CASE STUDY ASSIGNMENT: ASSESSMENT OF NUTRITION IN CHILDREN
When seeking to identify a patient’s health condition, advanced practice nurses can use a diverse selection of diagnostic tests and assessment tools; however, different factors affect the validity and reliability of the results produced by these tests or tools. Nurses must be aware of these factors in order to select the most appropriate test or tool and to accurately interpret the results.
Not only do these diagnostic tests affect adults, body measurements can provide a general picture of whether a child is receiving adequate nutrition or is at risk for health issues. These data, however, are just one aspect to be considered. Lifestyle, family history, and culture—among other factors—are also relevant. That said, gathering and communicating this information can be a delicate process.
For this Assignment, you will consider examples of children with various weight issues. You will explore how you could effectively gather information and encourage parents and caregivers to be proactive about their children’s health and weight.
To prepare:
- Review this week’s Learning Resources and consider factors that impact the validity and reliability of various assessment tools and diagnostic tests. You also will review examples of pediatric patients and their families as it relates to BMI.
- Based on the risks you might identify consider what further information you would need to gain a full understanding of the child’s health. Think about how you could gather this information in a sensitive fashion.
- Consider how you could encourage parents or caregivers to be proactive toward the child’s health.
Students will:
- Evaluate the validity and reliability of assessment tools and diagnostic tests
- Analyze diversity considerations in health assessments
- Apply concepts, theories, and principles related to examination techniques, functional assessments, and cultural and diversity awareness in health assessment
- Apply assessment skills to collect patient health histories
Scenario:
- 17 year old normal weight female high school student with anxiety who lives in a dorm with her normal weight roommate who has depression
Assignment: Child Health Case:
Include the following:
- An explanation of the health issues and risks that are relevant to the child you were assigned.
- Describe additional information you would need in order to further assess his or her weight-related health.
- Identify and describe any risks and consider what further information you would need to gain a full understanding of the child’s health. Think about how you could gather this information in a sensitive fashion.
- Taking into account the parents’ and caregivers’ potential sensitivities, list at least three specific questions you would ask about the child to gather more information.
- Provide at least two strategies you could employ to encourage the parents or caregivers to be proactive about their child’s health and weight.
Learning Resource:
- Ball, J. W., Dains, J. E., Flynn, J. A., Solomon, B. S., & Stewart, R. W. (2023). Seidel’s guide to physical examination: An interprofessional approach (10th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby.
- Chapter 3, “Examination Techniques and Equipment”
This chapter explains the physical examination techniques of inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation. This chapter also explores special issues and equipment relevant to the physical exam process. - Chapter 8, “Growth and Nutrition”
In this chapter, the authors explain examinations for growth, gestational age, and pubertal development. The authors also differentiate growth among the organ systems.
- Chapter 3, “Examination Techniques and Equipment”
- Ball, J. W., Dains, J. E., Flynn, J. A., Solomon, B. S., & Stewart, R. W. (2019). Student checklist: Health history guide Download Student checklist: Health history guide. In Seidel’s guide to physical examination (9th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby.
Credit Line: Seidel’s Guide to Physical Examination, 9th Edition by Ball, J. W., Dains, J. E., Flynn, J. A., Solomon, B. S., & Stewart, R. W. Copyright 2019 by Elsevier Health Sciences. Reprinted by permission of Elsevier Health Sciences via the Copyright Clearance Center. - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, April 9). Childhood overweight & obesityLinks to an external site.. http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/
This website provides information about overweight and obese children. Additionally, the website provides basic facts about obesity and strategies to counteracting obesity. - Dains, J. E., Baumann, L. C., & Scheibel, P. (2019). Advanced health assessment and clinical diagnosis in primary care (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby.
Credit Line: Advanced Health Assessment and Clinical Diagnosis in Primary Care, 6th Edition by Dains, J.E., Baumann, L. C., & Scheibel, P. Copyright 2019 by Mosby. Reprinted by permission of Mosby via the Copyright Clearance Center.- Chapter 1, “Clinical Reasoning, Evidence-Based Practice, and Symptom Analysis”
This chapter introduces the diagnostic process, which includes performing an analysis of the symptoms and then formulating and testing a hypothesis. The authors discuss how becoming an expert clinician takes time and practice in developing clinical judgment.
- Chapter 1, “Clinical Reasoning, Evidence-Based Practice, and Symptom Analysis”
- Nyante, S. J., Benefield, T. S., Kuzmiak, C. M., Earnhardt, K., Pritchard, M., & Henderson, L. M. (2021). Population‐level impact of coronavirus disease 2019 on breast cancer screening and diagnostic proceduresLinks to an external site.. Cancer, 127(12), 2111–2121. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.33460
- Seidel, H. M., Ball, J. W., Dains, J. E., Flynn, J. A., Solomon, B. S., & Stewart, R. W. (2011). History subjective data checklist. In Mosby’s guide to physical examination (7th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby.
Credit Line: Mosby’s Guide to Physical Examination, 7th Edition by Seidel, H. M., Ball, J. W., Dains, J. E., Flynn, J. A., Solomon, B. S., & Stewart, R. W. Copyright 2011 by Elsevier. Reprinted by permission of Elsevier via the Copyright Clearance Center.
- Sullivan, D. D. (2019). Guide to clinical documentation (3rd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: F. A. Davis.
- Chapter 2, “The Comprehensive History and Physical Exam” (Previously read in Week 1)
- Chapter 5, “Pediatric Preventative Care Visits” (pp. 91 101)
Use the following resources to guide you through your Shadow Health orientation as well as other support resources:
- Shadow Health. (2021). Welcome to your introduction to Shadow HealthLinks to an external site.. https://link.shadowhealth.com/Student-Orientation-Video
- Shadow Health. (n.d.). Shadow Health help deskLinks to an external site.. Retrieved from https://support.shadowhealth.com/hc/en-us
- Shadow Health. (2021). Walden University quick start guide: NURS 6512 NP students. Download Walden University quick start guide: NURS 6512 NP students. https://link.shadowhealth.com/Walden-NURS-6512-Student-Guide
- Document: Shadow Health Nursing Documentation Tutorial Download Shadow Health Nursing Documentation Tutorial(Word document)