While Being Comforted in the Emergency Department, the Six-Year-Old Sibling

question 15

Multiple Choice

While being comforted in the emergency department, the six-year-old sibling of a pediatric trauma victim blurts out to the nurse, "It's all my fault! When we were fighting yesterday, I told him I wished he was dead!" The nurse, realizing that the child is experiencing magical thinking, should respond by:

• A)Asking the child if he would like to sit down and drink some water.
• B)Sitting the child down in an empty room with markers and paper so that he can draw a picture.
• C)Reassuring the child that it is normal to get angry and say things that we do not mean, but that we have no control over whether an accident happens.
• D)Calmly discussing the catheters, tubes, and equipment that the patient requires, and explaining to the sibling why the patient needs them.

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Definitions:

Rational Psychological Process

The mental operations grounded in logic and reason, which are involved in making decisions or solving problems.

Appraisal

The act of assessing the value, quality, or nature of something, often for the purpose of making a decision.

To-Be-Chosen Option

An alternative or choice that has been identified but not yet selected.

Critical Thinking Strategies

Techniques and methods employed to analyze information objectively and make reasoned judgments.