The nurse is preparing a variety of projects for the pediatric clients on the unit to work on in the playroom. In deciding on projects, the nurse determines the 8-year-old will be best suited to work on which activity?

Choice A reason: Increasing protein calories doesn’t address malabsorption causing constipation and diarrhea in cystic fibrosis. Pancreatic enzymes improve nutrient absorption, making this irrelevant and incorrect compared to the need to correct digestive issues due to enzyme deficiency in the child’s dietary management.

Choice B reason: Saturated fat doesn’t resolve malabsorption-related constipation and diarrhea in cystic fibrosis and may worsen symptoms. Pancreatic enzymes correct enzyme deficiency, making this inappropriate and incorrect compared to the dietary adjustment needed to manage the child’s gastrointestinal symptoms effectively.

Choice C reason: Iodized salt supports hydration in cystic fibrosis but doesn’t address malabsorption causing diarrhea and constipation. Pancreatic enzymes target digestive issues, making this incorrect, as it fails to correct the underlying enzyme deficiency responsible for the child’s gastrointestinal symptoms.

Choice D reason: Pancreatic enzymes improve fat and nutrient absorption in cystic fibrosis, reducing constipation and diarrhea due to malabsorption. This aligns with pediatric cystic fibrosis management, making it the correct substance to increase in the child’s diet to address the reported gastrointestinal symptoms.

Choice A reason: As children grow, their nervous system matures, improving gross (e.g., walking) and fine (e.g., writing) motor skills through myelination and neural connections. This aligns with pediatric neurology development milestones, making it the most correct statement about the child’s nervous system and motor skill progression.

Choice B reason: The nervous system is not fully developed at birth; it matures through childhood with ongoing myelination and synaptic growth. Motor skill development reflects this, making this incorrect compared to the accurate depiction of progressive skill improvement in children as the nervous system matures.

Choice C reason: Children develop gross motor skills (e.g., crawling) before fine motor skills (e.g., grasping), not the reverse. Both skills improve with growth, making this incorrect, as it misrepresents the developmental sequence of motor skill acquisition in the child’s nervous system development.

Choice D reason: Fine motor skills are less developed than gross motor skills in early childhood, but both improve with growth. Stating gross skills are well-developed oversimplifies, making this incorrect compared to the comprehensive statement about both skills increasing with nervous system maturation in children.