Pediatric patients have different medical needs depending on their age and developmental stage. Nurses must be aware of the specific care these needs demand to conduct accurate evaluations and create effective care plans. This study will look at the needs of a school-aged child between five and twelve years, their physical traits, changes to assessment methods, normal developmental stages, and the application of developmental theory to assessments.
Physical Assessment of School-Aged Children
School-aged children have varied physical traits depending on their age. Children between the ages of five and seven are often at the beginning of the school year and have improved attention span, motor coordination, and more complex speech. Children between the ages of eight and twelve are typically in middle school and have further developed motor coordination, advanced social skills, and increasing independence (Feldman et al., 2023). Also, they develop their fine motor abilities and hand-eye coordination, making writing, drawing, and manipulating objects easier.
Nurses should modify their evaluation approaches for school-aged children by incorporating age-appropriate technology and communication. It is critical to outline the assessment’s schedule and provide detailed directions (Keller et al., 2020). For example, a nurse can use a height board to measure the child’s height while the child stands upright against the wall. The nurse can ask the child to hold still and breathe normally during the measurement. To measure weight, the nurse can use a scale calibrated for children and take off heavy clothing or shoes to ensure accuracy (Macy et al., 2020). The nurse can also use child-friendly language to explain the procedure, which helps the child understand the importance of the assessment and cooperate.
Typical Developmental Stages Assessment for a Child of a Specific Age
For this assignment, a nine-year-old child was chosen; at nine, children are in the later stage of middle childhood, where their cognitive and social skills continue to develop. Physical traits include better muscle growth and coordination. Children at this age have a greater conceptual understanding and are capable of more complicated information processing. This stage is marked by a child’s need to feel competent and productive (Feldman et al., 2023). The nurse should praise the child’s accomplishments and promote their independence during the assessment. Simple, age-appropriate explanations should be given in language the youngster can understand. Throughout the assessment, the nurse should encourage the child’s engagement and allow them to share their thoughts.
Developmental Assessment of a Child Using a Developmental Theory
The nurse may utilize Erikson’s theory to evaluate the child’s emotional and social development by questioning the child’s interests and accomplishments. The nurse may also bring up the child’s interactions with family, friends, and others. If the child has inferiority complexes, they may avoid things they feel are too tough or give up easily. The nurse should encourage the child to take on additional responsibilities and offer assistance to make the child feel capable.
Piaget’s cognitive development theory may also be used in the assessment. Children have reached the concrete operational stage by nine, distinguished by logical reasoning and a stronger understanding of cause and effect (Keller et al., 2020). The nurse may ask the child to complete tasks requiring rational thought during the assessment, like classifying things by color, size, or shape. The nurse could also request that the child explain the steps they used to finish the assignment to evaluate the child’s mental process.
Conclusion
School-aged children between the ages of five and twelve have specific physical and developmental characteristics that must be considered during evaluation. Nurses must use appropriate assessment techniques and tactics compatible with the child’s age and developmental stage to provide accurate assessments and construct appropriate care plans. Nursing providers can better understand a child’s emotional and cognitive growth using developmental theories such as Piaget’s cognitive development theory and Erikson’s psychosocial theory. Hence, nurses can conduct more accurate evaluations and design appropriate care plans by tailoring assessment processes to the child’s developmental stage.
References
Feldman, H. M., Elias, E. R., Blum, N. J., Jiménez Manuel, Stancin, T., & Feldman, H. M. (2023). Assessment and measurement in developmental-behavioral pediatrics. In Feldman et al. (Eds.), Developmental-behavioral pediatrics (pp. 765–880). Elsevier.
Keller, D. M., Davis, M. M., & Freed, G. L. (2020). Access to pediatric subspecialty care for children and youth: Possible shortages and potential solutions. Pediatric Research, 87(7), 1151–1152. Web.
Macy, M. L., Leslie, L. K., Turner, A., & Freed, G. L. (2020). Growth and changes in the Pediatric Medical Subspecialty Workforce Pipeline. Pediatric Research, 89(5), 1297–1303. Web.