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Difficulty: MediumDevelopmental Stages and Transitions

A nurse on a pediatric medical-surgical unit is developing a care plan for a 9-year-old client who requires a prolonged hospitalization for intravenous antibiotic therapy due to osteomyelitis. To best support the client's psychosocial development during this extended stay, which intervention should the nurse prioritize?

  1. A
    Provide a private journal for the client to record feelings about their changing body image.
  2. B
    Instruct the parents to remain constantly visible to alleviate severe separation anxiety.
  3. Coordinate with the hospital educator to ensure the client completes daily schoolwork.Answer
  4. D
    Utilize a stuffed animal to demonstrate how the intravenous medications will be administered.

Answer

Coordinate with the hospital educator to ensure the client completes daily schoolwork.
According to Erikson's theory of psychosocial development, a 9-year-old child is in the stage of Industry versus Inferiority. Children in this stage are highly focused on learning, mastering new skills, and completing tasks. A prolonged hospitalization can severely disrupt this development, leading to feelings of inadequacy or inferiority. By coordinating with a hospital educator to complete daily schoolwork, the nurse enables the child to continue achieving goals, thereby maintaining their sense of industry and competence despite the illness.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the client's developmental stage based on their age.
The client is 9 years old, placing them in the school-age developmental category.
Age is the primary clinical determinant for identifying the expected psychosocial developmental stage according to Erikson's theory.
2
Determine the primary psychosocial task for this developmental stage.
The primary task for a school-age child is Industry versus Inferiority.
School-age children need to engage in tasks, learn new skills, and achieve a sense of competence to successfully navigate this stage.
3
Select the nursing intervention that directly supports this specific developmental task.
Continuing schoolwork allows the child to remain productive, complete tasks, and feel a sense of achievement despite being hospitalized.
A prolonged hospitalization removes the child from their normal environment of achievement (school). Reintegrating educational tasks prevents feelings of inadequacy or inferiority.

Key Concept

Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development: Industry vs. Inferiority (School-Age)
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Topics

Developmental Stages and Transitions

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