The nurse recognizes that a 4-year-old hospitalized child is exhibiting which characteristic of cognitive development, when the child tells the nurse it’s sad to be at home alone?

Choice A rationale

While a period of play in the playroom can be a good distraction and provide a sense of normalcy for a child in a hospital setting, it may not specifically improve cooperation in a child distressed about a new diagnosis of diabetes mellitus.

Choice B rationale

A needleless syringe and a doll can be useful tools for explaining procedures and reducing fear in children. However, they might not directly address the distress caused by a new diagnosis of diabetes.

Choice C rationale

A storybook about a cat who has diabetes can be an effective therapeutic action. It can help the child understand their condition in a non-threatening way, see that they are not alone, and learn how to manage diabetes in daily life. This can improve their cooperation with their new routine of diabetes management.

Choice A rationale

Egocentrism is a characteristic of cognitive development typically seen in the preoperational stage (2-7 years), where children believe everyone sees the world as they do. However, expressing sadness about being home alone does not specifically indicate egocentrism.

Choice B rationale

Magical thinking, also a characteristic of the preoperational stage, involves beliefs that thoughts can cause actions. Feeling sad about being home alone could be a manifestation of this, as the child might believe their sadness can change the situation.

Choice C rationale

Centration is the tendency to focus on one aspect of a situation and neglect others. The child’s statement does not provide evidence of centration.

Choice D rationale

Reversibility, the understanding that actions can be reversed, is a characteristic of the concrete operational stage (7-11 years)14. The child’s statement does not provide evidence of reversibility.