Family Centered Nursing Exam 1
Foundations of Family Nursing Exam 1 Study
Guide Latest 2026
What is the difference between growth and development, and which 3 markers would you assess for
each?
Growth is defined as an increase in physical size, including:
1. Height
2. Weight
3. Head circumference
Development refers to the progression toward maturity in:
1. Mental markers
2. Physical markers
3. Social markers
-Maturation is synonymous with development.
Which 8 factors influence growth and development?
1. Temperament
2. Genetics
3. Gender
4. Health
5. Environment
6. Parent-child relationship
7. Ordinal position (first child, middle child, etc.)
8. Nutrition
What is cognitive development and how is it assessed?
Cognitive development refers to the ability to learn or understand from experience, to acquire and
retain knowledge, to respond to a new situation, and solve problems.
,It may be assessed by intelligence tests and by observing a child's ability to function in different
environments.
When planning guidance for parents of a child with a developmental delay, what is important to
keep in mind?
Parents of a child with a developmental delay may use denial as a protective mechanism. Planning
may have to focus on acceptance of the current situation and providing the appropriate resources.
What is temperament?
The reaction pattern of an individual or an individual's characteristic manner of thinking, behaving,
or reacting to environmental stimuli. It is not developed in stages; rather, different children have
different temperaments.
Temperament is a huge reason why children approach problems differently.
What are the nine characteristics that define temperament?
1. Activity level
2. Rhythmicity: how predictable are their biologic functions like hunger and sleep?
3. Approach: how anxious/open are they to new experiences?
4. Adaptability: how easily do they cope with changes in routine?
5. Intensity of Reaction
6. Distractibility: how quickly can they shift their attention to new situations?
7. Attention Span and Persistence: how long do they maintain interest in an activity?
8. Threshold of Response: how intense of stimuli of needed to evoke a reaction?
9. Mood Quality: are they positive or negative?
What are the four different temperaments for children?
1. The Easy Child: Children with predictable rhythmicity, approach, and adapt to new situations
readily; mild-to-moderate intensity of reaction, and overall positive mood quality. Most parents rate
their children as being in this category.
,2. The Difficult Child: Children with irregular habits, negative mood quality, and withdraw rather
than approach new situations. Only about 10% of children fall into this category.
3. The Intermediate Child: Some characteristics of both easy and difficult are present.
4. The Slow-to-Warm-Up Child: Children who are fairly inactive, respond only mildly and adapt
slowly to new situations, and have a generally negative mood. Only about 15% of children display
this pattern.
The 7-year-old child is joining a dance class. The child insists the parent stay in the dance room,
frequently requests to use the bathroom, and refuses to join in the actual dance activity until the last
5 minutes of the class. When discussing the child's behavior with the parent, the nurse will base the
instruction on which temperament style?
How should the nurse discuss the child's temperament with the parents?
This is a slow-to-warm-up child.
When discussing this temperament with parents, try to use positive terms such as, "ways to find a
healthy fit for your child," rather than stressing the ways the child is hard to manage.
Why is it important as a nurse to understand a child's temperament?
Understanding a child's temperament may help the nurse anticipate reactions to care. For example,
a child with an intense reactivity pattern may voice minor discomfort loudly while a child with a less
intense pattern may barely react. Variations in temperament may make it difficult to perform
accurate assessments.
A nursing instructor informs the class that for the child to be successful at achieving maturation, he
or she must first master milestones. The instructor determines that the students understand when
they correctly identify these milestones as what tasks?
Developmental
, The pattern of growth in which the child is able to control the head and neck before the arms and
legs is known as which of the following?
Cephalocaudal
Rationale: Growth of the child follows an orderly pattern starting with the head and moving
downward. This pattern is referred to as cephalocaudal. The child is able to control the head and
neck before being able to control the arms and legs.
The nurse is developing a care plan for several clients who were seen in the clinic that day. Which
situation will the nurse conclude is most likely to experience challenges in the growth and
development of the children?
A. Both parents work during the day and the child comes home after school to an empty house.
B. Children attend school while the father works and then sleep in their car at night.
C. Child's parents are divorced, and the child sees their dad on the weekends.
Children attend school while the father works and then sleep in their car at night.
Rationale: Homelessness creates many stresses for the family, including affecting the growth and
development of the children in the family. Living with an extended family, being a latchkey kid, and
children of divorce also can affect growth and development, but homelessness is most likely to
affect the family and child.
The parents of a hospitalized 8-month-old client tell the nurse "We have such anxiety when we have
to leave since the our baby screams and becomes so upset. We can hear screaming the whole way
down the hall." How will the nurse respond?
"This is normal behavior at this age and the staff will care for the infant."
At what age do infants typically sit up on their own?
6 months
Foundations of Family Nursing Exam 1 Study
Guide Latest 2026
What is the difference between growth and development, and which 3 markers would you assess for
each?
Growth is defined as an increase in physical size, including:
1. Height
2. Weight
3. Head circumference
Development refers to the progression toward maturity in:
1. Mental markers
2. Physical markers
3. Social markers
-Maturation is synonymous with development.
Which 8 factors influence growth and development?
1. Temperament
2. Genetics
3. Gender
4. Health
5. Environment
6. Parent-child relationship
7. Ordinal position (first child, middle child, etc.)
8. Nutrition
What is cognitive development and how is it assessed?
Cognitive development refers to the ability to learn or understand from experience, to acquire and
retain knowledge, to respond to a new situation, and solve problems.
,It may be assessed by intelligence tests and by observing a child's ability to function in different
environments.
When planning guidance for parents of a child with a developmental delay, what is important to
keep in mind?
Parents of a child with a developmental delay may use denial as a protective mechanism. Planning
may have to focus on acceptance of the current situation and providing the appropriate resources.
What is temperament?
The reaction pattern of an individual or an individual's characteristic manner of thinking, behaving,
or reacting to environmental stimuli. It is not developed in stages; rather, different children have
different temperaments.
Temperament is a huge reason why children approach problems differently.
What are the nine characteristics that define temperament?
1. Activity level
2. Rhythmicity: how predictable are their biologic functions like hunger and sleep?
3. Approach: how anxious/open are they to new experiences?
4. Adaptability: how easily do they cope with changes in routine?
5. Intensity of Reaction
6. Distractibility: how quickly can they shift their attention to new situations?
7. Attention Span and Persistence: how long do they maintain interest in an activity?
8. Threshold of Response: how intense of stimuli of needed to evoke a reaction?
9. Mood Quality: are they positive or negative?
What are the four different temperaments for children?
1. The Easy Child: Children with predictable rhythmicity, approach, and adapt to new situations
readily; mild-to-moderate intensity of reaction, and overall positive mood quality. Most parents rate
their children as being in this category.
,2. The Difficult Child: Children with irregular habits, negative mood quality, and withdraw rather
than approach new situations. Only about 10% of children fall into this category.
3. The Intermediate Child: Some characteristics of both easy and difficult are present.
4. The Slow-to-Warm-Up Child: Children who are fairly inactive, respond only mildly and adapt
slowly to new situations, and have a generally negative mood. Only about 15% of children display
this pattern.
The 7-year-old child is joining a dance class. The child insists the parent stay in the dance room,
frequently requests to use the bathroom, and refuses to join in the actual dance activity until the last
5 minutes of the class. When discussing the child's behavior with the parent, the nurse will base the
instruction on which temperament style?
How should the nurse discuss the child's temperament with the parents?
This is a slow-to-warm-up child.
When discussing this temperament with parents, try to use positive terms such as, "ways to find a
healthy fit for your child," rather than stressing the ways the child is hard to manage.
Why is it important as a nurse to understand a child's temperament?
Understanding a child's temperament may help the nurse anticipate reactions to care. For example,
a child with an intense reactivity pattern may voice minor discomfort loudly while a child with a less
intense pattern may barely react. Variations in temperament may make it difficult to perform
accurate assessments.
A nursing instructor informs the class that for the child to be successful at achieving maturation, he
or she must first master milestones. The instructor determines that the students understand when
they correctly identify these milestones as what tasks?
Developmental
, The pattern of growth in which the child is able to control the head and neck before the arms and
legs is known as which of the following?
Cephalocaudal
Rationale: Growth of the child follows an orderly pattern starting with the head and moving
downward. This pattern is referred to as cephalocaudal. The child is able to control the head and
neck before being able to control the arms and legs.
The nurse is developing a care plan for several clients who were seen in the clinic that day. Which
situation will the nurse conclude is most likely to experience challenges in the growth and
development of the children?
A. Both parents work during the day and the child comes home after school to an empty house.
B. Children attend school while the father works and then sleep in their car at night.
C. Child's parents are divorced, and the child sees their dad on the weekends.
Children attend school while the father works and then sleep in their car at night.
Rationale: Homelessness creates many stresses for the family, including affecting the growth and
development of the children in the family. Living with an extended family, being a latchkey kid, and
children of divorce also can affect growth and development, but homelessness is most likely to
affect the family and child.
The parents of a hospitalized 8-month-old client tell the nurse "We have such anxiety when we have
to leave since the our baby screams and becomes so upset. We can hear screaming the whole way
down the hall." How will the nurse respond?
"This is normal behavior at this age and the staff will care for the infant."
At what age do infants typically sit up on their own?
6 months
