A nurse observes a parent of an infant administer a prescribed oral medication.
Which of the following actions by the parent indicates a need for further instruction?

Step 1: The nurse needs to administer 1mg of vitamin K. The available vitamin K injection is 1 mg per 0.5 mL.

Step 2: To find out how many mL the nurse should administer, we divide the required dose by the concentration of the injection. So, 1 mg ÷ (1 mg/0.5 mL).

Step 3: This simplifies to 1 mg × (0.5 mL/1 mg).

Step 4: The mg units cancel out, leaving us with 0.5 mL. So, the nurse should administer 0.5 mL of the vitamin K injection per dose.

Choice A rationale

This response is inappropriate and unprofessional. It makes an assumption about the child’s behavior at home without any evidence. It also could make the parents feel blamed or judged, which is not conducive to a supportive healthcare environment.

Choice B rationale

While it’s important for the nurse to communicate with the provider about any changes in the child’s health status, this response does not directly address the parents’ concern. It also does not provide reassurance or information about why the bedwetting might be occurring.

Choice C rationale

This response is empathetic and informative. It normalizes the child’s behavior by explaining that regression is common in hospitalized children. It also reassures the parents that the bedwetting is likely temporary and will improve as the child recovers.

Choice D rationale

While this response is empathetic, it does not directly address the parents’ concern about the bedwetting. It also personalizes the situation by bringing the nurse’s own children into the conversation, which is generally not recommended in professional healthcare communication.