Differentiate between the assessment of infant, children and young people taking into account expected growth and developmental age and stages
This assessment has been designed to assist you to develop assessment skills, analyse the information and then write a report in a concise,accurate and coherent manner.
Objectives assessed
-CO2. Differentiate between the assessment of infant, children and young people taking
into account expected growth and developmental age and stages
-CO3. Demonstrate the ability to conduct a child health assessment applying
knowledge of expected growth and development
-CO5. Apply knowledge ofthe cultural needs, rights and expectations of infant, children
young people and their families within a legal and ethical framework
To commence this assessment you:
1.Need to have provided your mandatory documentation (course pre-requisites) to Clinical Placement Unit priorto commencing this course. Without this you will not be allowed to undertake and complete this assessment and you will receive a zero- F2 grade.
2.Must have obtained valid, informed consent from the parent/guardian ofthe child using the form located in the assessment folder on the learn on line site for this course. This is a legal and ethical requirement. Assignments submitted without a scanned, signed consent form will not be marked.
3.You will conduct a health assessment on an infant, child or young person in your community using the template located in the assessment folder on the learn on line site for this course.
Essential Information for Students:
This assessment item requires you to be in contact with the public in your role as a nursing student therefore your behavior must be professional and you are required to wear your Unisa Clinical uniform with name badge.
Any instances of academic dishonesty/integrity including using fraudulent consent forms or the presentation of data not collected from the child will be referred to the Academic Integrity Officers within the school for investigation.
Students ofthe Division of Health Sciences are mandated notifiers of suspected child abuse. If you suspect the child you are assessing has or is being abused or you have concerns about what the child has told you, you must discreetly complete the assessment activity, then contact your lecturer or the Course Coordinator by telephone immediately after leaving the child.
At no time are you to remove clothes or examine a child in more depth than
In Section
1 (500 words) enterthe raw data (your recorded observations and measurements) from your assessment ofthe child. Short phrases or dot
points are suitable in section one. No referenced material can be included as data.
In Section 2 (500 words) write a description about how
you would communicate and establish a therpeutic relationship with a child of your chosen age group. Please include appropriate touch, body
language, eye contact, verbal and non verbal communication, legal and ethical issues and cultural competence.
In Section 3 (1,000 words)
provide a referenced analysis and interpretation ofthe health assessment data using support from at least 3 additional peer reviewed
journal articles that you have researched and located (2005 or later). (These are NOT from set course readings).
Each topic, within the
health assessment, must be analysed and interpreted by comparing it to Normal and Abnormal Findings for each ofthe assessment items. You
will also determine what the future health implications may be for this child when comparing the data to the research evidence. Conduct the
child health assessment using the areas learnt overthe first 5 topics ofthe course. Physiological, psychosocial and emotional development
should be assessed as well as general health and well-being. You will not be making recommendations in this
assignment.
Physiological
-Past medical history
-Family health history (relevant to child ie Asthma)
-Current health status (Health
maintenance, medications required, Allergies, immunisations, safety measures used appropriate to age group, activities and exercise,
Nutrition, sleep)
Psychosocial/emotional
-Family structure
-School or child care arrangements
-People the child spend time with
(family and Friends)
-Description of household activities
-Assess emotional development pertinent to the child’s age and
developmental status.
Review of Systems
-General Growth and development (age appropriate sleep, nutrition, physical activity, screen
time, allergies, head circumference, weight, height)
-Skin (temperature, texture, lesions, rashes, bruises, Mongolian blue spots)
-Hair
and nails (thin, thick, a lot or less, scalp sores)
-Head (fontanel’s where appropriate, symmetry offace)
-Eyes (eye colour,
eyelashes, pupils, eye muscles)
-Ears (external structures, hearing issues, startle reflex in a infant)
-Nose (structure ofthe nose,
Discharge evident)
-Mouth and throat (mucous membranes, teeth, gums, tongue, lips, discussion of oral hygiene habits)
-Cardiac (pulse
rate, apical pulse for infants)
-Chest and respiratory (respiration’s, Inspiration and expiration’s, breath sounds)
-Gastrointestinal
(discussion ofbowel habits, pain after eating, bloating, gas, constipation)
-Urinary (frequency of urine output,
colour)
-Musculo-skeletal (posture and spine alignment, legs and feet particularly in the toddler, gait, coordination)
-Neurologic
(communication, Language development, reflexes in infants)
Important Information:
At all stages throughout the assessment a parent must be
present.
This can not be your own child, this must be a child that you do not know intimate health history details or knowledge about.
The
child should not be asked to remove any clothing otherthan heavy jackets or jumpers. Please only document what you can see with the child
wearing light clothing on.
Be aware to discuss the practice of Inspection, Palpation and Auscultation in your assessment of your
child.
Ensure you plot head circumference, weight and height/length on the age appropriate percentile charts and attach these to your
assessment. Percentile charts can be found in Appendix 7 ofthe custom text book for this course
