Nursing Care of the Child With an Infectious or Communicable Disorder
1. Mrs. Acton, the mother of 6-year-old Christina, calls the physician's office to speak to the nurse. Mrs. Acton is concerned because Christina went to a birthday party 8 days ago and was exposed to the chickenpox. (Learning Objectives 4 and 5)
a. What information would be appropriate to give to Mrs. Acton?
b. What data would be important for the nurse to gather when speaking with Mrs. Acton?
2. Six-month-old Joshua is brought to the acute care center by his parents. The parents tell the nurse that Joshua has become "very fussy," seems to be pulling at his right ear, and is running a fever. The nurse finds the infant's temperature to be 100.2°F axillary. His weight is 7.7 kg and he is crying inconsolably. Joshua's anterior fontanel is flat when he is crying and his skin feels hot to the touch and dry. Joshua's mother tells the nurse that when the infant saw his physician 10 days ago he weighed 8.1 kg.
a. Based on the data obtained during this assessment by the nurse, what interventions should the nurse expect to provide?
b. What child/family teaching would the nurse be expected to provide?