Unit 1

Introduction to pediatric Nursing

1.1 terminologies used in pediatric Nursing

 Neonate- From birth to four weeks of life

 Infancy- First year of life
 Toddler- One to 3 years
 Preschool child(early childhood)- 3 to 6 year s
 School going child(middle childhood)-
- 6 to 10 year(girls)
- 6 to 12 years(boys)
 Contd..
 Adolescent: from puberty to adulthood
- Prepubescent(earlyadolescents/ late
childhood)
- 10 to 12 years(girls)
- 12 to 14 years( boys)
 Pubescents(middle adoloscent)
- 12 t0 14 years(girls)
- 14 to 16 years (boy)
 Contd..
• Pediatrics
word pediatric is derived from greek word “
pedia” meaning child, “iatri” meaning
treatment and “ics” meaning a branch of
science.
Pediatrics is a branch of medical science that
deals with child development and care as well
as disease of childhood and treatment.
 Contd..
• Pediatric/Child Health Nursing
pediatric nursing is the branch of nursing
concerned with providing holistic care of
infants and children.
 Contd..
• Pediatrician
It is the person who has specialized to deal
with childhood health problems.
• Growth
It is the process of physical maturation
resulting in the increase in size of body and
various organs
 Contd..
• Development
it is process of functional and physiological maturation
of the individual
• Developmental milestone
average level of development of different
physiologival functions of a child at an anticipated
age,with a margin of few months on either side. It has
3 categories ‘motor development’, ‘language
development’, and ‘social and behavioural
development’.
 Assignment
• Write and present historical development of
pediatric nursing
 Differences between a child and an adult
care
• Children have proportionately larger body
surface area than adults. The smaller the
patient, the greater the ratio of surface area
(skin) to size.
• BSA also parallels certain body functions,
including basal metabolic rate and minute
volume.
 Contd..
• Children have thinner skin than adults. They
have thinner epidermis and less keratinized
skin.
• Children have higher respiratory rate than
adults which leads to proportionately higher
minute volume.
 Contd..
• Children are generally shorter than adult, their
breathing zone is lower to the ground.
• Children have immature blood brain barrier
and enhanced central nervous system.
• Children have higher proportion of rapidly
growing tissues than adults.
 Contd..
• Children have relatively smaller airways
compared with adults. The smaller the caliber
of the airway, the greater the reduction in
airflow as a result of increased pulmonary
secretions that occur following to chemicals or
edema from inhalation of hot gases.
 Role of nurses in child care
Pediatric nurse is responsible for promoting the
health and well being of the child and family.
Roles of nurses in child care are as follow:
• Therapeutic relationship
Pediatric nurses need to have meaningful
relationship with child and family yet remain
separate enough to distinguish their own
feelings and need.
 Contd..
• Family advocacy and caring
Nurses should ensure that families are aware
of available health services, adequately
informed of treatment and procedures,
involved in the child’s care, and encouraged to
change/support existing health practices.
 Contd..
• Disease prevention and health promotion
Nurse should be competently involved in
assessment of child’s growth and
development , nutrition ,immunization ,safety,
dental care, socialization ,discipline and
education.
The best approach to prevention is education
and anticipatory guidance.
 Contd..
• Health teaching
Health teaching may be nurse’s direct goal. It
is important directly as well as indirectly such
as to understand diagnosis and treatment.
 Contd..
• Injury prevention
Injuries kill or disable more children older
than 1 year than all the childhood diseases
combined. Nurses can provide safety
counseling to parents according to child’s age.
 Contd..
• Support and Counseling
The nurse can support children by touching ,
listening and being physically present. As
children mostly show non verbal
communication touching and physical
presence are most helpful . Counseling
involves support , teaching , techniques to
foster the expression of feelings or thoughts
and help family cope with stress.
 Contd..
• Coordination and collaboration
as a member of health care team nurses
should collaborate and coordinate nursing
care with care activities of other professional.
The concept of holistic care can be best given
through unified , interdisciplinary approach.
 contd
• Ethical decision making
Parents, nurses and other health care team
members may reach different but morally
defensible decisions assigning different
weights to competing moral values. These
moral values may include Autonomy,
Nonmaleficence , beneficence and justice.