Pediatric Emergency Nursing Theory 1 NSER 7610

As a healthcare practitioner, you are expected to follow professional standards of practice throughout all SN programs and courses. In this course, you will have opportunities to use the processes of critical thinking, systematic inquiry, communication, collaboration, leadership, professionalism, and clinical decision-making. Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to:

• Describe the unique characteristics of pediatric emergency departments (PEDs) and unique qualities of pediatric emergency nursing practice.
• Describe expected characteristics of pediatric patients in the different growth and development stages.
• Determine age-appropriate techniques for performing a variety of common emergency interventions and diagnostics.
• Describe the general approach and assessment techniques for pediatric patients of all ages.
• Identify effective communication strategies to use with pediatric patients of various ages and their families.
• Describe the underlying pathophysiology, assessment, and anticipated treatment of a variety of non-complex health challenges in children, such as: urinary tract infections, asthma, and febrile seizures.
• Demonstrate a basic understanding of the level of urgency and prioritization of care for pediatric emergency patients.
• Apply knowledge of the unique anatomy and pathophysiology of major body systems of pediatric patients to clinical findings in common emergency presentations.
• Outline key principles of patient and family-centered care in pediatric emergency care.
• Explain the importance of understanding the phenomenological or “lived experience” of pediatric patients and their families and the impact on pediatric emergency nursing care.
• Demonstrate an understanding of appropriate pharmacological interventions for non-complex pediatric emergency patient presentations
• Apply the components of the pediatric emergency assessment framework to a variety of common and non-complex pediatric patient presentations.
• Apply the concepts of the oxygen supply and demand framework to a variety of common pediatric patient presentations.
• Explain the impact of pediatric patient’s unique anatomy and physiology on the components of the oxygen supply and demand framework.
• Interpret a variety of pediatric arterial blood gas (ABG) results and cardiac rhythms and determine the clinical significance and underlying pathophysiology of these findings.
• Evaluate the potential implications of diverse cultural backgrounds on emergency care of pediatric patients.
• Outline basic legal and ethical considerations related to guardianship, consent, confidentiality, and pediatric patients leaving emergency departments before being seen and treated.
• Determine age-appropriate pain assessment and intervention strategies, including pharmacological and non-pharmacological pain management techniques.
• Describe techniques for safe pediatric medication administration in emergency care settings.
• Outline the indications and special considerations for physical restraint of children.
• Outline the significance of childhood immunizations in emergency care of pediatric patients. 

Effective as of Spring/Summer 2023