal
B. Mashed potatoes
C. Strained fruits
D. Strained meats
CORRECT ANSWER: A. Rice cereal
Nursing Study Guide & Exam Prep | RN & PN
Pediatrics Practice Questions, Answers &
Detailed Rationales | Growth & Development,
Pediatric Assessment, Pharmacology, Common
Disorders, Safety & Clinical Judgment
Question 1: A nurse is assessing a 9-month-old infant during a well-
child visit. Which developmental milestone should the nurse expect
to observe?
A. Walking independently
B. Using a pincer grasp to pick up small objects
C. Speaking in two-word sentences
D. Building a tower of six blocks
CORRECT ANSWER: B. Using a pincer grasp to pick up small
objects
Rationale: The pincer grasp (using the thumb and forefinger) typically
develops around 9 months of age. Walking independently occurs around
12–15 months, two-word sentences emerge at 18–24 months, and building
a tower of six blocks is a 3-year skill .
Question 2: A nurse is providing anticipatory guidance to the
parents of a 12-month-old infant. Which statement by the parent
indicates a correct understanding of expected development?
A. "My child should have a vocabulary of about 50 words."
B. "My child should be able to walk without support."
C. "My child should be able to feed themselves with a spoon."
D. "My child should be able to kick a ball."
CORRECT ANSWER: B. "My child should be able to walk without
support."
Rationale: By 12 months, most infants can walk with minimal or no support.
A vocabulary of 50 words is expected at 24 months, self-feeding with a
spoon occurs at 18–24 months, and kicking a ball is a 2-year milestone .
Question 3: A nurse is caring for a preschooler who requires a
painful procedure. Which approach is most appropriate for
preparing this child?
,A. Provide a detailed explanation one week in advance
B. Use play therapy to demonstrate the procedure
C. Allow the child to make all decisions about care
D. Avoid discussing the procedure to reduce anxiety
CORRECT ANSWER: B. Use play therapy to demonstrate the
procedure
Rationale: Preschoolers benefit from play therapy and simple explanations
using concrete terms. Detailed explanations too far in advance can increase
anxiety, children should have choices but not make all decisions, and
avoiding discussion does not reduce anxiety .
Question 4: A nurse is assessing a 5-year-old child's developmental
milestones. Which finding is expected for this age?
A. Can tie shoelaces
B. Can skip and hop on one foot
C. Can use a knife to cut food
D. Can write in cursive
CORRECT ANSWER: B. Can skip and hop on one foot
Rationale: A 5-year-old can typically hop on one foot, skip, and draw a
person with six body parts. Tying shoelaces is a 6-year skill, using a knife to
cut food is a 6–7 year skill, and cursive writing is taught later .
Question 5: A nurse is assessing a 15-month-old toddler's language
development. Which finding is expected?
A. Says 4–6 words
B. Uses two-word sentences
C. Has a vocabulary of 50 words
D. Speaks in four- to six-word sentences
CORRECT ANSWER: A. Says 4–6 words
Rationale: A 15-month-old typically has a vocabulary of 4–6 words. Two-
word sentences are expected at 18–24 months, a vocabulary of 50 words is
expected at 24 months, and four- to six-word sentences are expected at 3–4
years .
,Question 6: A nurse is providing anticipatory guidance to the
parents of a 4-year-old child about discipline. Which
recommendation is most appropriate?
A. Use time-out for discipline
B. Use physical punishment to correct behavior
C. Ignore all misbehavior
D. Allow the child to set the rules
CORRECT ANSWER: A. Use time-out for discipline
Rationale: Time-out is an appropriate discipline technique for preschoolers.
Physical punishment is not recommended, ignoring all misbehavior does
not teach appropriate behavior, and children should not be allowed to set
rules .
Question 7: A nurse is assessing a 7-year-old child's developmental
milestones. Which finding is expected?
A. Can read simple books
B. Can write in cursive
C. Can solve complex math problems
D. Can do abstract reasoning
CORRECT ANSWER: A. Can read simple books
Rationale: A 7-year-old can typically read simple books. Cursive writing is
taught later, complex math and abstract reasoning develop around age 11–
12 .
Question 8: A nurse is teaching a parent about developmental
milestones for a 12-year-old adolescent. Which statement indicates
correct understanding?
A. "My child should have completed puberty by age 12."
B. "My child may have mood swings due to hormonal changes."
C. "My child should not have any physical changes yet."
D. "My child should be completely independent."
CORRECT ANSWER: B. "My child may have mood swings due to
hormonal changes."
Rationale: Mood swings due to hormonal changes are common during
adolescence. Puberty is not typically completed by age 12, physical
, changes are expected, and complete independence is not expected at age
12 .
Question 9: A nurse is caring for a hospitalized adolescent. Which
nursing intervention best supports this patient's developmental
needs?
A. Encourage parental presence at all times
B. Provide opportunities for privacy and autonomy
C. Use toys and play for distraction
D. Maintain strict rules and expectations
CORRECT ANSWER: B. Provide opportunities for privacy and
autonomy
Rationale: Adolescents value privacy and autonomy. While parents are
important, the adolescent should have opportunities for independent
decision-making. Play is more appropriate for younger children, and strict
rules do not support developmental needs .
Question 10: A nurse is assessing a newborn and expects to find
which reflexes present at birth?
A. Moro reflex
B. Startle reflex
C. Rooting reflex
D. All of the above
CORRECT ANSWER: D. All of the above
Rationale: Normal newborn reflexes include the Moro reflex, startle reflex,
rooting reflex, grasp reflex, and Babinski reflex. These reflexes indicate an
intact neurological system and should be present at birth .
Question 11: A nurse is providing teaching to parents about the
feeding of a 6-month-old infant. Which food should the nurse
recommend as the first solid food?
A. Rice cereal
B. Mashed potatoes
C. Strained fruits
D. Strained meats
CORRECT ANSWER: A. Rice cereal
