Navigating through the technical aspects of healthcare in school has been more like a tapestry where the hospital setting is a piece of my life. This is where the holistic care of school nurses and the comforting touch of pediatric nurses emerge as the key that will shape childrearing health requirements. We will unfold the pages of multi-setting healthcare along the way, addressing clinical reasoning as a sequence of dance, the harmonious melody of inter-professional collaboration, and the subtle balance of professional core value blended into the practice of family-centered care while I, as a student nurse, find myself at a juncture where theoretical nurses meet the position of a practicing one.
Clinical reasoning turned out not to be just a theory but a safety line to me along the busy corridors of the pediatric ward. I witnessed an expert pediatric nurse with eyes revealing years of understanding guiding the assessment of a school-aged patient with more serious asthma symptoms than usual, for which control had been unable to be regained even with standard therapy protocols (Christian, 2023). Each time the child took hollow breaths, the nurse was connecting those delicate fibers of the child’s medical story, the present presentation, and the silent language of vital signs on a carpet that demanded another plan of nursing. Taking into consideration these complex challenges, the physician engaged with the healthcare team in a critical conversation in which she offered the examination of the respiratory system as a complete whole.
As a core feature of childrearing health in the microcosm of nursing care, collaboration pervades and, in both hospital settings and the community hub of the school, is represented. My rotation in the school nursing department included my seeing a specialist nurse working alongside dietitians, social workers, and special education teachers perfectly to adapt a health plan for a diabetic-specific student, giving them education and medical services at the same time. Moreover, working in a pediatric clinic, the nurse equally demonstrated how the involvement of other specialists is needed and coordinated the care with physicians, respiratory therapists, and pharmacists to optimize the care of children after operations (Seniwati, 2023). The combination of knowledge and expertise, amid the values of mutual respect and a shared objective of the child’s welfare, not only provided the best available care but also created a support network that encircled the child and family in the last analysis.
In the nursing clinic, my case was a child presenting with symptoms of an allergic reaction, while the school nurse was able to do an assessment using the nursing process. Within a short time, she identified hives and caught her breath. She acted promptly by giving her the EpiPen as outlined in the child’s health plan and closely observing the symptoms, sharing strong skills. Concurrently, nurses in the hospital setting have dealt with fluid imbalance problems in small children (Hogan et al.,2023). For instance, a Newborn gastroenteritis patient was found to have dehydration in the hospital that was mostly monitored by a pediatric nurse, who started rehydration therapy, linked the family with procedures, and offered oral rehydration for the same medical condition to the family. Besides such acts, the patients and their families were also twice educated and directed on how to manage their conditions as the teachers; this proved the doctor’s application of the nursing theory successfully in a multicultural setting.
Leading the way in childcare, professional core values orient nurses to use them as a fundamental map in the circumstantial sea of childrearing health requirements. Healthcare settings turn into a textured canvas where these values come to life, either through grieving with a student who is having an asthma attack, practicing distinct protocols for children of varied ethnicities, or generating accurate health records and carrying out ongoing health education programs (Goddard et al.,2022). Moreover, in the hospital, pediatric nurses are concerned with the same values as they integrate empathetic care that respects the unique needs of each family; they advocate for equal treatment, maintain ethical standards amidst complex care decisions, and strive for excellence in every procedure and patient encounter.
The school nurse works as the health shield of all the students on the premises and takes on all health-related duties with diligence and accuracy. Eagerly watching and supporting, these individuals are well-versed in applying the steps of the nursing process to investigate and have a result-focused approach to a range of students’ medical care issues. Their role is more elaborate; they serve as the axle that holds students, administrators, and healthcare professionals together; thus, learning barriers rooted in ill health are identified and conquered (Ernst et al.,2020). Consequently, the school nurse stands out as the very person who educates the school children about health issues, ensures the proper management of chronic conditions, and for a healthier school environment around which the minds of the youth flourish free from health concerns, thus fully empowering the students to achieve both academic and personal excellence.
The hectic dynamic of the pediatric ward mirrors the strong role of a pediatric nurse in healthcare provision through skilled interventions and family-centered care. These detailed nurses could be called on to handle the diversity of acute and chronic conditions requiring emotional caring and exceptional professionalism. They deliver care for a range of diseases like cystic fibrosis and metabolic diseases ahead of others, demonstrating the closeness to their patients, the intervenors in pediatric diseases from different perspectives (Goddard et al.,2022). The pediatric nurse’s role is not limited to a bedside nurse; he or she spends time educating a child’s family, coordinates with a multidisciplinary team, and is a contributor to forming a culture of safety and maintaining a standard of improvement, which enables each child’s stay to be a journey of not just healing, but also being imbued with caring, and the support
School nurses and pediatric nurses are vital in the process of achieving the health goals for children. It is their clinical reasoning utilization within a team-based approach, adherence to a plan of care development incorporating the nursing process, and observance of the code of practice that help differentiate seasoned ICU nurses from others. What these experiential opportunities have done, besides teaching me the different yet similar nature of each of the places, has also illustrated that nurses are disciplinary professionals with a heart. Interestingly, this appraisal affirms several aspects of pediatric nursing, including the level of effort vital in rearing such innocent children and the contribution that can be realized through this effort to the community and hospital.
Christian, B. J. (2023). Translational research – Sustaining pediatric nursing excellence when confronted with the COVID-19 pandemic: Anxiety and stress among parents, children, and pediatric nurses. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 68, 106–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2022.12.021
Ernst, K. D., & Care, C. on H. (2020). Resources Recommended for the Care of Pediatric Patients in Hospitals. Pediatrics, 145(4). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2020-0204
Goddard, A., Janicek, E., & Etcher, L. (2022). Trauma-informed care for the pediatric nurse. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 62, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2021.11.003
Hogan, T. H., O’Rourke, B., Weeks, E., Silvera, G. A., & Choi, S. (2023). Top-level leaders and implementation strategies to support organizational diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) interventions: a qualitative study of top-level DEIB leaders in healthcare organizations. Implementation Science, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-023-01319-7
Seniwati, T., Rustina, Y., Nurhaeni, N., & Wanda, D. (2023). Patient and family-centered care for children: A concept analysis. Belitung Nursing Journal, 9(1), 17–24. https://doi.org/10.33546/bnj.2350