NSG 3600 Pediatric Nursing Exams 1 to 4
Questions with Answers| Galen
EXAM 1
1. A newborn weighed 3.4 kg at birth. The nurse teaches the parents
that the infant's birth weight will typically double by approximately
what age?
A. 5 to 6 months
B. 2 to 3 months
C. 9 to 10 months
D. 12 months
Answer: A
Rationale: Birth weight typically doubles by 5 to 6 months of age and
triples by about 12 months. Growth then slows considerably during the
toddler years.
NSG 3600 Pediatric Nursing Questions | Page 1
,2. Which behavior would the nurse expect to observe in a healthy 6-
month-old infant?
A. Walking while holding onto furniture
B. Using a pincer grasp to pick up small objects
C. Transferring a toy from one hand to the other
D. Saying two or three words with meaning
Answer: C
Rationale: Hand-to-hand transfer emerges at about 6 months. Cruising
and the pincer grasp appear at about 9 to 10 months, and first words with
meaning at about 12 months.
3. Which of Erikson's psychosocial tasks is the primary
developmental task of a 2-year-old?
A. Initiative versus guilt
B. Industry versus inferiority
C. Autonomy versus shame and doubt
D. Trust versus mistrust
Answer: C
Rationale: Toddlers (1 to 3 years) strive for independence ("me do it") and
negativism is common. Trust versus mistrust is the infant task, initiative
versus guilt the preschool task, and industry versus inferiority the school-
age task.
4. A 4-year-old tells the nurse that the moon follows the car and that
her doll gets hurt when it is dropped. Which of Piaget's stages of
cognitive development is the child demonstrating?
A. Formal operational
B. Preoperational
C. Sensorimotor
D. Concrete operational
Answer: B
Rationale: The preoperational stage (about 2 to 7 years) is characterized
by egocentrism, magical thinking, and animism (giving lifelike qualities to
objects).
NSG 3600 Pediatric Nursing Questions | Page 2
,5. The nurse is preparing a 2-year-old for a venipuncture. Which
approach is most appropriate?
A. Give a brief, simple explanation just before the procedure and let the
child hold a comfort object
B. Tell the child that the procedure will not hurt so that he will cooperate
C. Explain the procedure in detail the day before so the child can prepare
D. Ask the child whether he would like to have the blood drawn
Answer: A
Rationale: Toddlers have short attention spans and a limited concept of
time, so teaching should be brief, simple, and given immediately before the
procedure. Honesty about sensations preserves trust, and offering a choice
about a necessary procedure is a false choice.
6. A hospitalized 4-year-old says, "I am sick because I was bad."
Which response by the nurse is best?
A. "You are sick because you did not wash your hands, but you will get
better soon."
B. "Let's talk about all the bad things you did so you can feel better."
C. "Big kids don't think that way, so try to be brave."
D. "Nothing you said, did, or thought made you sick. Sometimes children
get sick and it is nobody's fault."
Answer: D
Rationale: Preschoolers use magical thinking and often believe illness or
hospitalization is punishment. The nurse should reassure the child that he
or she is not responsible.
NSG 3600 Pediatric Nursing Questions | Page 3
, 7. Which nursing intervention best promotes a sense of industry in a
hospitalized 9-year-old?
A. Restricting activities to bed rest to conserve energy
B. Allowing the child to keep a record of his own fluid intake and to keep
up with schoolwork
C. Having the parents make all decisions about care
D. Completing all care tasks without explanation to save time
Answer: B
Rationale: School-age children develop industry through accomplishment,
responsibility, and participation in their own care. Giving them meaningful
tasks supports self-esteem.
8. A 15-year-old with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes refuses to
check glucose at school. Which is the most likely reason?
A. Desire for parents to perform the task
B. Fear of being different from peers
C. A developing sense of guilt
D. Inability to understand the disease process
Answer: B
Rationale: Adolescents place high value on peer acceptance and body
image (identity versus role confusion). The nurse should explore concerns
and problem-solve, such as arranging a private place to test.
9. A hospitalized 20-month-old whose parents have been away is now
quiet, refuses to play, and rocks while sucking her thumb. Which
stage of separation anxiety is the toddler demonstrating?
A. Protest
B. Detachment
C. Denial
D. Despair
Answer: D
Rationale: In despair the child is withdrawn, sad, and less active. Protest
involves crying and clinging, and detachment appears as apparent
adjustment but the child is emotionally withdrawn from parents.
NSG 3600 Pediatric Nursing Questions | Page 4
Questions with Answers| Galen
EXAM 1
1. A newborn weighed 3.4 kg at birth. The nurse teaches the parents
that the infant's birth weight will typically double by approximately
what age?
A. 5 to 6 months
B. 2 to 3 months
C. 9 to 10 months
D. 12 months
Answer: A
Rationale: Birth weight typically doubles by 5 to 6 months of age and
triples by about 12 months. Growth then slows considerably during the
toddler years.
NSG 3600 Pediatric Nursing Questions | Page 1
,2. Which behavior would the nurse expect to observe in a healthy 6-
month-old infant?
A. Walking while holding onto furniture
B. Using a pincer grasp to pick up small objects
C. Transferring a toy from one hand to the other
D. Saying two or three words with meaning
Answer: C
Rationale: Hand-to-hand transfer emerges at about 6 months. Cruising
and the pincer grasp appear at about 9 to 10 months, and first words with
meaning at about 12 months.
3. Which of Erikson's psychosocial tasks is the primary
developmental task of a 2-year-old?
A. Initiative versus guilt
B. Industry versus inferiority
C. Autonomy versus shame and doubt
D. Trust versus mistrust
Answer: C
Rationale: Toddlers (1 to 3 years) strive for independence ("me do it") and
negativism is common. Trust versus mistrust is the infant task, initiative
versus guilt the preschool task, and industry versus inferiority the school-
age task.
4. A 4-year-old tells the nurse that the moon follows the car and that
her doll gets hurt when it is dropped. Which of Piaget's stages of
cognitive development is the child demonstrating?
A. Formal operational
B. Preoperational
C. Sensorimotor
D. Concrete operational
Answer: B
Rationale: The preoperational stage (about 2 to 7 years) is characterized
by egocentrism, magical thinking, and animism (giving lifelike qualities to
objects).
NSG 3600 Pediatric Nursing Questions | Page 2
,5. The nurse is preparing a 2-year-old for a venipuncture. Which
approach is most appropriate?
A. Give a brief, simple explanation just before the procedure and let the
child hold a comfort object
B. Tell the child that the procedure will not hurt so that he will cooperate
C. Explain the procedure in detail the day before so the child can prepare
D. Ask the child whether he would like to have the blood drawn
Answer: A
Rationale: Toddlers have short attention spans and a limited concept of
time, so teaching should be brief, simple, and given immediately before the
procedure. Honesty about sensations preserves trust, and offering a choice
about a necessary procedure is a false choice.
6. A hospitalized 4-year-old says, "I am sick because I was bad."
Which response by the nurse is best?
A. "You are sick because you did not wash your hands, but you will get
better soon."
B. "Let's talk about all the bad things you did so you can feel better."
C. "Big kids don't think that way, so try to be brave."
D. "Nothing you said, did, or thought made you sick. Sometimes children
get sick and it is nobody's fault."
Answer: D
Rationale: Preschoolers use magical thinking and often believe illness or
hospitalization is punishment. The nurse should reassure the child that he
or she is not responsible.
NSG 3600 Pediatric Nursing Questions | Page 3
, 7. Which nursing intervention best promotes a sense of industry in a
hospitalized 9-year-old?
A. Restricting activities to bed rest to conserve energy
B. Allowing the child to keep a record of his own fluid intake and to keep
up with schoolwork
C. Having the parents make all decisions about care
D. Completing all care tasks without explanation to save time
Answer: B
Rationale: School-age children develop industry through accomplishment,
responsibility, and participation in their own care. Giving them meaningful
tasks supports self-esteem.
8. A 15-year-old with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes refuses to
check glucose at school. Which is the most likely reason?
A. Desire for parents to perform the task
B. Fear of being different from peers
C. A developing sense of guilt
D. Inability to understand the disease process
Answer: B
Rationale: Adolescents place high value on peer acceptance and body
image (identity versus role confusion). The nurse should explore concerns
and problem-solve, such as arranging a private place to test.
9. A hospitalized 20-month-old whose parents have been away is now
quiet, refuses to play, and rocks while sucking her thumb. Which
stage of separation anxiety is the toddler demonstrating?
A. Protest
B. Detachment
C. Denial
D. Despair
Answer: D
Rationale: In despair the child is withdrawn, sad, and less active. Protest
involves crying and clinging, and detachment appears as apparent
adjustment but the child is emotionally withdrawn from parents.
NSG 3600 Pediatric Nursing Questions | Page 4
