A patient with a history of migraines is at the clinic complaining of a throbbing headache. Which of the following
Questions should the nurse include in the assessment?

Choice A rationale

Stopping aspirin a week before surgery is generally recommended to reduce the risk of bleeding. Aspirin can inhibit platelet aggregation and prolong bleeding time.

Choice B rationale

Taking prescribed blood pressure medication with a sip of water on the day of surgery is usually allowed. However, this can depend on the specific medication and the patient’s health status.

Choice C rationale

Not wearing contact lenses on the day of surgery is a standard preoperative instruction. This is because contact lenses can interfere with anesthesia administration and potentially cause injury to the eyes.

Choice D rationale

A recent cough and runny nose could indicate a respiratory infection. This could potentially increase the risk of complications during surgery and may need to be evaluated further. OK. Let’s go through these questions one by one:

The correct answer is Choice D

Choice A rationale: Moral reasoning, including distinguishing right from wrong, requires abstract cognitive processing and internalization of social norms, typically emerging during the concrete operational stage around age 7. Toddlers are in Piaget’s sensorimotor to early preoperational phase, where egocentrism dominates and behavior is guided by immediate consequences rather than ethical principles. They lack the neurological maturity and social-cognitive integration required for moral discourse, making this milestone developmentally inappropriate for the toddler age group.

Choice B rationale: Performing simple chores involves task comprehension, motor coordination, and social cooperation, which are more consistently observed in preschool-aged children (4–5 years). Toddlers may imitate adult actions but lack sustained attention, impulse control, and fine motor precision needed for chore completion. Their psychosocial development is centered on autonomy and exploration, not structured responsibility. Expecting chore cooperation at this stage exceeds normative developmental expectations and may lead to frustration or behavioral resistance.

Choice C rationale: Printing letters and numbers requires advanced fine motor control, visual-motor integration, and symbolic cognition, typically achieved between ages 5 and 6. Toddlers are still developing basic hand-eye coordination and may engage in scribbling, but they lack the neuromuscular refinement and cognitive mapping needed for structured writing. Neurodevelopmental milestones do not support this skill in the toddler phase, making it scientifically inaccurate to expect printing behavior before preschool age.

Choice D rationale: By age 3, toddlers begin to tolerate brief separations from primary caregivers due to improved object permanence, emotional regulation, and social awareness. This aligns with Erikson’s autonomy vs. shame and doubt stage, where toddlers explore independence while maintaining secure attachment. Separation anxiety peaks around 9–18 months and typically declines by age 3. The ability to separate easily for short periods reflects healthy psychosocial development and is a scientifically appropriate expectation for toddlers.