Discussion: Child and Family Assessments
When caring for pediatric patients, you do not just assess and treat the patient but rather the entire family unit. This often poses challenges for advanced practice nurses because of the dynamics of the various types of family units (i.e., two traditional parents, a single parent, same-sex parents, divorced parents, stepparents, adoptive families, foster families, military families, grandparents as the primary caregiver, etc.). Care strategies that might work for a two-parent family, for instance, might not work for a single-parent family or a foster family. Additionally, family units also present with differences in backgrounds, cultures, and religions. All of these factors have the potential to impact the care of patients and their families, making it essential for you to tailor your assessments and care plans to meet the individual needs of families.
Note:Throughout this course, the term parent will be used to represent a pediatric patient's caregiver, which may include a parent, stepparent, foster parent, guardian, and so on.
To prepare:
· Review this week's media presentation, as well as "Child and Family Health Assessment," "Cultural Perspectives for Pediatric Primary Care," and "Developmental Management in Pediatric Primary Care" in the Burns et al. text.
· Consider how a provider's personal definition of family and family roles might impact the assessment of a child and the child's family.
· Reflect on how the culture of the provider and/or the patient may further influence the assessment.
· Think about three strategies that a provider can use to assist families with making health-related decisions for children at different stages of growth and development. Consider how these strategies might change when assessing patients at different stages of growth and development and with different family backgrounds.
Post at least 200 words APA format
1. an explanation of how a provider's personal definition of family and family roles might impact the assessment of a child and his or her family.
2. Then, explain how culture (both the culture of the provider and that of the child and his or her family) may further influence the assessment.
3. Finally, explain at least three strategies that the provider can use to assist families with making health-related decisions for children at different stages of growth and development.
4. Also, explain how these strategies might change when assessing patients at different stages of growth and development and with different family backgrounds.
Resources
Burns, C. E., Dunn, A. M., Brady, M. A., Starr, N. B., & Blosser, C. G. (2013). Pediatric primary care (5th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier.
Hagan, J. F., Jr., Shaw, J. S., Duncan, P. M. (Eds.). (2008). Bright futures: Guidelines for health supervision of infants, children, and adolescents (3rd ed.). Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatric
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. (2008). NAPNAP position statement on age parameters for pediatric nurse practitioner practice. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 22(3), e1-e2.