Health Promotion and Maintenance
21. A nurse is caring for a child with meningococcemia who is on a ventilator. This morning, the nurse finds the child's mother sitting at the bedside, crying. The mother tells the nurse, "I thought it was the flu. This is my fault because I should have come to the hospital earlier." What is the best action by the nurse in response to the mother's statements?
. Tell the mother not to worry since many parents and even physicians frequently mistake meningitis symptoms for other infectious conditions.
. Make a referral to social services.
. Call the child's father and explain that the mother needs emotional support from him.
. Remind the mother that she did seek proper treatment as soon as she became concerned, and review the special care the child is receiving now.
Test-Taking Tip
An essential component of the nurse-client relationship is trust. The best response incorporates both validation of the mother's efforts to help her child and reassurance that the child is receiving appropriate care.
Content Area: Child Health, Infectious Disease; Integrated Process: Communication and Documentation; Cognitive Level: Application; Client Need/Subneed: Psychosocial Integrity/Therapeutic Communications
Health Promotion and Maintenance
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Answer 1 is incorrect because, although meningitis symptoms are sometimes mistaken for other conditions, this action does little to refocus the mother's attention away from her guilt. Answer 2 is incorrect because it is appropriate for a parent to express guilty feelings in this situation, and a referral to social services is not necessary based solely on the mother's statements. Answer 3 is incorrect because contacting the father would violate the trusting relationship that the mother has built with the nurse. Answer 4 is correct because the mother's statement expresses guilt feelings about the child's condition. A nurse needs to validate that the mother did seek treatment appropriately, and assist the mother to focus on what is happening now to help her child recover.