A nurse in a community health clinic is caring for a patient who has a new diagnosis of plantar warts. What should the nurse include in the teaching plan for this patient?

Choice A rationale

While it’s important to communicate any concerns to the primary care provider, this response does not provide immediate reassurance or information to the mother about her newborn’s crossed eyes.

Choice B rationale

This is the most therapeutic response. It provides factual information that can reassure the mother. Newborns often lack the muscle control to regulate eye movement, which can result in temporary crossing of the eyes.

Choice C rationale

Taking the baby to the nursery for further examination may cause unnecessary worry for the mother. It’s better to provide reassurance and education first.

Choice D rationale

This response may cause unnecessary worry for the mother. Strabismus, or constant misalignment of the eyes, is not typically seen in newborns and would require treatment. However, temporary crossing of the eyes due to lack of muscle control is normal. Propranolol Propranolol Explore

The correct answer is Choice D

Choice A rationale: Moral reasoning, including distinguishing right from wrong, requires abstract cognitive processing and internalization of social norms, typically emerging during the concrete operational stage around age 7. Toddlers are in Piaget’s sensorimotor to early preoperational phase, where egocentrism dominates and behavior is guided by immediate consequences rather than ethical principles. They lack the neurological maturity and social-cognitive integration required for moral discourse, making this milestone developmentally inappropriate for the toddler age group.

Choice B rationale: Performing simple chores involves task comprehension, motor coordination, and social cooperation, which are more consistently observed in preschool-aged children (4–5 years). Toddlers may imitate adult actions but lack sustained attention, impulse control, and fine motor precision needed for chore completion. Their psychosocial development is centered on autonomy and exploration, not structured responsibility. Expecting chore cooperation at this stage exceeds normative developmental expectations and may lead to frustration or behavioral resistance.

Choice C rationale: Printing letters and numbers requires advanced fine motor control, visual-motor integration, and symbolic cognition, typically achieved between ages 5 and 6. Toddlers are still developing basic hand-eye coordination and may engage in scribbling, but they lack the neuromuscular refinement and cognitive mapping needed for structured writing. Neurodevelopmental milestones do not support this skill in the toddler phase, making it scientifically inaccurate to expect printing behavior before preschool age.

Choice D rationale: By age 3, toddlers begin to tolerate brief separations from primary caregivers due to improved object permanence, emotional regulation, and social awareness. This aligns with Erikson’s autonomy vs. shame and doubt stage, where toddlers explore independence while maintaining secure attachment. Separation anxiety peaks around 9–18 months and typically declines by age 3. The ability to separate easily for short periods reflects healthy psychosocial development and is a scientifically appropriate expectation for toddlers.