A nurse is reinforcing teaching with the guardians of a 6-year-old child who has cystic fibrosis.

Which of the following information should the nurse include in the teaching?

Allowing the toddler to explore and handle the equipment, such as a stethoscope or blood pressure cuff, can help familiarize them with the objects and reduce anxiety. It can be done under the supervision of the nurse to ensure safety.

Starting the examination with routine immunizations can be helpful because it allows the child to get through potentially uncomfortable or distressing procedures early on. It can also create a positive association between the examination and a sense of relief after receiving vaccinations. While it is important to provide age-appropriate explanations to the toddler, it's essential to keep the explanations simple and concise. Using child-friendly language and demonstrating the procedure using dolls or toys can help the toddler understand what will happen during the examination.

Instead of completely undressing the toddler, it is generally more comfortable and less distressing to only partially undress them. For example, the nurse can ask the caregiver to remove the toddler's shirt while leaving the pants on. This approach helps maintain the child's sense of security and provides a level of modesty.

Adequate fluid intake helps to soften the stool, prevent constipation, and ease bowel movements. It can also help with bladder function and prevent urinary tract infections. This intervention is particularly relevant given the client's complaint of abdominal cramping and a small, hard, painful bowel movement.

The other options are not appropriate based on the information provided:

• "Encourage prolonged dangling before ambulation" is not necessary or relevant in this case. The client is already transferring out of bed to a chair independently and ambulating independently in the hallway, indicating sufficient mobility.
• "Irrigate indwelling catheter with 500 mL of fluid" is not indicated based on the provided information. The urinary catheter is intact, and the client is producing an appropriate amount of urine. There is no indication of urinary retention or need for irrigation.
• "Administer an enema" is not necessary at this point. The client has reported a small, hard, painful bowel movement, which indicates constipation. However, conservative measures such as encouraging oral fluid intake and possibly adding dietary fiber should be tried first before considering an enema.
• "Assist the client with a sitz bath" is not directly related to the client's current symptoms. A sitz bath is typically used for perineal hygiene, pain relief, or healing after certain surgical procedures, but it does not address the reported abdominal cramping or constipation.