Clinical Skills Manual for Pediatric Nursing

Ruth C. McGillis Bindler received her B.S.N. from Cornell University—New York Hospital School of Nursing in New York. She worked in oncology nursing at Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, and then moved to Wisconsin and became a public health nurse in Dane County, Wisconsin. Thus began her commitment to work with children as she visited children and their families at home, and served as a school nurse for several elementary, middle, and high schools. Due to this interest in child healthcare needs, she earned her MS. in child development from the University of Wisconsin. A move to Washington State was accompanied by a new job as a faculty member at the Intercollegiate Center for Nursing Education in Spokane, Washington. Dr. Bindler has been fortunate to be involved for over 30 years in the growth of this nursing education consortium, which is a combination of public and private universities and colleges and is now the Washington State University/Intercollegiate College of Nursing. She has taught theory and clinical courses in child health nursing, cultural diversity and health, graduate research, pharmacology, and assessment, as well as serving as lead faculty for child health nursing. She is presently interim associate dean for the college’s graduate programs. Her first professional book, Pediatric Medications, was published in 1981, and she has continued to publish articles and books in the areas of pediatric medications and pediatric health. Research efforts are focused in the area of childhood obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular risk factors in children. Ethnic diversity has been another theme in her work. She facilitates international and other diversity experiences for students and performs research with culturally diverse children. Dr. Bindler believes that her role as a faculty member has enabled her to learn continually, to foster the development of students in nursing, and to participate fully in the profession of nursing. In addition to teaching, research, publication, and leadership, she enhances her life by service in several professional and community activities, and by activities with her family.    Jane W. Ball graduated from the Johns Hopkins Hospital School of Nursing, and subsequently received a B.S. from the Johns Hopkins University. She worked in the surgical, emergency, and outpatient units of the Johns Hopkins Children’s Medical and Surgical Center, first as a staff nurse and then as a pediatric nurse practitioner. This began her career as a pediatric nurse and advocate for children’s health needs. Jane obtained both a master of public health and doctor of public health degree from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health with a focus on maternal and child health. After graduation she became the chief of child health services for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Health. In this capacity she oversaw the state-funded well-child clinics and explored ways to improve education for the state’s community health nurses. After relocating to Texas, she joined the faculty at the University of Texas at Arlington School of Nursing to teach community pediatrics to registered nurses returning to school for a BS.N. During this time she became involved in writing her first textbook, Mosby’s Guide to Physical Examination, which is currently in its sixth edition. After relocating to the Washington, D.C., area, she joined Children’s National Medical Center to manage a federal project to teach instructors of emergency medical technicians from all states about the special care children need during an emergency. Exposure to the shortcomings of the emergency medical services system in the late 1980s with regard to pediatric care was a career-changing event. With federal funding, she developed educational curricula for emergency medical technicians and emergency nurses to help them provide improved care for children. A textbook entitled Pediatric Emergencies, A Manual for Prehospital Providers was developed from these educational ventures. For 15 years she has managed the federally funded Emergency Medical Services for Children National Resource Center. As executive director, Dr. Ball directed the provision of consultation and resource development for state health agencies, health professionals, families, and advocates about successful methods to improve the health care system so that children get optimal emergency care in all health care settings. She recently left this position to devote more time to writing and to become a consultant on emergency medical services and state trauma system development.      

Table of Contents

1          Protective methods

2          Informed consent

3          Newborn

4          Positioning and restraining therapies

5          Transporting the child

6          Physical assessment

7          Specimen collection

8          Administration of medication and irrigations

9          Intravenous access

10        Pain assessment and management

11        Cardiorespiratory care

12        Nutrition

13        Elimination

14        Skin and musculoskeletal care

Appendix A: Physical growth charts

Appendix B: Blood pressure values by age, sex, and height percentiles

Appendix C: West nomogram–body surface area