Final answer:
To administer otic drops to a 6-year-old, hold the pinna up and back, place the drops in the ear without touching it with the dropper, insert cotton, and have the child lie on the unaffected side.
Step-by-step explanation:
Administering Otic Drops to a Child
When planning to administer otic drops to a 6-year-old child, the nurse must follow a correct procedure to ensure the medication is efficiently delivered and to minimize discomfort. The appropriate steps are as follows:
Hold the pinna (the outer part of the ear) up and back for a child over 3 years old, which helps to straighten the ear canal and allows the drops to flow down into the ear more easily.
Place the prescribed number of drops into the ear. It's important not to touch the dropper to the ear to avoid contamination.
Insert a small piece of cotton in the outer ear to prevent the medication from leaking out immediately after administration.
Having the child lie on the unaffected side for a few minutes allows the medication to penetrate further into the ear canal.
This method can help address issues such as acute otitis media (AOM), a common ear infection in young children, and also assist with proper treatment for otitis media with effusion (OME), which involves the accumulation of fluid in the middle ear.