Aims

This unit aims to provide students with the educational preparation and specific knowledge for the role of a Paediatric Nurse, to facilitate professional growth and develop competence and excellence in paediatric nursing practice. The unit will also afford students the opportunity, as a specialised paediatric nurse, to gain awareness of accountability and responsibility for maintaining standards and excellence in paediatric practice and develop and extend clinical decision-making approaches and strategies. 

Topics are divided into three main sections: Introduction to the foundations of paediatric nursing; health promotion of the growing child and family; and working with children and families.

Learning Outcomes

After satisfactorily completing this unit students will have the ability to:

1. Discuss the philosophy of paediatric nursing care, the major roles, including the scope of practice and the professional standards for paediatric nurses (1);
2. Identify the components of the nursing process and the ethical concepts and legal issues related to providing nursing care to children and their families (1 & 2);
3. Explain selected theories of growth and development as they apply to nursing practice (2,3);
4. Identify normal and deviation from normal developmental changes occurring in the newborn and infant (2,3);
5. Express an understanding of language development in the first year of life (3 & 7); 
6. Describe nutritional requirements and develop a nutritional plan for the newborn and infant (3 & 7);
7. Describe and incorporate the major principles and concepts of family-centred and atraumatic care to prevent and minimise the psychological and physical stress experienced by children and families (1,4);
8. Utilise excellent therapeutic communication skills when interacting with children and their families, considering culturally competent communication (7 & 12);
9. Describe the process of health education and health promotion to children and their families (7).

Introduction

John is a 3 years old male child who was born on 7th November 2015. The child experienced physiological jaundice after two days of his birth. Decreased frequency of breastfeeding in John's case resulted in the development of his physiological jaundice (Ullah, Rahman, & Hedayati, 2016). The child recovered after receiving phototherapy within 4 days of its administration in the neonatal unit (NCCWCH, 2010). John's APGAR score was found to be 8 and therefore did not require extended evaluation (Simon & Bragg, 2017). John's respiratory score was recorded as 2 in the context of his vigorous crying. His heart rate score was found to be 2 (based on a heart rate of 120 beats per minute). John's muscle tone retrieved a score of 2 based on his flexed muscle tone and active motion. His grimace response was recorded as 1 in accordance with his stimulation based reflex irritability pattern. John exhibited peripheral cyanosis immediately after birth and therefore his color score was recorded as 1. John's APGAR score indicated his good health at the time of birth.     

Head to Toe Assessment

Review of System

Constitutional: healthy child, no fever, no weight loss, slightly irritable

Skin: No skin lesion or eczema, no bruising, pale skin

Nose: No nasal discharge

Neck: Normal flexion and extension, no history of neck pain

Mouth and Throat: No intraoral lesions, oral inflammation, or dental caries 

Eyes: Normal vision, no history of eye pain or discharge, no eye tearing

Ears: No hearing problem, no history of ear discharge or pain, no otitis media

CNS: No headache, normal gait and balance, no history of confusion and seizure 

Pulmonary: No shortness of breath, wheezing, or dyspnea on exertion, mild cough

Musculoskeletal: No clinical history of muscle pain, joints pain, difficulty in walking, joint fracture or dislocation

(Some parts of the solution has been blurred due to privacy protection policy)