The Scope of Pediatric Nursing: The Interplay of Developmental and Psychosocial Needs With the Demands of Illness

Abstract

Pediatric nursing research reflects the scope of pediatric nursing in an effort to better understand the dynamic interplay between the health, developmental, and psychosocial needs of children, adolescents, and their families in relation to the demands of illness. THE SCOPE OF pediatric nursing is broad, spanning developmental age groups from neonates, infants, and children to adolescents across the health and illness continuum, as well as within a variety of settings, including hospital, primary care and specialty clinics, home, school, and community. Children's developmental needs are interrelated with their psychosocial needs, and both are influenced by the demands of illness. Moreover, pediatric nursing has a dual focus on children and on their parents and families because children are dependent upon them to provide nurturance and care. This complex interplay of developmental and psychosocial needs with the demands of illness creates the context for pediatric nursing care. Pediatric nursing practice is characterized by providing care to infants, children, and adolescents; creating partnerships with parents; teaching parents about their children's health and how to manage illness (Hockenberry & Wilson, 2009); and providing anticipatory guidance (Hagan, Shaw, & Duncan, 2008). Educating parents about their child's health and psychosocial and developmental needs is an essential element of pediatric nursing practice (Hockenberry & Wilson, 2009) and improves parenting ability and quality of life (Christian, 2010a). Best practices for pediatric nursing integrate the health, developmental, and psychosocial needs of children with the demands of illness to provide the best quality of care for children, adolescents, and their families (Christian, 2010b). To that end, nursing research with children and adolescents reflects this breadth and depth of the scope of pediatric nursing practice in an effort to better understand the dynamic interplay between the health, developmental, and