Pediatric Nursing: practice problems and exam questions

Multiple-choice practice for pediatric nursing: growth and development, typical vital-sign ranges by age, immunisation principles, common childhood conditions, pain assessment and family-centred care, together with weight-based doses and maintenance fluids.

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Cram pack (PDF)Formula sheets, method steps and practice problems with full solutions, ready to print.

Topics in this course

  1. Pediatric nursingkey terms and facts · applying the concepts · cases and analysismultiple choice
  2. Pediatric & critical-care dosingpediatric weight-based doses (mg/kg/day divided) · heparin and insulin infusions (units/h, mL/h) · titrated drips (mcg/kg/min to mL/h)calculations
  3. IV fluids & fluid balancemaintenance fluids (Holliday–Segar 4-2-1) · intake and output balance · infusion completion timecalculations

Exam tips for Pediatric Nursing

  • Start every question with the child’s age: it decides the normal values, the milestones and the right pain scale.
  • Children compensate for a long time and then deteriorate quickly; hypotension is a late sign.
  • Involve the family and explain at the child’s level of development.

Worked examples

Pediatric nursingEasy

What is Gowers' sign?

  1. AUsing the hands to "walk up" the legs to stand up from the floor
  2. BFanning of the toes when the sole of the foot is stroked
  3. CA sudden startle with the arms flung outwards
  4. DFlexing the hips and knees when the neck is bent forward by the examiner
Show hints
  1. It shows weakness of the hip and thigh muscles.
  2. Two wrong answers are now crossed out. One of the remaining two is right.
Show the answer and explanation

Why this is the answer

In Gowers' sign the child pushes on the thighs with the hands to rise from the floor because of proximal muscle weakness. It is a classic sign of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Answer

A · Using the hands to "walk up" the legs to stand up from the floor
Pediatric & critical-care dosingMedium
heparin 5 000 units/mL60 units/kg · 57 kg → V = ? mL

Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A practice protocol calls for a heparin bolus of 60 units/kg for a patient who weighs 57 kg. The vial contains 5 000 units/mL. What volume V do you draw up? Round to two decimal places.

60 units/kg57 kg5 000 units/mL

Find V (mL)

Show hints
  1. Units needed = units/kg × weight.
  2. Volume = units needed/vial strength (units/mL).
  3. 60·57 = 3 420 units.
Show the answer and the step-by-step solution

Heparin and insulin infusions: concentration = units in the bag/bag volume (units/mL). Pump rate (mL/h) = units per hour/concentration, and units per hour = mL/h × concentration. For a weight-based order, units/h = units/kg/h × weight first. A bolus volume = units needed/vial strength. The numbers are for practice only; at the bedside always follow local protocols and have high-risk doses double-checked.

Units needed

60·57 = 3 420 units

Volume

V = 3420/5000 = 0.684 ≈ 0.68 mL

Answer

V = 0.68 mL

How practising works

  • “Practise this course” mixes problems from all its topics, like a real exam.
  • Every problem has new values, so you learn the method instead of an answer.
  • Stuck? Open a small hint first, and the full explanation only when you need it.
  • Mock exams are timed and have no hints, and you get your score and a full review at the end.

Calculators for this course

mcg/kg/min to mL/h calculator (weight-based infusion)Pediatric safe dose range calculator (mg/kg/day)Intake and output calculator (fluid balance)Parkland formula calculator (burn fluid resuscitation)Heparin infusion rate calculatorMaintenance fluids calculator (Holliday–Segar)

Related courses

NCLEX-style practice questions (RN)Nursing MathNCLEX-style dosage calculationsNCLEX-PN-style practice questions (LPN/LVN)Pediatric and Critical-Care DosingIV Fluids and Fluid BalanceClinical PharmacokineticsClinical Nutrition
Practise this course for freePractise this courseTake a mock exam5 free problems every day. No card needed.