What is an appropriate nursing response to a mother concerned about her 4-year-old who has started bedwetting after hospitalization?

A common regression in behaviors, such as bedwetting, can occur in young children following stressful events like hospitalization. This response is a normal developmental reaction to anxiety or unsettling changes in their environment. The child may feel insecure after the experience and revert to behaviors typically seen at an earlier stage of development.

Reassuring the mother that this behavior is not unusual can alleviate her anxiety and help her understand that it can take time for children to readjust after experiencing stress. In many cases, this type of bedwetting resolves on its own as the child gains confidence and feels more secure.

Addressing fluid intake or using alarm systems may be strategies that help manage bedwetting, but they do not address the underlying emotional factors that may be contributing to the behavior in this specific context. Therefore, understanding and accepting that this regression is a normal phase in coping with stress is the most supportive nursing response.