A nurse is caring for a 16-year-old adolescent who requires consent for treatment of an STI.
Which of the following individuals can give informed consent?

Choice A rationale

Allowing the toddler to inspect the stethoscope fosters trust and decreases anxiety, enabling a smooth assessment. Toddlers are developmentally curious and seek control over unfamiliar environments. By inspecting equipment, the toddler perceives the visit as less threatening. Reducing anxiety before assessments enhances cooperation, which supports accurate data collection. This approach aligns with developmental expectations of autonomy and exploration during toddlerhood, improving the assessment's reliability.

Choice B rationale

Performing traumatic procedures first is incorrect as it may increase anxiety and mistrust, making subsequent evaluations challenging. Developmentally, toddlers require reassurance and gradual introduction to the unfamiliar setting. Sequential assessments beginning with non-invasive actions minimize distress. Starting with traumatic procedures can lead to behavioral resistance, disrupting the assessment and delaying accurate data gathering.

Choice C rationale

Removing the toddler’s outer clothing early may provoke fear and resistance, impeding successful data collection. Toddlers may view sudden disrobing as invasive, increasing anxiety. Clothing removal is best performed later, once trust and calmness are established. Prioritizing comfort before invasive actions aligns with the toddler's developmental needs for security during unfamiliar experiences.

Choice D rationale

Discouraging the toddler from sitting in the parent’s lap may intensify separation anxiety, especially during early years when parental proximity provides security. Maintaining closeness ensures emotional reassurance, fostering cooperation. For toddlers experiencing a medical setting, familiar physical comfort minimizes stress and enhances focus, enabling smoother assessments.

Choice A rationale

Carrying an epinephrine auto-injector is critical for immediate intervention during anaphylactic reactions. It delivers epinephrine, a beta-agonist that dilates airways and constricts blood vessels, countering life-threatening symptoms.

Choice B rationale

Avoiding all types of nuts prevents cross-contamination or accidental exposure, as cross-reactivity can occur among various nuts due to shared allergenic proteins.

Choice C rationale

While some allergies might worsen with repeated exposure, peanut allergies do not uniformly become more severe over time, and this statement lacks scientific generalizability.

Choice D rationale

While some children outgrow allergies such as cow’s milk or egg allergies, peanut allergies are often lifelong, with studies indicating a low likelihood of resolution in adolescence.