BVVS

SAJJALASHREE INSTITUTE OF NSG SCIENCES BAGALKOT

ROLE OF PEDIATRIC NURSE IN CHILD CARE

The role of the pediatric nurse is constantly changing. These changes

are as a result of expanding medical and nursing practice, emerging

challenges in different aspects of child care, consumer demands & technological

advancements.

The role of the pediatric nurse may vary from one institution to others, but

basic responsibilities remain the same.

Roles of pediatric nurse are

1. Primary care giver

2. Coordinator and collaborator

3. Advocate

4. Health educator

5. Consultant

6. Counselor

7. Case Manager

8. Recreationist

9. Social worker and

10.Researcher

1. Primary care giver: Pediatric nurse should provide preventive, promotive,

curative and rehabilitative care in all levels of health services.

In hospital, care of sick children includes comfort, feeding, bathing, safety

etc. At community set up, basic responsibilities include health assessment,

immunization, primary health care & referral etc.

2. Coordinator & Collaborator: The nurse plays an extremely important role

with the combination of health care team members. Nurse maintains good inter

personal communication with the child, family and health team members.

The nurse coordinates nursing care with other services for meeting the needs

of child. For ex: physician, social worker, surgeon, physiotherapist, dietician

etc.

3. Nurse Advocate: The pediatric nurse acts as an advocate to safeguard the

child’s right, to assist & to provide best care from the health care team.

Nurse acts as a representative for the child, family & other health care

providers. Ex: it can range from consulting dietary department for special

foods to arrange team meeting to discuss plan of care with other health team

members.

4. Health Health Educator: The nurse’s goal of health teaching is to provide

information to the child parents and significant other about prevention of

illness, promotion or health maintenance.

Characteristics of nurse teacher includes

4 C's

C — Confidence

C — Competence

C — Communication

C — Caring & empathy

5. Nurse Consultant: The pediatric nurse can act as consultant to guide

parents for maintenance and promotion of health. For ex: Guiding parents

about feeding practices, accident prevention

6. Nurse Counselor: Providing guidance to parents in health hazards of

children and health them for own decision making in different situations.

7. Case Manager: The pediatric nurse should organize care, monitor and

evaluate patient treatment for successful outcome. She/he acts as a

manager of pediatric care units in hospital clinics and community.

8. .Recreationist: The pediatric nurse plays supportive role for the child to

provide play facilities for recreation and diversion. It helps to decrease crisis

imposed by illness or hospitalization

9. Social Worker: Pediatric nurse can participate in social services or refer

child & family t child welfare agencies for necessary support.

10.Nurse researcher: Research is an integral part of professional

nursing. Pediatric nurse should participate or perform research activities.

It helps to provide basis for changes in nursing practice, improvement in

the child health care and evaluate the care.

ROLE OF PEDIATRIC NURSE

The pediatric nurse's role is unique because of developmenta l immatur i ty

and vulnerability of children. The goals of nursing care of children, based on

primary health care are:

I. Promote the healthy maturation as a physical, intellectual and emotional

being within the context of his family and communities (primary level).

2. Provide health care for the child who requires treatment from disease(s)

(secondary level).Dealing with the child's disabilities (tertiary level). Therefore,

the role of the pediatric nurse includes:

I. In Primary Level:

Through health education to child and his parents and providing child's basic

needs and immunization, she can:

1. Maintain child's health.

2. Help the child achieves his optima9 growth and development.

3. Prevent diseases and their complications.

II. In Secondary Level:

The nurse has to provide care to sick

· children and their families by:

I. Assessing their needs.

2. Planning for care.

3. Implementing the plan.

4. Evaluating children's condition.

5. Providing heath teaching to children and their parents

III. In Tertiary Level:

The nurse should assist children to return to their maximal level of

functioning following illness and /or disabilities.'

As a nurse depends on

· Education

· Experience

· Job structure

· Professional demand

· Preventive care

· Promotive care

· Curative care

· Health education

· Restoration health

· Co-ordination

e) Nursing task and skill:

· General nursing care:

· Monitoring of vital signs

· Administration of fluid and electrolytes and drugs

· Diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.

· Nursing procedures

· Resuscitation skills

· Specialized nursing and monitoring skills

· Vaccination

· Prevention of nasocomial infection

· Universal precaution

Through the international activities of WHO (world health organization),

IMCI-(Integrated Management of Child hood Illness), UNICEF (United

Nations International Children and Emergency Fund) and other health

agencies are providing to develop the level of child health care throughout

the world.

Now days the child care is very much improved it includes;

· Hospital environment for a sick child

· Advanced changes in medical and nursing care

· Expansion in independent role of the paediatric nurse

· Paediatric nurse practionnaire.

· Paediatric clinic nurse specialist.

· Paediatric nurse master clinicians.

Old concepts New Concepts

· Disease (centered care) · Child centered care

· Discourage the families on neglect

of the female child

· Take care of female child with

Immunization of tetanus

· Care of the women after · Health education on planned

becoming pregnant parenthoods and doing the

maternal health

· Special care during the last

trimester and the postnatal

period to the child born with

congenital anomalies and

hereditary disorders.

· Early identification & family

counseling based on bio chemical

screening & chromosomal studies

it helps to prevent congenital

anomalies and hereditary disorders

in children.

· Caring of child after the birth

only

· Caring the health of the child from

the day of conception.

· Care of the sick children in the

hospital

· Participate in the prevention of

illness and health promotion

activities.

· Care the physical condition of

the child in hospital only

· Comprehensive cares of child in his

home community health centers.

through community health centers

· Not allowed the parent to be

with the child in the hospital and

reducing the visiting hours ward.

· Ensuring that the children must

have stay with them and participate

in the care, flexible visiting hours

in paediatric

· One of illness oriented · One of health oriented.

· Only cleanliness and treatment

oriented

· Warmth and love oriented.

· Curative and rehabilitative

care to the children in hospital

only.

· Health promotion activities by

ensuring environmental stimulation

and intelligent manipu la t ion of

the env i ronment , adequate play

activities service related to the

fertility, sex, education & counseling

· Adopt the indifferent

atti tude to child neglect &

abuse by family and society.

· Safe guarding and protect the

children rights by health providing,

cultural practice & laws

encouraging.