G OALS This activity is a quick way for students to recognize stressors on families, family reaction to a child’s illness, and interventions that can be used to assist the family. These questions are a quick way to encourage positive communication strategies while also reflecting on promoting age-appropriate growth and development. O NLINE A PPLICATION • Instruct students to answer questions 1 through 3 independently. When the class meets online, encourage students to discuss how the nurse should respond to the behaviors affecting the family, child, or sibling. • Put students into teams of two or into small groups of three or four. Have each pair or group create a patient scenario by demonstrating what a parent, child, or sibling may say in the hospital when stressors are present and to create a positive communication practice by the nurse. The pairs/groups should come up with three or four examples of each. Knowing Your Role: Recognize the Differences Among Age Groups and Nursing Interventions D IRECTIONS • Place students into four teams and assign each team one of the following age groups: (1) infants, (2) toddlers and preschoolers, (3) school age, and (4) adolescents. • Instruct teams to provide key characteristics of their assigned age group, then provide nursing interventions for communication with that specified age group. Use the following table to assist you with this activity. • A student handout is provided at the end of this document. Age Group Key Characteristics Nursing Interventions Infants • Unable to verbalize needs • Cry when needs are unmet; coo when content/happy • Respond to nonverbal behaviors • Object permanence,
• Communicate primarily with parent • Learn infant’s routines for feeding, diapering, sleeping • Use gentle touch for security and comfort • Offer nonnutritive sucking device (e.g., pacifier) • Provide music and sounds to soothe infant • Respond quickly to needs • Incorporate continuity of care by having the same
separation anxiety are key milestones in this age group
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