What action by the nurse is appropriate when examining a 16-year-old male teenager?

A) Discuss health teaching with the parent because the teen is unlikely to be interested in promoting wellness.
B) Ask his parent to stay in the room during the history and physical examination to answer any questions and to alleviate his anxiety.
C) Talk to him in the same manner as one would talk to a younger child because a teen's level of understanding may not match his or her speech.
D) Provide feedback that his body is developing normally, and discuss the wide variation among teenagers on the rate of growth and development.

During the examination, the adolescent needs feedback that his or her body is healthy and developing normally. The adolescent has a keen awareness of body image and often compares him or herself with peers. Apprise the adolescent of the wide variation among teenagers on the rate of growth and development. Teens are very idealistic so they are ready for teaching, so the nurse should provide health teaching about wellness promotion. The adolescent should be examined alone, without a parent or sibling present. The nurse should not treat the adolescent like a child but should also not overestimate and treat him like an adult either.