Final answer:
To administer ophthalmic drops to a child, a nurse should apply gentle pressure to the inner canthus after the drops are instilled and ask the child to look up and away while pulling down the lower eyelid, without touching the dropper to the eye.
Step-by-step explanation:
A nurse preparing to administer ophthalmic drops to a child should take several important steps to ensure accurate and safe delivery of the medication. Amongst the choices provided: (a) Apply gentle pressure to the inner canthus after instilling the drops is a therapeutic technique used to prevent the solution from draining into the tear duct, which can increase absorption into the eye and minimize systemic absorption. The option (b) Ask the child to look up and away while gently pulling the lower eyelid down is the correct procedure for instilling the drops as it allows for the medicine to be placed in the conjunctival sac without direct contact with the cornea. (c) Touching the dropper to the child's eye should be avoided as it can contaminate the dropper and lead to infection or injury to the eye. Lastly, (d) instructing the child to close their eyes tightly after instilling the drops should also be avoided as it can squeeze out the medication before it has a chance to be absorbed. Therefore, the correct actions the nurse should take are options (a) and (b).