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
childs 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 nurses 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 o f d e v e l o p me n t a l
i m ma t u r i t y a n d 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 Take care of female child with
of the female child
Care of the women after
becoming pregnant
Special care during the last
trimester and the postnatal
period to the child born with
congenital anomalies and
hereditary disorders.
Caring of child after the birth
only
Immunization of tetanus
Health education on planned
parenthoods and doing the
maternal health
Early identification & family
counseling based on bio chemical
screening & chromosomal studies
it helps to prevent congenital
anomalies and hereditary disorders
in children.
Caring the health of the child from
the day of conception.
 Care of the sick children in the
hospital
Care the physical condition of
the child in hospital only
Not allowed the parent to be
with the child in the hospital and
reducing the visiting hours ward.
One of illness oriented
Only cleanliness and treatment
oriented
Curative and rehabilitative
care to the children in hospital
only.
Adopt the indifferent
attitude to child neglect &
abuse by family and society.
Participate in the prevention of
illness and health promotion
activities.
Comprehensive cares of child in
his home community health
centers. through
Ensuring that the children must
have stay with them and participate
in the care, flexible visiting hours
in paediatric
One of health oriented.
Warmth and love oriented.
Health promotion activities by
ensuring environmental stimulation
and intelligent ma n i p u l a t i o n o f
t h e e n v i r o n me n t , adequate play
activities service related to the
fertility, sex, education & counseling
Safe guarding and protect the
children rights by health providing,
cultural practice & laws
encouraging.