A nurse is caring for a 4-year-old child who is resistant to taking medication. Which strategies should the nurse use to elicit the child's cooperation?

A. Tell the child he will have to have a shot instead: Using threats or coercion can increase fear, anxiety, and distrust in healthcare providers. It undermines the child’s sense of security and does not promote cooperation. B. Offer the child a choice of taking the medication with juice or water: Offering limited choices helps foster a sense of control and autonomy in preschool-aged children, increasing the likelihood of cooperation without deception. C. Tell the child it is candy: Misleading a child about medication is unethical, risks damaging trust and could result in unsafe behaviors, such as mistaking real medication for candy in the future. D. Hide the medication in a large dish of ice cream: Mixing medicine with large amounts of food can result in incomplete dosing if the child refuses to finish. It also removes the opportunity for the child to learn about medication-taking in a positive, informed way.