A nurse is caring for a child who has a hip spica cast. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

Choice A reason: Confirming the client’s perception of the crisis is the first step, establishing trust and understanding their emotional state, critical for effective intervention. This guides tailored support, essential for addressing depression in a situational crisis, ensuring therapeutic communication, and promoting coping in mental health care settings.

Choice B reason: Teaching relaxation techniques is useful but secondary to understanding the client’s crisis perception, which informs interventions. Assuming techniques are first risks misaligned support, potentially escalating distress, critical to avoid in ensuring effective crisis management for clients with depression experiencing situational stressors.

Choice C reason: Identifying strengths supports coping but follows confirming the client’s crisis perception, which sets the therapeutic foundation. Prioritizing strengths risks overlooking the client’s immediate emotional needs, potentially delaying effective intervention, critical to prevent in managing depression during a situational crisis in mental health care.

Choice D reason: Notifying a support person is secondary to understanding the client’s crisis perception, which guides initial intervention. Assuming notification is first risks bypassing the client’s perspective, potentially reducing trust, critical to avoid in ensuring client-centered care for depression in situational crisis management.

Choice A reason: A direct approach may overwhelm a toddler, who needs simple, visual explanations like diagrams to reduce fear. Assuming a direct approach is best risks anxiety, critical to avoid in ensuring a toddler’s emotional comfort and cooperation during preparation for medical procedures.

Choice B reason: Explaining the procedure with simple diagrams is age-appropriate for toddlers, reducing fear and enhancing understanding through visuals. This is critical for cooperation, supporting emotional well-being, ensuring effective preparation, and promoting a positive experience during medical procedures in young children.

Choice C reason: Preparing a toddler 1 day in advance may increase anxiety due to limited time comprehension; same-day preparation is better. Assuming advance preparation is ideal risks distress, critical to prevent in ensuring emotional readiness and cooperation for toddlers undergoing medical procedures.

Choice D reason: Demonstrating equipment may scare toddlers without context; simple diagrams are more effective for preparation. Assuming demonstration is best risks increasing fear, critical to avoid in ensuring a toddler’s comfort and understanding during preparation for medical procedures in healthcare settings.