Nursing

The needs of the pediatric patient differ depending on age, as do the stages of development and the expected assessment findings for each stage. In a 500-750-word paper, examine the needs of a school-aged child between the ages of 5 and 12 years old and discuss the following: Compare the physical assessments among school-aged children. Describe how you would modify assessment techniques to match the age and developmental stage of the child. Choose a child between the ages of 5 and 12 years old. Identify the age of the child and describe the typical developmental stages of children that age. Applying developmental theory based on Erickson, Piaget, or Kohlberg, explain how you would developmentally assess the child. Include how you would offer explanations during the assessment, strategies you would use to gain cooperation, and potential findings from the assessment. Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

ANSWER

Development Assessment for School Aged Child

Introduction

The school aged children vary between the age of 5 and 12 years old. All the children in this age group undergo a physical assessment that is conducted at least once a year unless they have changes or illnesses that demand medical attention. In school aged group it is essential to involve both the patent and the child and focus on their age and development stage. This is because to physical assessment for the 5-year-old child will be different from the 12-year-old. The school aged children have different needs although they are all considered as children. The nurses have to be aware of the variations between ages and the desired assessment results of school aged children and their family. This paper will compare the physical assessment among the school aged children and assessment techniques in the different developmental stages.

Physical Assessment

School aged children range from five to twelve years. When conducting the assessment on this age group, it is vital to understand the steady development and growth stages on this age group (Kondakov, Voloshina, Kopeikina and Kadutskaya, 2020). The assessment will begin through developing rapport with the care giver or parent will help develop trust with the child. The school age children should be involved an interview process to enable child see that they are meaningful. This enables the nurse to assess cognitive, language, intellectual and social abilities. Older school children between the age of eight and twelve need privacy when it comes to questions on risk taking behaviors, such as drug use and sexual activity.

Techniques that match the Child’s Age and Development Stage

When caring for a school aged child at the age of 10, safe and healthy environment should be the priority of the nurse. Understanding what makes the child feel important and secure such as the activities that they enjoy, eager to learn and energetic. The nurse should offer privacy during physical examination which is very essential since they have started to get aware of their sexuality and insecurities. It is important to speak clearly and slowly using language that they understand while communicating with the school age children. For instance, the use of simple language and words will facilitate the assessment. The nurse should make it aware to the patient about the physical assessment, reinforce and explain every procedure to the school aged child and ensure that they are comfortable and engaged in the physical examination. Additionally, the parents and games need to be involved in the care to attain the cooperation of the child during the physical assessment.

Development Stages

The school aged children have strong and smooth motor skills. However, their endurance, coordination, physical abilities and balance vary. The fine motor skills influence the ability of the child’s ability to dress neatly, write and perform various chores such as doing dishes and beds (Tepe, Şahin and Kalebozan, 2020). There will be a big difference in weight, height, and build among children within this age range. It is very important to bear in mind that nutrition, genetic background and exercise may influence a child’s development and growth. At the age of six years a child begins to develop body image. For instance, children with this age should have 1 hour of physical activity every day due to sedentary habits in school aged children are associated to a risk for heart disease and obesity in adults. By 10 years old, the average girls should weigh 88 pounds and may start developing breasts, and underarm pubic hair growth. At five years, majority of the students begin going to school and they focus on understanding the basic needs.

At the age of six years the child should be able to focus on something for about 15 minutes. At nine years a child be able to focus and pay attention to something for about an hour. Considerably, it is vital for a school aged child to deal with failure and frustrations without having to lose self-esteem. The school aged children should be able to use complete and simple sentences that contain about seven words. As they advance they should in the elementary school years, pronunciation and grammar become normal. At the age of ten, majority of the children follow sequences of command between three to five in a row.

Erickson Theory

Erickson’s theory is an 8-stage model which indicates that personality develops throughout an individual’s lifespan. Erickson maintained that personality develops through a predetermined order with the eight stages of psychosocial development from childhood to adulthood (Chung, 2018). According to Erikson, each stage of life has their own psychosocial task a crisis that is demands resolution. For instance, the early stages of a child at the age of 12 who failed to resolve crisis will have problems in future stages A child that failed to develop a trusting, and loving relationship with the care giver can lead to conflict of mistrust and withdrawal. For the chosen child, the development assessment would be based on inferiority Vs Industry. Ideally, the school aged children tend to compare themselves with their peers to determine their level. The first thing would be to explain the assessment to the parent about the assessment through the use of body language and diagrams. Questions will be effective since the child chosen can be able to communicate effectively. However, there are some questions that would be directed to the guardian or parent such as how the child relates to the peers.

References

Chung, D. (2018). The eight stages of psychosocial protective development: Developmental psychology. Journal of Behavioral and Brain Science, 8(06), 369.

Kondakov, V. L., Voloshina, L. N., Kopeikina, E. N., & Kadutskaya, L. (2020). Daily assessment of physical activity in 6–11-year-old children. Journal of Physical Education and Sport, 20(4), 1673-1680.

Tepe, M. G., Şahin, İ., & Kalebozan, T. (2020). Determination Of The Motor Development Levels Of 9-10 Years Old Children. Türk Spor ve Egzersiz Dergisi, 22(2), 352-359.