Lec. 1 Pediatric Nursing Today /Health assessment of pediatric clients

Atraumatic Care - Principles

1. reduceing stressors

2. limiting seperation from parents

3. support feelings of control

Atraumatic Care - Benefits

1. Reduces fear and anxiety

2. supports feelings of control

3. faster healing

4. improves overall health outcomes

Implementations of Atraumatic Care

developmentally appropriate techniques

• distraction

• allowing choices

• play therapy

• local anesthetics

• comfort positioning

• child life specialist

family centered care - concepts

1. respect and dignity

2. infromation sharing

3. participation

4. collaboration

Family centered care - benefits

1. improved quality

2. improved client safety

3. greater client/family satisfaction

4. lower healthcare cost

Communication techniques - birth to 2yrs of age

• make eye contact, smile

• comfort items helpful

• allow parent to hold child

• child perdominantly with parent

communication techniques: 3-7 years old

• comm. shifts to the client more

• allow time to answer questions

• praise and encourage

• age appropriate verbage/explanations

• allow child touch medical equipment

• allow play

communication techniques: 8-11 yrs old

• comm. with child

• age appropriate explanations

• may incorporate play/activities

Communication Techniques: 12 and older

• communicate and ensure privacy

• more detailed explanations

• encourage positive health behaviors

Health history or pediatric patient

find out:

• birth history

• developmental/emotional problems

• routine medications

• development attainment (skill building milestones)

• pertinent family, medical, surgical history

• immunizations

• allergies

• nutrition status

• current medical conditions

Anthropometric evaluation

• head circumference (FOC)

• length

• height

• weight

• BMI

Vital signs of pediatric patients

• temeperature - find axillarly (no greater than 37.5)

• pulse - find brachial, full 60sec

• resp. rate - full 60sec

• O2 sat - anything <4% requires Oxygen

• blood pressure

Physical exam of pediatric patient

• provide atraumatic care

• provide developmentally appropriate care

• head to toe assessment

• brief gen. survey - door way exam of obj. findings of child

• gen. appearance

Pain - pediatric patients

• pain scales - self reporting, behavior based

• nonpharmacological interventions first

• pharmacological interventions after other solutions exhausted