According to Piaget's theory of cognitive development,the nurse should allow a hospitalized 4-year-old patient to safely play with which item?

A) The pump administering intravenous (IV) fluids.
B) The blood pressure cuff.
C) A baseball bat.
D) A book to read alone in a quiet place.

A 4-year-old child would be in the preoperational period.Children at this stage are still egocentric.Play is very important to foster cognitive development.Children should be allowed to play with any equipment that is safe,such as a blood pressure cuff,and should be allowed to communicate feelings about their health care.The IV pump is not a safe piece of equipment for a 4-year-old child to play with.A baseball bat is not typically found in a hospital setting and is a potentially dangerous toy to play with in the hospital.A 4-year-old child is of preschool age and may not be able to read yet.Also,the book does not allow for any human interaction and communication if it is read alone.