A nurse is assisting in the care of an infant diagnosed with tetralogy of Fallot. The infant's caregiver asks the nurse to explain this diagnosis. Which of the following is an accurate statement about this condition?

A. "Adolescents may feel responsible for the illness." While younger children may engage in magical thinking and believe they caused their illness, adolescents typically have a more developed understanding of disease processes and are less likely to blame themselves.

B. "Adolescents may feel frustrated for being dependent on others." Adolescents value independence and autonomy, so a terminal illness that forces them to rely on caregivers can lead to frustration, anger, and emotional distress. This struggle with dependency is a common psychosocial challenge in adolescent patients.

C. "Children 3 to 5 years old are too young to understand the difference between life and death." Preschool-aged children may not fully grasp the permanence of death, but they do have some awareness of it. They often see death as temporary or reversible, influenced by their limited cognitive development and exposure to media or stories.

D. "Children around 5 or 6 years old may try to be brave and shield loved ones from distress." While school-aged children may begin to understand the finality of death, the tendency to "be brave" and protect loved ones is more common in older children and adolescents, who have a stronger sense of emotional responsibility.

A. Provide frequent and routine verbal updates with the parents. Regular updates help reduce parental anxiety and build trust between the healthcare team and the family. Keeping parents informed reassures them that their child is receiving appropriate care.

B. Encourage the parents to participate in the toddler's plan of care when appropriate. Involving parents in simple caregiving tasks (e.g., soothing the child, assisting with feedings) fosters a sense of control and connection, easing their distress.

C. Perform more frequent health care rounds on the toddler. Increased monitoring ensures early detection of respiratory complications and reassures parents that their child's condition is being closely managed.

D. Conduct interprofessional rounds at the child's bedside so the parents can be included. Including parents in bedside rounds allows them to hear updates from multiple specialists, ask questions, and feel more engaged in decision-making regarding their child's care.

E. Reinforce education to the parents on all nursing interventions to alleviate added anxiety about tasks they are unfamiliar with. While educating parents is important, overwhelming them with detailed explanations of every intervention may actually increase anxiety rather than alleviate it. Teaching should be concise and tailored to what the parents need to know at the moment.

F. Provide the parents with the nurse's personal cell phone number to contact if they have questions while they are away from the hospital. Personal phone numbers should not be given out for professional and ethical reasons. Instead, parents should be provided with the hospital unit’s contact information for any concerns.