1. The parents of a toddler are upset because their child does not eat much at mealtime.

When the child

was younger she ate everything, but now they can hardly get her to eat any vegetables. How could the
nurse help the parents cope with their child’s eating behavior?
Many parents worry about whether their toddlers are eating enough healthy food. It’s common,
developmental and behaviorally normal for toddlers to eat only small amounts, be fussy about what they
eat, and refuse to eat at all. As a nurse, I will first educate the parent to be patient with their child because
first of all, toddlers have small stomach which means they eat less food so you should not force them to
eat, in order to avoid overfeeding and upsetting their stomach. I will advise the parent to let their child eat
on their own because they wanted to be independent and decide whether to eat, what they will eat, and
how much to eat. In that way, they will learn to recognize the cues that tell them when they're hungry and
when they're full. I will also explain to the parent that they should not give their child sweet snacks like
candies or chocolates before meals and not give them as a reward for eating their meals as this can lessen
their appetite. Parents should try giving them fruits or vegetables as snacks, making them creative so that
toddlers would have fun eating them. As a parent, you should also offer new variety of foods with the
foods that your child already knows and likes so that they can choose from it and in order to get all the
nutrients they needed for their growth and development. Never limit your child’s food variety to only
those foods you prefer because your child’s tastes are different from yours and perhaps you are simply
serving them foods they don’t happen to like. Lastly, I will tell the parent that it is okay if your child eats
less today because they might be hungrier tomorrow.

2. A resident in a nursing home has severe rheumatoid arthritis and very deformed hands. She has been
served a baked potato, salad with a dressing packet, green beans, a pork chop, a roll with butter, and a
variety of liquids to drink. What assistance would the nurse give this resident to keep her independent in
eating and help her to maintain her self-esteem?
After reviewing her medical chart, the first thing that I have to do is to educate the patient about
the foods that she should and shouldn’t eat. Patient with rheumatoid arthritis should avoid fried foods
such as the pork chop and butter because they’re packed with advanced glycation end products that can
cause stiffness and inflammation. After that I should revise her meal plan wherein I should give her
salmon or tuna and dark leafy vegetables such as broccoli or spinach instead of green beans. Instead of
salad with dressing packet and roll with butter, I’ll change it with fruits that are rich in antioxidants such
as blueberries or strawberries and can make it as fruit juice that will serve as her drink together with
water.
To keep her independence in eating, I should prepare all the needed utensils within her reach and
slice her food into bite-sized so that it will be easier for her to eat since she has deformed hands. Her way
of eating may cause uneasiness and messiness due to her hands but I should still give her praises when
she tries to eat on her own such as “Oh I see that you can already eat on your own. You’re getting better
every day”.
In order to maintain her self-esteem, I will establish a therapeutic relationship with the patient
and create a nursing care plan in order to provide physical therapies, to lessen the pain of her joints and
look for improvements. I will encourage her to move her joints and perform different ROM exercises to
promote relaxation and reduce muscle tension. I will also apply warm compress on joints to promote
mobility and decrease pain. I will also put pillows or sandbags on joints to prevent fatigue and stiffness.