Exam 35: Caring for the Critically Ill Child

A nursing student asks a pediatric intensive care nurse why being bed-bound for several weeks would affect a young child's growth and development.Which response by the nurse is the most appropriate?

A child has just had an invasive hemodynamic monitor inserted.After connecting the monitoring device to the monitor,what action should the nurse take next?

A critically ill child on a ventilator is mildly anemic.Which action by the nurse is the most appropriate?

A 7-year-old child is in the pediatric intensive care unit on a ventilator.Sedation is maintained with a midazolam (Versed)drip.Which items should the nurse ensure are readily available at the child's bedside?

A child is mechanically ventilated.Which assessment finding indicates that a priority goal is being met?

A child in the intensive care unit had a pulmonary artery catheter inserted 2 hours ago.The child is increasingly restless.The child's vital sign trends show a slow increase in pulse rate.Which action by the nurse is the most appropriate based on the assessment findings?

The nursing manager is collaborating with health-care providers to determine appropriate candidates for ventilator weaning in the pediatric intensive care unit.Which child is the best candidate?

A nurse is preparing to transfer a child from the intensive care unit to progressive care.The parents seem very anxious and do not want the child to transfer.Which responses by the nurse are most appropriate?

A mechanically ventilated 2-year-old child has copious oral secretions.What action by the nurse takes priority?

A 62-lb (28.1-kg)child has symptomatic bradycardia.Which medication does the nurse anticipate administering?

A child who weighs 28 lb needs fluid resuscitation.The nurse plans to administer ____________________.

A nurse is assessing a critically ill child's respiratory status.The child is grunting and has nasal flaring,but the pulse oximeter reads the child's oxygen saturation at 96%.Which nursing action is the priority in this situation?

A patient in the pediatric intensive care unit has hemodynamic monitoring.Her cardiac output is 3 L/minute.Which assessment finding is consistent with this reading?

A child on a ventilator suddenly desaturates.Which nursing action is the priority?

The nurse has just repositioned a child who is intubated and mechanically ventilated.Which action by the nurse takes priority?

A child is being weaned from the ventilator.He is awake and alert but getting increasingly tired.Which action by the nurse is the most appropriate?

A nurse is supervising a student who is suctioning a 5-year-old patient in the pediatric intensive care unit.Which action by the student results in the nurse intervening?

A child weighs 32 lb.The health-care provider orders a loading dose of midazolam (Versed)prior to intubation.The safe dose range for this drug is ____________________.

A nursing student asks how excessive noise and sensory overload could cause feelings of panic in hospitalized children.Which response by the registered nurse is the most appropriate?

A child in the emergency department has just undergone emergent intubation.When listening to lungs,the nurse notes absent sounds on the left side.What action by the nurse is the most appropriate?