NCLEX-RN Exam - Topic 2 Question 10 Discussion

Actual exam question for NCLEX's NCLEX-RN exam

Question #: 10
Topic #: 2

A child is admitted with severe headache, fever, vomiting, photophobia, drowsiness, and stiff neck associated with viral meningitis. She will be more comfortable if the nurse:

ADims the lights in her room

BEncourages her to breathe slowly and deeply

COffers sips of warm liquids

DPlaces a large, soft pillow under her head

Show Suggested Answer

Suggested Answer: A

(A) The discomfort of photophobia is alleviated by dimming the lights. (B) Helping the child to breathe slowly and deeply may help to reduce anxiety, but it will not alleviate other discomforts of viral meningitis. (C) It is important to maintain fluid balance, but sips of warm liquids do not alleviate the discomforts of meningitis. (D) A large, soft pillow under her head causing neck flexion is likely to increase her discomfort owing to stretching of the meninges.

by Viola at Aug 19, 2025, 12:18 AM

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Jesus

2 months ago

A seems right, but I wonder if breathing exercises could help too.

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Portia

2 months ago

Wait, can a pillow really make a difference?

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Catarina

2 months ago

I agree, A is definitely the best choice here.

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Vivan

3 months ago

Warm liquids? Not sure that helps with a headache.

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Alysa

3 months ago

Dimming the lights makes sense for photophobia.

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Charlesetta

3 months ago

I’m really torn between A and D. I know comfort is key, but I can't recall which one is more effective for headaches.

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Gilma

3 months ago

I practiced a similar question, and I think the pillow might not address the photophobia directly. I lean towards A.

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Phillip

4 months ago

I'm not entirely sure, but I feel like offering warm liquids could help with comfort too. Maybe C is a good option?

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Refugia

4 months ago

I remember that dimming the lights can help with photophobia, so I think A might be the best choice.

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Lisha

4 months ago

I think the key here is to focus on the patient's comfort and try to alleviate the most distressing symptoms. Dimming the lights and offering sips of warm liquids seem like the best options to me. I'll go with C.

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Ming

4 months ago

Ugh, I'm really struggling with this one. There are a lot of symptoms to consider, and I'm not sure which intervention would be most effective. I'll have to make an educated guess and hope for the best.

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Ludivina

4 months ago

Okay, I've got this. Dimming the lights and encouraging slow, deep breathing are both good ways to help reduce the patient's discomfort from the photophobia and headache. I'll go with option B.

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Teri

4 months ago

Hmm, I'm a bit unsure about this one. The symptoms listed are pretty severe, so I'll need to think carefully about the best way to provide relief. Let me review the options again.

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Alexis

5 months ago

This seems like a straightforward question about managing the symptoms of viral meningitis. I'll carefully consider each option and choose the one that best addresses the patient's comfort.

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Marguerita

5 months ago

I disagree, I believe the answer is B) Encourages her to breathe slowly and deeply. It can help with drowsiness.

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Allene

6 months ago

I think the answer is A) Dims the lights in her room. It will help with the photophobia.

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Jules

6 months ago

I think the correct answer is A) Dims the lights in her room. Photophobia, or sensitivity to light, is a common symptom of viral meningitis, so dimming the lights would help make the child more comfortable.

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