ATI Comprehensive Physical
Assessment of a CHILD Questions and
Answers | Latest Version | 2025/2026 |
Correct & Verified
A nurse is preparing to assess the vital signs of a 4-year-old child. Which method is most
appropriate for taking the child’s temperature?
A. Oral thermometer under the tongue
✔✔ B. Tympanic thermometer in the ear
C. Axillary thermometer for 2 seconds
D. Rectal thermometer in the emergency room
During a physical assessment, the nurse notes that a toddler’s anterior fontanel is closed. This
finding is:
✔✔ A. Expected for a toddler
B. A sign of delayed development
C. A medical emergency
D. A normal finding only in infants under 6 months
Which of the following reflexes is expected to be present in a 6-month-old infant?
1
,A. Stepping reflex
B. Babinski reflex
✔✔ C. Moro reflex
D. Tonic neck reflex
When inspecting the ears of a 3-year-old, the nurse should pull the pinna:
A. Up and back
✔✔ B. Down and back
C. Straight out
D. Up and forward
To assess capillary refill in a child, the nurse should:
A. Press on the nailbed for 10 seconds
✔✔ B. Press on the nailbed until it blanches and count the return time
C. Pinch the skin on the abdomen
D. Use a stethoscope to detect refill sounds
Which of the following findings requires further evaluation in a preschool-aged child?
2
, ✔✔ A. Heart rate of 140 bpm while resting
B. Respiratory rate of 24 breaths/min
C. Abdomen appears rounded
D. Child demonstrates magical thinking
The nurse observes bowleggedness in a 15-month-old who has started walking. The appropriate
response is to:
✔✔ A. Document this as a normal finding
B. Notify the healthcare provider
C. Schedule a radiograph
D. Begin orthopedic referral
When assessing the apical pulse of a child, the nurse should place the stethoscope at the:
A. Right lower sternal border
✔✔ B. Left midclavicular line, 4th intercostal space
C. Center of the chest
D. Left upper chest above the clavicle
3
Assessment of a CHILD Questions and
Answers | Latest Version | 2025/2026 |
Correct & Verified
A nurse is preparing to assess the vital signs of a 4-year-old child. Which method is most
appropriate for taking the child’s temperature?
A. Oral thermometer under the tongue
✔✔ B. Tympanic thermometer in the ear
C. Axillary thermometer for 2 seconds
D. Rectal thermometer in the emergency room
During a physical assessment, the nurse notes that a toddler’s anterior fontanel is closed. This
finding is:
✔✔ A. Expected for a toddler
B. A sign of delayed development
C. A medical emergency
D. A normal finding only in infants under 6 months
Which of the following reflexes is expected to be present in a 6-month-old infant?
1
,A. Stepping reflex
B. Babinski reflex
✔✔ C. Moro reflex
D. Tonic neck reflex
When inspecting the ears of a 3-year-old, the nurse should pull the pinna:
A. Up and back
✔✔ B. Down and back
C. Straight out
D. Up and forward
To assess capillary refill in a child, the nurse should:
A. Press on the nailbed for 10 seconds
✔✔ B. Press on the nailbed until it blanches and count the return time
C. Pinch the skin on the abdomen
D. Use a stethoscope to detect refill sounds
Which of the following findings requires further evaluation in a preschool-aged child?
2
, ✔✔ A. Heart rate of 140 bpm while resting
B. Respiratory rate of 24 breaths/min
C. Abdomen appears rounded
D. Child demonstrates magical thinking
The nurse observes bowleggedness in a 15-month-old who has started walking. The appropriate
response is to:
✔✔ A. Document this as a normal finding
B. Notify the healthcare provider
C. Schedule a radiograph
D. Begin orthopedic referral
When assessing the apical pulse of a child, the nurse should place the stethoscope at the:
A. Right lower sternal border
✔✔ B. Left midclavicular line, 4th intercostal space
C. Center of the chest
D. Left upper chest above the clavicle
3
