NURS2502 Assignment 1: Child Development Case Study

This assignment presents a case study involving a 12-month-old female, Yasmin, who presents with diarrhea and dehydration. The solution addresses several key aspects of pediatric nursing care. It identifies effective communication techniques to build a therapeutic relationship with Yasmin and her aunt, along with safety concerns related to her developmental stage and hospitalization. The assessment findings, including sunken eyes, lack of tears, and poor skin turgor, are discussed in relation to severe dehydration. The assignment differentiates between mild, moderate, and severe dehydration and outlines priority nursing actions, such as assessing vitals and monitoring intake and output. It explains how diarrhea leads to electrolyte imbalances and dehydration, describes conventional treatment methods, and provides guidance on administering antipyretics. Finally, the solution identifies assessment findings that indicate improvement in a dehydrated child, referencing relevant literature to support the information.

Running Head: CHILD DEVELOPMENT 1
Child Development
Name
Institution

CHILD DEVELOPMENT 2
Child Development
1. Identify three communication techniques that could be utilized to support and help
build a therapeutic relationship with Yasmin and her aunt. (3 marks)
Offering self.
This is so because staying in the hospital with the patients shows the patient that they are valued
and this will help to boost their mood. Offering oneself involves giving children total attention
while they are in hospital.
Making Observations.
Through observation of the behavior, demeanor, or appearance of patients, symptoms of the
health problem will established and effective measures administered to treat it.
Offering hope
This is so because telling children that their condition is manageable helps them to keep a
positive state of mind (Arnold & Boggs 2019).
2. Discuss three safety concerns related to Yasmin’s developmental stage and hospital
admission. (3 marks)
This may lead to the development of underlying fears due to separation from parents, unexpected
and exposure strangers.
The responses to the hospital is always challenging and may cause separation distress and
increased crying.
Separation from friends while in the hospital may lead to reduced amount of play which is not
good for a child’s development.
3. Describe and give rationale explaining what findings in Yasmin’s assessment are of
concern

CHILD DEVELOPMENT 3
Sunken eyes lack of tears and poor skin turgor. This is because these are the symptoms of severe
dehydration which may lead to death.
4. Identify two early and two late signs and symptoms of dehydration in pediatric
patients
Early
The child plays less than usual
The child has parched, dry mouth
Late
The child exhibits sunken eyes
The child shows wrinkled skin
5. Differentiate between mild-moderate and severe dehydration in the pediatric patient
Mild dehydration happens when the fluid loss is minimal. And is majorly characterized by thirst,
sticky mouth, reduced urination times, and headaches
Moderate dehydration occurs when more amounts of fluids are lost from the body and not
replaced. Dark yellow urine, reduced amount of urine, and dry skin are notable symptoms.
Severe dehydration is life-threatening, and it occurs when the lot of the body fluid is lost and not
replaced. Shriveled skin, irritability and confusion are the major symptoms.
6. Outline four priority nursing actions while caring for Yasmin
i. Assessing of the vitals. This would check on the presence of a fever and check whether
the interventions are effective.
ii. Assessing the skin for the signs of dehydration
iii. Obtaining the history of the child to determine the cause of the dehydration to find the
most appropriate mode of treatment.
iv. Measuring the intake and output by determining the balance of fluids, monitoring the
amount and the color of urine.
7. Explain how diarrhea causes electrolyte imbalances and dehydration

CHILD DEVELOPMENT 4
Electrolyte imbalance and dehydration occurs from the loss of water and electrolytes
during diarrhea in the form of liquid stool (Dow et al. 2019). More water and electrolytes
are also lost through vomiting.
8. Describe three conventional methods of treatment for dehydration and diarrhea in
young children
Mild dehydration, which leads to three to five per cent of the total body weight loss requires
small sips of Pedialyte and other rehydration fluids.
Moderate dehydration, which leads to five per cent to ten per cent of the total body weight loss,
will require intravenous fluid to rehydrate the child.
Severe dehydration, which is more than ten to fifteen per cent weight loss, will lead to admission
in hospital for continued IV rehydration, observation, an investigation to find the cause of the
dehydration.
9. Describe what actions should be taken to administer an antipyretic to Yasmin
considering she is spitting up the medication
Allowing the child to choose the position for taking medicine. Mixing the drug with syrups when
possible would allow for easy feeding. Using chewable tablets as an alternative would be an
added advantage.
10. Identify three assessment findings that indicate improvement in the dehydrated
child.
Soft, flat fontanels, pink and moist mucosa, regular heart rate and blood pressure, elastic skin
turgor, urinary frequency and clarity (Van Riet-Naples et al. 2015).
References
Arnold, E. C., & Boggs, K. U. (2019). Interpersonal Relationships E-Book: Professional
Communication Skills for Nurses. Saunders.

CHILD DEVELOPMENT 5
Dow, B. L., Kenardy, J. A., Long, D. A., & Le Brocque, R. M. (2019). Cognitive/affective
factors are associated with children’s acute posttraumatic stress following pediatric
intensive care. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 11(1), 55.
Van Riet-Naples, D. A., Ferreira, J. A., Schobben, A. F., de Neef, B. J., Egberts, T. C., &
Rademaker, C. M. (2015). Methods of administering oral formulations and child
acceptability. International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 491(1-2), 261-267.