Pediatric Nursing: Care of the Developing and Ill Child

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering pediatric nursing roles, developmental theories, cognitive milestones, hospital stress reactions, and respiratory illnesses in pediatric clients.

Atraumatic Care

The nursing approach of diminishing potential physical and psychological stressors during illness so pediatric clients can direct their energy toward healing and wellness.

Family-Centered Care

A philosophy of care emphasizing family involvement in the care of their ill or hospitalized child, promoting shared decision-making, open communication, and partnerships with health care providers.

Child Life Specialist

A health care professional who provides psychosocial support to children and families during illness or hospitalization through therapeutic play and age-appropriate education.

Therapeutic Hugging

A supportive intervention of hugging a distressed pediatric client (with permission) that promotes connection, lowers blood pressure and heart rate, decreases stress hormones, and elevates oxytocin levels.

Separation Anxiety

A normal developmental response emerging around $8$ months of age and resolving in toddlerhood, characterized by fear and crying when separated from primary caregivers, manifesting in protest, despair, and detachment.

Protest Phase

The initial stage of separation anxiety wherein a child actively cries, screams, searches for parents, and physically reaches out to them in response to separation.

Despair Phase

The second stage of separation anxiety where active crying ceases and the child appears settled or quiet, but in reality has withdrawn and lost hope of reuniting with their parent.

Detachment Phase

The final stage of prolonged separation anxiety where a child acts as a coping mechanism by appearing unaffected by parental absence and exhibiting indifference upon reunion.

Stranger Anxiety

Distress, fearfulness, crying, or clinging exhibited by a child when interacting with unfamiliar individuals, typically peaking by $15$ months of age.

Regression

A coping mechanism in which a child reverts to a previous developmental stage—such as resuming bedwetting, thumb sucking, or baby talk—in response to stress, illness, or hospitalization.

Cultural Competence

The ability of nurses and health care providers to deliver care that respects and aligns with the diverse cultural, spiritual, and religious beliefs and practices of pediatric clients and their families.

Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS)

A standardized assessment tool measuring six behavioral indicators (facial expression, cry, breathing pattern, arms, legs, and state of arousal) to assess procedural pain in preterm and full-term neonates.

FLACC Scale

An observational pain assessment tool scoring Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, and Consolability on a scale from $0$ to $10$ for nonverbal clients and children aged $2$ months to $7$ years.

Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale

A self-report visual rating scale displaying six drawn faces scored from $0$ ("No Hurt") to $10$ ("Hurts Worst") for pediatric clients who cannot quantify pain numerically.

OLDCARTES

A comprehensive pain assessment mnemonic representing Onset, Location, Duration, Characteristics, Aggravating factors, Radiating, Treatment, Effect, and Severity.

Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (URI)

An acute inflammatory condition affecting the nose, sinuses, pharynx, larynx, and large airways, most commonly caused by rhinovirus.

Croup (Laryngotracheobronchitis)

A viral respiratory infection, primarily caused by parainfluenza virus in children aged $6$ months to $3$ years, that produces inflammation of the larynx, trachea, and bronchi leading to a barking cough and stridor.

Stridor

A high-pitched, harsh inspiratory sound caused by turbulent airflow through a narrowed or obstructed upper airway, characteristic of moderate to severe croup.

Westley Scoring System

A clinical and research evaluation tool used to classify croup severity based on chest wall retractions, stridor, air entry, cyanosis, and level of consciousness.

Palivizumab

A monoclonal antibody administered monthly during RSV season to provide passive immunization for high-risk pediatric clients under $24$ months of age.

Id

In Freud's psychosexual theory, the instinctual, unconscious component of personality present at birth that operates entirely on the pleasure principle to seek immediate gratification.

Ego

In Freud's theory, the realistic self that emerges through social interaction to satisfy the id's drives in socially acceptable, safe ways through delayed gratification.

Superego

In Freud's theory, the moral conscience that develops between ages $3$ and $5$ years, internalizing societal values, morals, and standards of right and wrong.

Trust vs. Mistrust

Erikson's first psychosocial stage (birth to $1$ year), where an infant develops basic trust when caregivers consistently and reliably meet physiological and emotional needs.

Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

Erikson's second psychosocial stage ($1$ to $2$ years), where toddlers develop independence and self-confidence through safe exploration and decision-making.

Initiative vs. Guilt

Erikson's third psychosocial stage ($3$ to $5$ years), where preschoolers develop purpose and confidence by initiating activities, social interactions, and imaginative play.

Industry vs. Inferiority

Erikson's fourth psychosocial stage ($6$ to $11$ years), where school-aged children develop a sense of competence through academic, athletic, and personal accomplishments.

Identity vs. Role Confusion

Erikson's fifth psychosocial stage (adolescence), where teenagers experiment with different roles, beliefs, and values to establish a coherent personal identity.

Positive Reinforcement

A behaviorist strategy involving the delivery of a rewarding or desirable stimulus following a behavior to strengthen and increase the likelihood of that behavior repeating.

Negative Reinforcement

A behaviorist principle that increases the likelihood of a target behavior by removing an undesirable or unpleasant stimulus when that behavior occurs.

Sensorimotor Stage

Piaget's first cognitive stage (birth to $2$ years), during which infants learn and construct an understanding of the world through sensory experiences and motor manipulation.

Object Permanence

The cognitive understanding that objects and people continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, heard, or touched, typically achieved around $9$ months of age.

Pre-Operational Stage

Piaget's second cognitive stage ($2$ to $7$ years), marked by symbolic thought and language use, but limited by egocentrism, centration, and pre-logical thinking.

Concrete Operational Stage

Piaget's third cognitive stage ($7$ to $11$ years), where children gain the ability to reason logically about concrete events and understand the principle of conservation.

Formal Operational Stage

Piaget's final cognitive stage (beginning around age $12$), characterized by abstract thinking, hypothetical-deductive reasoning, and systematic problem-solving.

Magical Thinking

A characteristic of pre-operational thought where a preschooler believes that thoughts, wishes, or personal actions can directly cause external physical events.

Animism

A cognitive belief common in early childhood that inanimate objects possess lifelike qualities, feelings, intentions, and consciousness.

Centration

The tendency of preschool-aged children to focus on only one salient dimension or characteristic of an object or situation to the exclusion of all other relevant aspects.

Parallel Play

A form of play characteristic of toddlers where children play independently alongside one another with similar toys without active interaction.

Associative Play

A type of play common in preschoolers involving sharing toys and interacting with peers without formal organization or a unified group goal.

Cooperative Play

An organized form of social play seen in older preschoolers and school-aged children where players coordinate efforts to achieve a mutual goal or follow structured rules.

Echolalia

The repetition of words or phrases spoken by others, which is a normal aspect of early language development in toddlers that typically subsides by age $3$.

Emotional Regulation

The evolving developmental ability of a child to recognize, manage, and modulate the intensity and expression of their emotions.

Tantrum

A normal developmental episode lasting $30$ seconds to $3$ minutes wherein a toddler communicates frustration or anger through behaviors such as screaming, crying, or flailing.

Scoliosis

An abnormal lateral curvature of the spine that frequently manifests and is screened for during physical examination after age $11$.

Anticipatory Guidance

Proactive health education and counseling provided during well-child visits to prepare parents for upcoming developmental milestones, routine care, and safety needs.