Role of pediatric nurse in management of child with special needs

Children facing life with chronic illness and disability are increasing in number. There are multiple factors which are responsible for that. Most of the children survive well into adulthood with early intervention, treatment and care. Pediatric nurses may create excellent professional roles caring for children with special health care needs and their families. The main responsibility will be to provide the children medical care and developmental training so that they can handle basic daily functions and lead happy, healthy lives. The role of a pediatric nurse in this field is not fixed. They may have to carry out different kinds of responsibilities based on the type and extent of special need. Pediatric nurses are responsible for helping children adapt to a hospital setting and prepare them for medical treatment and procedures. These nurses have special training to provide expert care to the child with special needs while working with the family to address their concerns, problems and help them to understand different treatment options and services available for the child with special needs. Pediatric nurses not only focus on the child with special needs but involve themselves in the wellbeing of other family members. They have special training in caring of children, good interacting skills, good empathy, immense love for children, flexibility, having control over their own emotions and stress management skills.

Pediatric nurses in pediatricians’ offices: a survey for primary care pediatricians

Background The role played by nurses in caring for children in pediatricians’ officies in the community is crucial to ensure integrated care. In Italy, pediatricians are responsible for the health of children aged 0–14 years living in the community. This study aimed to describe Italian primary care pediatricians’ opinions about the usefulness of several nursing activities that pediatric nurses could perform in pediatricians’ offices. Methods An online survey with pediatricians working in primary care in Italy was conducted between April–December 2018. A 40-item questionnaire was used to assess four types of nursing activities: clinical care, healthcare education, disease prevention, and organizational activities. The answers ranged from 1 (not useful at all) to 6 (very useful). Moreover, three open-ended questions completed the questionnaire. Results Overall, 707 pediatricians completed the online survey. Participants were mainly female (63%), with a mean age of 57.74 (SD = 6.42). The presence of a pediatric nurse within the pediatrician’s office was considered very useful, especially for healthcare education (Mean 4.90; SD 1.12) and disease prevention (Mean 4.82; SD 1.11). Multivariate analysis confirmed that pediatricians ‘with less working experience’, ‘having their office in a small town’, and ‘collaborating with a secretary and other workers in the office’ rated the nurse’s activities significantly more useful. Conclusions A pediatric nurse in the pediatrician’s office can significantly contribute to many activities for children and their families in the community. These activities include clinical care, healthcare education, disease prevention, and the organizational processes of the office. Synergic professional activity between pediatricians and pediatric nurses could ensure higher health care standards in the primary care setting.

The Role Of The Pediatric Nurse In Discharge Planning; Identifying Gaps In Sri Lanka

Background: Pediatric discharge planning is a complex process, and that nurses need lengthy preparations. Role confusion among nurses will disrupt the smooth planning of the discharge. In Sri Lanka, although there is a possibility of reducing health costs through effective discharge planning led by pediatric nurses, it is questionable whether Sri Lankan nurses have clarified their role in this process.Method: This systematic review was conducted to map the different roles of nurses in the pediatric discharge planning process. Electronic databases of PubMed and CINAHL were searched for peer-reviewed journal articles among the pediatric population from 2005-2019, using the keywords such as discharge planning, pediatric nurse, care transitions, transitional care, and Sri Lankan nurse.Results: Articles that resulted in the word combination ‘Discharge planning and pediatric nursing (n=329) were used for screening. Two hundred and forty articles out of the nursing scope and sixty articles that do not describe an apparent nursing involvement in the discharge process were excluded, based on abstract review and full-text review, respectively. Sixteen studies were included in the final review. Few literature was found on the topic among Sri Lankan pediatric population. Four main categories of nurses’ roles were identified with the thematic analysis: discharge educator, discharge collaborator, post-discharge care coordinator, and family counselor. Conclusion: In Sri Lanka, no such defined roles of a nurse have been established yet in the discharge planning of pediatric patients. These roles may help nurses carry out discharge planning effectively, and future studies are needed on this topic in Sri Lanka.