A nurse is caring for a toddler whose parent states that the child has a mass in his abdominal area and his urine is a pink color. Which of the following actions is the nurse’s priority?

The correct answer is choice B: Instruct the parent to avoid pressing on the abdominal area.

Rationale for each choice:

• Choice A: Schedule the child for an abdominal ultrasound. While an ultrasound may be necessary for further diagnosis, it is not the immediate priority. The child’s symptoms suggest a possible Wilms’ tumor, a type of kidney cancer that primarily affects children. An ultrasound can help confirm this diagnosis, but it should not be the first action.
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• Choice B: Instruct the parent to avoid pressing on the abdominal area. This is the correct answer. If the child has a Wilms’ tumor, pressing on the abdominal area could potentially cause the cancer to spread. Therefore, it is crucial to avoid any unnecessary pressure on the abdomen until further medical evaluation can be performed.
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• Choice C: Determine if the child is having pain. While assessing for pain is an important part of nursing care, it is not the immediate priority in this situation. The child’s symptoms need urgent medical attention, and assessing for pain will not provide the necessary information to guide immediate care.
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• Choice D: Obtain a urine specimen for a urinalysis. Although a urinalysis can provide valuable information about a patient’s health, it is not the immediate priority in this situation. The child’s symptoms suggest a possible Wilms’ tumor, which requires immediate medical attention. A urinalysis may be part of the diagnostic process, but it should not be the first action taken.