A nurse is assessing a client who has a brain tumor and is receiving palliative care. Which of the following findings indicates the nurse should administer pain medication?

Choice A reason: Stating immunizations are required for air travel is inaccurate, as no such mandate exists for infants. This response does not address the parents’ concerns or educate them, potentially alienating them, making it ineffective and incorrect for fostering dialogue about immunization.
Choice B reason: Offering a referral to an infectious disease provider is premature and does not directly address the parents’ decision. Education and discussion are needed first to understand their concerns, making this response less effective and inappropriate as an initial approach.
Choice C reason: Suggesting no need to immunize against rare diseases is misleading, as vaccines prevent resurgences (e.g., measles). This undermines public health and dismisses the parents’ concerns, making it incorrect and potentially harmful to the infant’s health.
Choice D reason: Inviting discussion about the parents’ knowledge fosters open, non-judgmental communication, allowing the nurse to address misconceptions and provide evidence-based information. This therapeutic approach builds trust and encourages informed decision-making, making it the correct response for vaccine hesitancy.

Choice A reason: Hypothermia increases metabolic demand in newborns, depleting glucose stores rapidly. Neonates have limited glycogen reserves, and cold stress accelerates glucose use for thermogenesis, risking hypoglycemia. This is critical in nurseries, as thermoregulation is essential to prevent metabolic imbalances in vulnerable infants.
Choice B reason: Thrombocytopenia, low platelet count, affects clotting, not glucose metabolism. It may occur in sepsis but does not directly cause hypoglycemia. Glucose regulation depends on liver function and insulin balance, not platelets, making this irrelevant to hypoglycemia risk in newborns.
Choice C reason: Prematurity heightens hypoglycemia risk due to immature liver glycogen stores and limited gluconeogenesis. Preterm infants have high metabolic demands and low reserves, increasing susceptibility to low blood glucose, necessitating close monitoring and early feeding to stabilize glucose levels.
Choice D reason: Anemia, low red blood cell count, impacts oxygen delivery but not glucose metabolism directly. Severe anemia may increase metabolic stress, but it is not a primary hypoglycemia cause. Glucose regulation relies on hepatic and insulin functions, not hematologic status, in newborns.
Choice E reason: Maternal diabetes causes fetal hyperinsulinemia from maternal hyperglycemia, leading to neonatal hypoglycemia post-birth. Excess insulin depletes glucose stores after umbilical cord clamping, as maternal glucose supply ceases, making this a critical risk factor requiring vigilant monitoring in newborns.