A 5-year-old client has recurrent night terrors. What nursing interven

A 5-year-old client has recurrent night terrors. What nursing intervention should the nurse use to help alleviate this problem?

1. Have the child walk around in the room when night terrors occur.
2. The next morning, ask the child to describe the event.
3. Have the child empty the bladder prior to going to bed.
4. Use an additional pillow behind the child’s head at night.

ANSWER

Correct Answer: 3
Rationale 1: Because this is a partial awakening, walking the child around the room will not help and the child will probably not awaken.
Rationale 2: The child will have no memory of the event the next morning.
Rationale 3: Night terrors are partial awakenings that are sometimes related to excessive tiredness or a full bladder. Having the child empty the bladder before going to bed might be helpful.
Rationale 4: There is no reason to add an additional pillow behind the child’s head.