Key Concepts
Overview
Wilms tumor ties high-yield nursing judgment to airway, perfusion, infection control, and safe medication administration. Wilms tumor is the most common renal malignancy of childhood, often presenting as a painless abdominal mass. Nursing priorities center on avoiding palpation manipulation that could rupture tumor capsules, protecting kidney function, and preparing families for multimodal therapy (surgery, chemotherapy, radiation in select cases). Hypertension or hematuria may appear depending on renin secretion or local invasion—integrate BP and urine assessment into surveillance. Exam items frequently test knowledge that preoperative biopsy is avoided in classic protocols to reduce seeding risk—follow guideline language in the stem. Cross-link US RN lessons hub · Canada RN lessons hub and related LESSON cards where the stem crosses systems. Pathophysiology in plain language. Think in layers: cells → organs → whole-person compensation. When a stem describes acute change (fever, pain, new neuro deficit, hypoxia, hypotension), ask what system is failing to compensate and what reversible threat is most time-sensitive. Nurses are the continuity layer: you trend objective data, reconcile subjective reports, and prevent “task completion” from replacing “problem recognition.” **Risk factors...