Family Health Care Nursing: An Introduction
OBJECTIVES:
1.
The
Child in Context of the Family
2.
Child And Family Communication
No
other factor in a child's life has a greater influence than the family, which
is the first and generally, the most important socializing agent
in one's life. Successful socialization is the process by which children
acquire the beliefs, values, and behaviors deemed significant by society and
is, to a large degree, a function of parenting and other familial interactions.
The family's organization, structure, and function have significant impacts on
children during growth and development. Nurses caring for children must
consider the entire family, rather than just the child, as the client. This
chapter reviews several family theories relevant to pediatric nursing,
discusses the various family structures in today's society, and concludes with
a discussion of parenting.
DEFINITION OF THE FAMILY
The
family, despite its changing and increasingly diverse nature, remains the basic
social unit. Two ways that nurses identify families have been described by Gilliss (1993). The first views the family as context; the
second sees the family as a client. When families are treated as the context
within which individuals are assessed, the emphasis is on the individual (family
as context).
Conversely
when the nurse treats the family as a set of interacting parts and emphasizes
assessment of the dynamics among these parts rather than the individual parts
themselves (family members), the family as a whole, rather than the individual
members, becomes the client (family as client). In either case, the
nurse must grasp the interacting aspects of the family, to understand the
context within which the individual lives and to which she or he reacts, or to
work with the family as client (Hitchcock, 1999).
Definitions
of the family differ depending on one's discipline and theoretical orientation.
The legal definition emphasizes relationships through blood ties, adoption,
guardianship, or marriage. The biological definition focuses on perpetuating
the species. Sociologists define the family as a group of people living
together; psychologists define it as a group with strong emotional ties.
Traditional
definitions usually include a legally married woman and man with their
children. This narrow definition is reflected in the U.S. Bureau of the Census
(2000) definition of family as a group of two or more persons related by birth,
marriage, or adoption and residing together. The Census Bureau has used this
same definition for years. However, this traditional definition fails to
address the diversity of family structures present in
THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF FAMILY NURSING
Nursing has consistently had an interest in families
and has acknowledged its importance in relation to health. A number of theories
of families in nursing and social sciences give insight into understanding its
dynamics and processes.
Nursing Theories
Early nursing theories focused on the individual and
considered the family only as part of the client's context. However, some
theorists have enlarged their perspectives to include the family as the client.
Neuman's System Theory Neuman's
(1983) theory is consistent with a family systems approach. Originally, her
theory did not discuss the family as
such, but it was later expanded to include the family as the recipient
of nursing care (Neuman, 1972). The family is
described as an appropriate target for both assessment and nursing
interventions. The way each member expresses self influences
the whole and creates the basic structure of the family. The major goal of the
nurse is to help keep the structure stable within its environment.
King's Open Systems Theory King viewed the
family as a social system that influences the growth and development of
individuals (King, 1981). The family is seen as both context (environment) and
client. Her theory of goal attainment is useful for nurses when assisting
families to set goals to maintain their health or cope with problems or
illness. She believes that nurses are partners with families. The role of
nursing is to help members become healthy enough to function in their roles.
Social Sciences Theories
A number of theories from the social sciences help
to explain families; however, there is little consensus about which are the
major ones. Therefore, for the purpose of this chapter, three will be examined:
structural-functional, developmental, and general systems.
Structural-Functional Theory The
structural-functional theory emphasizes the organization or structure of the
family and how this structure facilitates its functioning. It characterizes the
family as a social system and examines the relationship between the members as
they carry out family functions (Friedman, 1998). Basic assumptions of this theory are as
follows:
• The family is viewed as part of the social system,
with individuals being parts of the family system.
• The family, as a social system, performs functions
that serve both the individual and society.
• Individuals act in accordance with a set of
internalized norms and values that are learned primarily in the family through
socialization.
Family structure refers to the ordered set of
relationships among the parts, and between the family and other social systems.
Family structure or organization is evaluated based on how well it fulfills its
functions, and the goals important to its members and society. The structure
serves to facilitate the achievement of the functions. To determine family
structure, the nurse must identify the individuals that make up the family,
their relationships to each other, and the relationships between the family and
other social systems.
Five functions of the family have been identified
that are important for nurses to understand (Friedman, 1998):
• Affective
• Socialization and
social placement
• Reproductive
• Economic
• Health care
The affective function is one of the most vital
functions for the formation and continuation of the family unit. This function
refers to the family meeting the needs for love and belonging of each member.
The family is a home base where the individuals can express their true feelings
and thoughts without fear of rejection. The family is the social milieu for the
generation and maintenance of affection, where one is first loved and given to,
and learns to love and give in return.
Although the affective function is important for all
families, those that must focus on providing the basic physical necessities of
life have minimal energy remaining to meet the affective needs. Socialization
and social placement function refers to teaching children how to function and
assume adult social roles. This function involves the acquisition of internal
controls needed for self-discipline and values such as what is right and wrong
according to society. Socialization occurs predominately in the family, and
caregivers are the primary agent (Gelles, 1995). The
continuity of both the family and society continues to be ensured through the
reproductive function. In the past, marriage and the family were designed to
control sexual behavior as well as reproduction. Individuals considered it
their responsibility to marry, have many children, and rear those children
within the bounds of marriage. The reproductive function is carried out very
differently today. Many single people are having children, including
adolescents, and many married couples are remaining childless.
Reproduction has also been influenced by
technological advances such as artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization,
and surrogate mothers.
The economic function involves the family's
provision of sufficient resources and their effective allocation. An assessment
of the family's economic resources provides the nurse with information about
their ability to appropriately allocate these resources to meet needs such as
food, shelter, clothing, and health care. By gaining an understanding of how a
family distributes its resources, the nurse can also obtain a perspective about
their value system. One responsibility of the nurse is to assist families in
obtaining appropriate community resources to meet their needs.
The health care function includes provision of
physical necessities to keep the family healthy, such as food, clothing, and
shelter as well as health care (Friedman, 1998). The family keeps its members
well by passing on attitudes, values, and behaviors that promote health and by
caring for them in times of illness.
The structural-functional approach is very useful
for assessing family life because it enables the nurse to examine the family
system holistically, in parts, and interactionally
with other institutions and the wider society. A limitation of this theoiy is that it tends to present a static view of the
family and minimizes the importance of growth and change (Friedman, 1998).
Developmental Theory
The developmental or life-cycle theory is based on
the premise that families evolve through predictable developmental stages, and
experience growth and development in much the same way as individuals. Stages
begin with marriage followed by childbirth and child rearing. Each stage is
characterized by specific issues and tasks. Developmental theories explain the
changes that occur in human organisms or groups over time. This approach is
based on the following assumptions (Duvall, 1977):
• Critical role transitions of individual members,
such as birth, retirement, and death of a spouse, are viewed as resulting in a
distinct change in the family life patterns.
• Families develop and change over time in
predictable ways.
• Families and their members perform certain timespecific tasks that are decided upon by themselves,
within their cultural and societal context.
• Family behavior is the sum of the previous
experiences of its members as incorporated in the present and in their
expectations for the future.
The best known formulation of the developmental
stages comes from Duvall (1977; Duvall & Miller, 1985), who identified
eight chronological stages through which the family passes. Each stage includes
predictable tasks that the family must master prior to proceeding to the next
one. Table 3-1 delineates the stages of family development and tasks of each
stage. An advantage of the developmental approach is that it provides nurses
with information about what to expect of families at different points in their
life cycle and, thus, what teaching and counseling services may be needed. This
theory also provides criteria for assessing a family's current stage and its
ability to accomplish the tasks of this stage. The nurse is then able to
support the family in order to progress smoothly from one stage to another.
There are several limitations of the developmental theory.
It has a middle class bias and it assumes homogeneity (two caregivers, nuclear family) and that
young adults marry in their early twenties before they develop a career.
Additionally, this theory views the family from a traditional perspective. It
does not take into consideration the diversity of family forms found in today's
society, such as divorced, remarried, single-parent, and gay or lesbian
families. The focus of the developmental approach is primarily child rearing;
however, today this activity occupies less than half of a woman's adult life
span. Thus, child rearing is no longer the central focus of the life cycle.
Family Systems Theory
The family systems approach is based on the general
systems theory developed by von Bertanlanffy (1968),
which describes principles that govern all living systems. One of the central
propositions of the general systems theory is that the system is not the total
sum of its parts but is characterized by wholeness and unity. Family theorists
have applied these principles to explain how families interact with their
members and with society. The family is defined as a system characterized by
continual interaction between its members and with the environment. The interrelationships
in a family system are closely tied together so that a change in one
member results in a change in the other members. Therefore, one cannot
understand the family as a whole by only knowing each of its members. The
interrelationships of the members with each other and with the larger society
must be analyzed.
FAMILY ASSESSMENT
Family assessment is the process of collecting
data about the family structure, and the relationships and interactions among
individual members. It is a continuously evolving process of data collection.
Data about the family are systematically collected using predetermined
guidelines or questions, and then classified and analyzed according to their
meaning. Nursing diagnoses can then be generated, with goals and interventions
for care created in collaboration with the child and caregivers.
Assessment Instruments
Two of the most commonly used instruments for
developing a family database are the genogram and the ecomap.
Neither requires the purchase of a standardized assessment instrument; yet,
both have the advantage of providing a means for interacting with children and
their family members in a nonthreatening way to obtain data about potentially
complex and difficult issues (Kodadek, 2000).
A genogram is a format for drawing a family
tree that records information about family members and their relationships over
a period of time, usually three generations. It is a method of mapping the
structure of the family and to record the health history of all members
(morbidity, mortality, and onset of illnesses), thus revealing information
about genetic and familial diseases. The genogram displays the family visually
and graphically in a way that provides a quick overview of family complexities.
It is also an efficient and nonjudgmental way to convey information about a
family to other health care providers. Figure 3-1 is an example of a
genogram/family tree.
An ecomap - is
a visual representation of a family in relation to the community. It
demonstrates the nature and quality of family relationships and what kinds of
resources or energies are going in and out of the family. Figure 3-2 shows a
family ecomap. This assessment instrument is useful
in identifying the strengths of family networks and what resources they have
available during stressful times or crises.
An in-depth family assessment requires a significant
amount of time, and every family does not need a comprehensive assessment.
However, when a nurse identifies a family at risk for dysfunction, such an
assessment may be required. Referral to other health care professionals and
community organizations is appropriate in these situations. Assessment
information can be obtained through interviewing and questioning, observing
interactions between members, and utilizing a family assessment instrument.
Ideally, all family members are included in the interview, and it takes place
in the child's home. At a minimum, the child and primary caregivers are
assessed.
Several family assessment instruments are available.
Criteria for the selection of an instrument are listed in
FAMILY STRUCTURE
The structure of the family refers to how it is
organized— i.e., the manner in which members relate to one another, and the
form it takes, such as nuclear or blended. During the past 40 years,
Today, society is composed of a greater multiplicity
of values, lifestyles, and family forms than ever before. The two-parent
nuclear family consisting of a mother and father bonded by marriage with one or
more children no longer reflects contemporary lifestyles. Knowledge of a
child's family structure helps the nurse to determine the communication patterns
and decision-making authority within the family unit (Grossman, 1996). Such
information is vital when the nurse is deciding who will be involved in making
decisions related to heath care.
Nuclear Family
The nuclear family is defined as a husband, wife,
and their children—biological, adopted, or both (Friedman, 1998) (Figure 3-4).
No other individuals, relatives or nonrelatives, live in the household. The
nuclear family form became common after World War II, and, until recently, it
was considered the most common family form. However, with the increase in
divorce rates, nonmarital childbearing, and
cohabitation outside of marriage, family forms other than the nuclear family
have proliferated. Currently, in the
Figure 3-4 Family structure is
different for every family; thus the nurse needs to understand this structure to
determine communication patterns and decision-making authority.
Extended Family
The extended family consists of those members of the
nuclear family and other blood-related persons such as grandparents, aunts,
uncles, and cousins (Figure 3-5). This family structure was prominent in the
1800s in the
Figure 3-5 Members of an extended
family benefit from the sharing of responsibilities and resources.
Blended (or Step) Family
A blended or stepfamily occurs when a divorced,
widowed, or never-married single parent forms a household with a new partner;
both partners or only one may have children. The formation of a stepfamily can
present many stresses for the parent, stepparent, and children. In the new
stepfamily, there has been no time to blend family styles and traditions, or to
negotiate parenting. Additionally, there has not been time to establish or
nurture the marriage. A remarried parent must deal with many strong emotions,
and feeling a special loyalty to one's own biological children may create
conflicts with the new spouse. The remarried couple may be unable to form a new
spousal relationship because to do so would appear to be a betrayal of the
intimacy between parent and child. This issue frequently conflicts with the
needs of the new spouse, who may feel like an outsider in an established
household. Stepfamilies in which both adults have children from a previous
marriage living with them have the greatest incidence of redivorce
(Witrak, 1997). Divorces occur more frequently and
rapidly in remarriages than in first marriages, with onefourth
of remarriages being disrupted within 5 years (Hetherington &
Stanley-Hagan, 1999).
Stepparents and biological parents often believe that
the growth of the new family will be instantaneous. The time required to create
the stepfamily is usually longer than the adults expect. The stepparent should
make clear to the children that she or he does not consider herself or himself
to be a replacement for a dead or absent parent. Instead, the stepparent is
another adult who can meet some of the child's needs for closeness and love.
Parental relationships need time to build. With older children, they may never
fully materialize (Visher & Visher,
1995).
The transition to a stepfamily is also stressful for
the children. Having suffered the loss of one of their parents and typically
the loss of familiar surroundings, children may encounter a new series of
losses, and suffer loyalty conflicts and loss of control. The adults have
chosen to make major changes in their lives; the children have had those
changes imposed on them. Feelings of sibling rivalry are more intense in the
stepfamily as the children feel jealousy, insecurity, and a fear that a new sibling
is more loved.
Enhancing understanding of a child's
condition can reduce fear and pain, as well as encourage active participation in
care decisions (Rushforth, 1999). This understanding is
especially enhanced when effective communication occurs among nursing staff,
children, and their care-givers
and families. In fact, the
ability to communicate effectively is recognized
as a basic and central component in delivering care to children and their caregivers (Riesch,
1997; Stuart & Sundeen, 1995). Therefore, it is essential that nurses practice
and integrate effective communication skills into every facet of interaction. Effective
communication expressed in an
authentic, nonjudgmental, em pathetic manner improves
not only the quality of care but also
determines the success of relationships
established in delivering care. Since one cannot not communicate, learning effective communication skills is
essential to delivering effective care and
can be compared to learning aseptic skills; once one understands the principles behind effective communication,
one can integrate these principles
into practice.
Communication is defined as the exchange of
meanings between
and among individuals through a shared system of symbols. The sender, message,
channel, receiver, and feedback are major components of the communication
process. The
sender generates a message in response to a need to relate to others, to create
meaning, or to understand various situations. The message is a verbal or
nonverbal stimulus produced by a sender and responded to by a receiver. The channel is the medium through which a
message is transmitted. It may be visual, auditory, or kinesthetic. Visual channels include sight,
observation, and perception. Auditory channels include the spoken word and cues. Kinesthetic channels include
sensations experienced, as in touch. The receiver is the person intercepting the sender's
message. Feedback provides the sender with information from the receiver about the
message. The sender can then adjust the message so that it is understood more
effectively by
the receiver the next time it is sent (Estes, 2002).
Communication is both talking and listening. Nurses must be able to not only use
words to explain information to caregivers and children, but also to listen to
what caregivers and children say. The ability to prepare and present ideas, feelings, and thoughts accurately
(by talking) and to respond to messages accurately (by listening) reduces
distortion and results in effective communication.
BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION
Barriers
to communication include physical factors and psychological factors.
Physical or environmental factors include the
physical space or distance between the receiver and sender, the temperature or ventilation in the
environment, and distracting noises
such as the radio or television. They can
also include health status, especially if the child (or family) is disoriented or has a hearing or visual
handicap. Since effective
communication will not occur when children and families do not understand the medical terminology used, explanations should include common words and simple
terms. Finally, hearing or speech difficulties, including accents and speech impediments, may become barriers
for some (Estes, 2002; Marquis &
Huston, 1992).
Psychosocial
barriers include one's personal judgments, past experience, emotions, developmental level, or
social values. Preconceived ideas and
allowing feelings to influence behavior,
opinions, or beliefs may also be problematic. Expressions of personal
opinions need to be carefully shared with
children and their caregivers since nurses represent authority figures.
Finally, facial expressions that convey disapproval
may become a psychosocial barrier if the child or family suspects disapproval (Estes, 2002; Marquis & Huston, 1992).
MODES OF COMMUNICATION
Communication can be examined and
described according to whether it is formal/informal or verbal/nonverbal. Formal
communication
refers
to communication that occurs in an organized way, with a particular agenda, as when
teaching a child's care to the caregiver upon discharge. Formal communication needs to be clear and
understandable. Informal communication occurs when individuals talk using
no particular agenda or protocol. Often, informal communication occurs
sporadically when caring for children and their caregivers in day-to-day interactions.
VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Verbal communication refers to messages that are communicated through words and
language (Estes, 2002). Verbal communication is most effective if it is brief, clear,
effectively toned,
paced appropriately, relevant, and well timed. The receiver will be confused if more
words than necessary are used or if the speaker does not speak slowly and clearly. Important points should be
repeated and medical jargon avoided, especially when talking to children and their
caregivers and families. Messages also need appropriate pacing; they should
not be too slow or fast,
and there should be few pauses and periods of silence. Only important and
relevant information
should be conveyed, and the tone should be pleasant. Messages should also be
sent at the appropriate time.
For example, teaching will not be effective if delivered when children are in pain or have visitors, or
when caregivers are preoccupied with
personal thoughts. When interacting with
families, it is also essential to convey interest and warmth; to avoid distractions, yes/no questions,
and personal bias; and not to monopolize the
conversation. Paraverbal cues, also
part of verbal communication, include the tone and pitch of the voice; volume, inflection, and speed; and grunts or other vocalizations not considered
language (Luckman,
1999). These cues add meaning to the words spoken, and can and often do influence the listener more than the
actual words themselves (Estes, 2002). Confusion results when verbal messages are inaccurate or unreliable.
NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
Nonverbal
communication conveys
feelings, attitudes, and intentions (Luckman, 1999). It enables one
to decode verbal
communication and transcend the literal content of the message. Nonverbal communication
is especially apparent when emotions cause observable body changes, and comes through more powerfully and
effectively when there is incongruence between the verbal and the nonverbal message.
In fact, most communication is nonverbal, and most verbal communication contradicts
nonverbal messages. Nonverbal
communication is important because the listener will believe the nonverbal message
rather than the verbal message if they contradict each other. Therefore, it
is critical to always consider nonverbal communication in any interaction since it contributes to what
others "hear."
Nonverbal communication also includes spatial relationships (the
distance between participants); appearance (clothing, grooming, hair style); eye contact; body posture
(slouching, standing erect with the head
leaning to receiver); gestures
(which sometimes add emphasis to words); facial expressions (which need to agree with the message); timing (hesitation may imply untruthfulness or diminish
the effect of the message); and, with
children especially, touch (Luckman, 1999) (Figure 13-1). In fact, touch maybe one of the most important communicative behaviors nurses
use since it conveys warmth,
understanding, affection, willingness
to become involved, nurturance, and caring (Fredriksson, 1999). Touch, however, may have
special meanings to children and their
families depending on their gender or
ethnic background. Therefore, nurses always need to be sensitive to the message transmitted when touching, since, for some, touch may mean concern and
empathy, whereas,
for others, it may mean
dominance, interpreted as the nurse
overstepping her bounds, or a desire for intimacy, resulting in uncomfortableness.
Figure 13-1 In the pediatric setting, nurses' demeanor and uniform are a nonverbal method of
communicating.
NURSE,
CHILD, AND FAMILY COMMUNICATION
Effective communication requires sensitivity to the
child and family's needs and a well-developed
and carefully thought-out plan. In
fact, the nurse's ability to establish a therapeutic relationship with children and their caregivers is
strongly tied to communication
abilities and must be a high priority for
all nurses as they
interact with clients and families. Nurses
always need to be aware of client and family needs for education and use communicative interactions
as an entree into providing new or
reinforcing old information.
Increasing knowledge and providing information regarding a child's illness, symptoms, care needed,
or developmental level can empower families and ultimately increase well-being. Before communication can be
effective, several key elements must be addressed, including establishing rapport, building trust, showing respect, conveying empathy,
listening actively, providing appropriate feedback, managing conflict, and
establishing professional boundaries (Figure 13-2).
Rapport and Trust
Nurses must develop trust and
rapport with clients, and clients must be willing to talk, listen, and provide honest answers. Nurses may also need
to be available and open to questions that
caregivers and children may have. To build rapport with the child and the caregivers, the nurse must be accepted by them and be
willing to discuss non-health-related issues to convey warmth and friendliness.
To establish trust, a nurse must
follow through on promises, keep appointments, respect patient
confidentiality, and carefully explain procedures in a way that is acceptable to the family (Luckman,
1999).
Respect
To
establish respect, the nurse should address the child by first name (the formal name unless given permission to
use a nickname) and the caregivers by Mr.,
Ms., or Mrs. and then the last name.
Before addressing the caregivers by first name, it is imperative that the
caregivers give their consent. Respect
is also conveyed by considering the family's feelings, cultural views, and values. Nurses need to convey
that they have time to spend with the
child and the family. This will allow the family to share their thoughts
and concerns and ask questions. If nurses
communicate they do not have time, for example, by standing near the
doorway, frequently looking at the clock
while talking, or confiding to the child and family how busy they are,
caregivers and children will soon believe that the nurse is too busy or doesn't really care. These messages interfere with establishing trust and
respect, and should be avoided.
Interference in establishing respect also occurs when a child is in isolation and nurses are required to wear gloves and masks. Indeed, children in these
situations may feel isolated since
they are not visited frequently and verbal
communication is muffled or difficult to understand. Therefore, the nurse should make a concerted effort
to speak more clearly without
appearing as if yelling. Smiling is also
important; although the child cannot see a smile from the nurse's mouth, since
it will be covered by a mask, the child
will see it in the nurses eyes.
Empathy
Empathy forms the basis of a
helping relationship and is an important element in communication. Empathy refers
to the ability to
put one's self in the other person's shoes—to feel as well as to intellectually
know what the other person is experiencing (Luckman, 1999).
|
Figure 1 3-2 When interacting with parents, nurses need to be sure the environment is conducive to
effective communication.
Empathetic nurses are able to appreciate and understand
children and caregivers as unique individuals, and allow them to feel cared
about and
accepted. For this to happen, the nurse's empathy needs to be integrated with
verbal and nonverbal behavior. Empathy, however, is not to be confused with sympathy.
The empathetic
nurse maintains a sense of objectivity, and is supportive, understanding, and
able to plan and implement helpful behaviors by teaching and giving examples that facilitate the ability of the
child and the caregivers to function in difficult and sad situations. The sympathetic nurse, on the other hand, offers
condolence and pity, and is not able to develop or carry out behaviors that
engage the child or parent in activities that help them to maintain their relationship and ability to
function in difficult situations. For example, Shawn, an 11-year-old boy with an
inoperable brain
tumor, is being cared for at home by his parents. The nurse sympathizer feels sorry for
Shawn and is often near tears when she looks at him and tries to talk to his
parents. She
assumes all of Shawn's care. The nurse empathizer would teach the parents how to
participate in Shawn's care, make suggestions on how to conserve Shawn's
energy, and outline
diversional activities that all might enjoy together given Shawn's condition. The
nurse empathizer would direct energy toward finding ways to enable the
parents to have
quality time and experiences with Shawn and might even "share tears with"
parents as they talk about what to expect in the end. The nurse empathizer is
able to establish an
accurate understanding of the child and the caregivers from their perspective, build
rapport, and relate to the child and caregivers in such a way as to allow them to
express their
feelings and concerns.
Listening
Listening consists of providing
verbal and nonverbal cues that communicate interest (Luckman,
1999). It is an activity that
requires attention and effort as one not only listens to the words of the child
and the caregivers, but one also listens to how
words are used and decides whether or not what is said is what is meant. Accurate listening does not happen
without effort. It requires actively
attending to what is verbalized, observed,
and created by the entire communication context (Fredriksson, 1999). It is important not to
allow one's mind to wonder, daydream, prejudge what is being said, or think
about what will be said as a response; one must listen attentively and wait for others to finish what they are saying.
Attentive listening goes beyond
hearing and includes what is not said or what is conveyed through gestures. Active listening also includes maintaining
eye contact, taking an open and relaxed posture, and facing the child or caregivers (Luckman,
1999). See
When
working with children and caregivers, the nurse should encourage and allow each
to give input, discuss concerns, express feelings, and acknowledge problems. Respecting other's feelings and views, and
appreciating each other's understandings and
fears even though they are different
than one's own are also important. While listening to children, the nurse must consider their
developmental level, cognition, and emotional behavior. Children who are social
and verbal may seem to be more in
control and able to understand, and think more logically and rationally
than children who engage in shy, clinging,
and dependent behaviors. Nurses
should use developmentally appropriate language and behavior with children and attend to their behavioral cues for clues as to their concerns and fears
(Figure 13-3). For example, a child
may continue talking and asking questions
in order to avoid beginning a treatment.
·
Be attentive; eliminate distractions. ·
Be clear about the message; clarify if necessary. ·
Be empathetic; convey concern and caring. ·
Be open minded; avoid prejudices |
Figure 1 3-3 Adolescents often need reassurance when they are to
undergo treatments or procedures.
Used with permission of Baystate Medical Center Children's Hospital
Providing Feedback
Providing feedback can include
nodding of the head, reflecting
back to the client what was said, asking questions to clarify, seeking validation from the client to
ensure one is talking about the same
thing, and focusing on a single idea and exploring it further. Focusing means to direct the conversation based on
a statement made by the client. For instance, during a conversation with
a child regarding her broken leg, the
child mentions that another child on the playground has been pushing her around. The nurse may want to
direct the conversation and delve more deeply into the fear the child may be experiencing due to the playground incident,
other violent interactions the child may have had in the past, and what may
occur during interactions in the future.
Conflict Management
There are three ways to approach
conflict resolution: win-win, lose-win, and win-lose. The win-win approach occurs when both parties are committed to
solving the conflict. They
work together toward a resolution, searching for a variety of ways to resolve the problem so that they are
able to finally arrive at a solution
acceptable to all parties. The lose-win situation occurs when one person
allows a resolution at their own expense;
the win-lose approach occurs when one person
resolves the conflict by having their needs and wants satisfied, but forces
others to agree with their solution. It is important for the nurse to strive for the win-win
approach. This allows the child and caregivers to feel in control, and there is more likelihood of adherence to
whatever decisions are made.
Professional Boundaries
The nurse should create and maintain professional
boundaries
in relationships with children and their caregivers. Therapeutic relationships should
be caring and empathetic, but should avoid emotional overinvolvement
and overprotec-tiveness. It is always helpful to explain to children and families the type of care that will be provided, when
the care will be provided, and how
both parents and children can assist in the care. Identifying needs and establishing expectations will enhance and facilitate interactions. The nurse
should never interfere with the
relationship between the child and the caregivers.
Rather, the nurse best serves the child by assisting the caregivers in caring for and nurturing the
child, and by recognizing the need of
the caregivers to feel accepted by the
professionals and to be recognized as important to the child's well-being. Finally, nurses should
avoid personal behaviors that signal overinvolvement such as socializing with the child or their family, sharing personal
information such as home addresses or telephone numbers, and giving or accepting gifts. See
Additional Skills Useful in Communicating
Several additional skills have been found especially useful when communicating with children
and their caregivers. These include observation, silence, being aware of the
environment, humor,
play, writing, drawing, and using third parties.
Observation
Observational skills enable the
nurse to validate and interpret what children and caregivers do not say.
Nonverbal behavior
provides meaningful information about what the child and caregivers are
communicating to each other and to the nurse. How words are delivered is as
important as what
words are used. Congruence between the meaning of the words and all other behaviors
validates the message. Observing the eyes (position, movement, gaze, and expression), mouth, furrowing of the
brow and nasolabial area, general emotional mood, bodily
movements, and posture is important. Cues also need to be interpreted from
within the child's
cultural perspective to avoid erroneous interpretations. For example, in some
cultures, eye contact and directness are signs of paying attention. However, in
other cultures, looking someone directly in the eye is considered rude. The
nurse should also observe the ways children and caregivers respond to each other's
request for attention, and behave and interact in disciplinary or nurturing
situations. These
observations can help the nurse assess the effectiveness of the communication
patterns between children and caregivers and allow development of
health-related strategies that are respectful of the relationship
o
Do not have contact with children and families after
discharge. o
Do not purchase gifts for children and families. o
Do not share personal information with children and families. |
Silence
may be another method used to communicate. Silence should be interpreted in
relation to the environment where communication occurs and the normal behavior of those interacting. A child who is
shy and hesitant with strangers may be silent when the nurse approaches for
care. A caregiver who is
silent after being told of a child's terminal diagnosis is likely to be
experiencing shock and disbelief and to be trying to come to grips with the
reality of what was just heard. Children may
be silent out of separation anxiety and fear, as in the case of a 4-year-old child who is hospitalized and must spend time in a strange environment
without caregivers nearby. Silence
also may demonstrate comfort, respect,
and concern as when a nurse sits with parents after upsetting news is heard or when the child is falling
asleep after an upsetting procedure.
Environment
The environment can affect communication events among the nurse, the child, and the
caregivers even more than the spoken
words. The way in which nurses exist in the environment and use space to make people more or less comfortable as they seek care is important. Nurses who
are effective in nurse-client
communication develop and demonstrate a respect for the client's sense of physical and personal space. For example, when sensitive issues or feelings of
anxiety need to be discussed and the environment is in a four-bed unit where roommates can overhear the conversation,
sharing fears and anxieties and asking questions may be difficult. A quiet, private environment should be provided
before discussion begins. Nursing behaviors such as knocking before entering a child's room, calling the child and
caregivers by name, addressing each
directly, and asking permission to examine
demonstrate respect and engender a sense of ownership over physical and personal space. Clients in care-giving settings such as hospitals and clinics will
experience less stress, irritability, and fatigue when they remain in relative control of their physical and personal space.
Environments that facilitate
therapeutic communication reduce
psychological distress so that children can attend to their health care
situation. When children are relaxed or not experiencing fear, they are able to
cope with people and the environment,
and more willingly converse. However, children may vary in their communication levels based on their personality, temperament, experiences, and
developmental abilities. The nurse
should use concern, care, and knowledge of child development, and be
willing to use a variety of communication
approaches with the same child during different interactions or with
different children in similar interactions.
Humor
Humor is healing and can bridge
communicative gaps even when the direct communication is feared and/or offensive (Andrews & Boyle, 1999); it
is recognized as an effective method of helping children and adolescents to
cope with illness,
pain, and hospitalization (May, 1999). For example, nurses who are able to laugh at themselves may
be forgiven, and nurses who can make others
laugh can't be all bad (or frightening).
The nurse should use tasteful humor in dealing with pediatric patients
and their caregivers to promote therapeutic interactions.
Play
Play,
a natural childhood behavior, should be encouraged in health care environments
and employed as a method of communicating
(May, 1999). Using puppets, dolls, or stuffed animals, drawing pictures
with crayons and paints, or employing a
storytelling approach to give information engages the child. Because play is
familiar and a daily form of natural behavior, children do not associate it with
stress, anxiety, or fear. Play helps
the child to relax and shed inhibitions, however temporarily, brought about by health care
environments. The nurse who engages
in play is likely to be legitimized as someone who can be trusted in communication.
For more information about children's play, see Chapter 16.
Writing and Drawing
An
especially effective method of communicating with older, school-aged children and adolescents, writing can
include keeping a journal or diary, or writing a letter that is not
delivered. Other examples include
encouraging the child or adolescent
to write down thoughts or feelings that are not easy to express verbally to keep track in written form
of experiences related to a health care situation, or to write a story or essay about an experience (May, 1999). Sometimes
just being able to articulate
thoughts and feelings in writing can serve as a springboard for later
discussions or concerns.
Drawing
can be helpful for younger children since it provides clues to a child's emotional state and
feelings (May, 1999). Evaluating the
drawings or having a child tell a story about the drawing allows the nurse a
window into the child's inner self. One needs to be cautious, however,
since the evaluation of drawings should take place in conjunction with the evaluation of other information such as observation
of behavior and communication with the
child directly. Examination of
drawings should include the evaluation of the gender of figures, the order in which the figures are drawn and the position of each in relation to
other figures in the drawing, the exclusion of certain individuals, the accentuation or absence of particular body parts, the
placement and size of the drawing on
the page, whether or not the drawing
is made with bold or light strokes, and the colors used (Sorensen, 1993).
Third-Party
Communication
The nurse can
promote dialogue with children by using indirect methods such as employing a
third party. Here, the nurse directs her
attention to the child through a trusted friend (e.g., a stuffed
toy). By doing this, the nurse is taking an interest in the child's normal activity, is employing a stress-reducing communication method to create a therapeutic
environment, and is helping the child to focus on the content of the message rather than on anxieties and fears. See
Another third-party approach used
with older children and adolescents is to attribute feelings or thoughts to
other children.
This method can be a safe form of interaction that uses the thoughts and
feeling of the group rather than of the child or adolescent directly.
Using group feelings helps a child or adolescent to feel comfortable talking to an adult
because someone
else is talking; the adult is told what the third person thinks without the child or adolescent being held responsible
for the statement since the statement is made
by the third person. For example,
when explaining how one learns how to give
oneself insulin injections, monitor blood glucose, or manage the diet during daytime hours while at school,
the nurse could state that Christine,
one of her 16-year-old patients, often
will excuse herself from her friends, go to the restroom to check her
sugar levels, and give herself insulin if needed. The nurse could also mention that Christine has told her friends that she is diabetic, wears a med alert
bracelet, and always carries hard
candy in her purse.
Storytelling
Storytelling
is another effective communication strategy that nurses may use to promote
therapeutic environments with children. Storytelling techniques can be used to
establish rapport,
to assess and help resolve children's anxieties and fears, to explain
treatments and procedures, to teach health, and to prepare for painful or
emotional events. The nurse can devise or use stories so that the child can adopt either of the two
storytelling roles: teller and listener. For example, a child can be read or told a story
about a boy who had surgery,
or be asked to tell a story about a boy who has had surgery. The former might
be used to explain what will happen when going to surgery. The latter might be used to
elicit information
about the child's experience when the nurse devises a story and takes turns
with the child to fill in the content. Called "mutual storytelling" (
A
4-year-old boy is sitting in bed holding a stuffed bear. Instead of directly
addressing the child, the nurse approaches and uses the toy as a medium for
introduction Nurse:
Hi Mr. Teddy Bear! How are you? My name is _____.
What is your name? (wait for an answer). Oh, I guess I'll have to call you Mr. "no name" bear. Mr.
"no name" bear, who is your friend? Child:
His name is Billy Bear! (in clinical practice, it has been found that even
shy children will not let their friend be called Mr.
"No Name" and will quickly provide their teddy bear friend's name.) Nurse:
Billy Bear! What a nice name. I bet he is fun to play with. |
Children
begin to experience storytelling as infants and toddlers. It is a natural part of
their early lives, and the use of story plots helps a child to make the transition
from pre-operational
to concrete operational thinking (Arnold & Boggs, 1995). For nurses,
however, storytelling is a skill, and confidence and competence are gained through use and practice. Storytelling may be carried out in a variety
of ways, for example, by telling stories
from books related to the subject at
hand, telling stories based on previous experiences with children or told to you by other children,
and telling stories adapted from
articles printed in nursing journals. Composing
a story specific to the child and content area can be useful as well. Using
drawings, dances, mime, poetry, or cut-outs from newspapers, comics, or
magazines for illustration may also
encourage communication between children and nurses. Refer to
1. Talk to caregivers initially if
child is shy or appears 2. Use objects (toys, dolls,
stuffed animals) instead 3. Provide opportunities for older
children and ado 4. Use clear, specific, simple phrases in confident, 5.
Position yourself so that communication is at eye 6.
Allow expression of thoughts and feelings. 7. Provide honest answers. 8. Offer choices only if they
exist. 9. Use a variety of
age-appropriate methods and |
DEVELOPMENTAL FACTORS AFFECTING COMMUNICATION
Effective communication will
enhance the preparation of a child and the caregivers for their experiences related to health and illness (Rushforth, 1999). However, the nurse must incorporate knowledge of
human growth and development when communicating with children. Children should be encouraged to become active
contributors to their health as soon as they are developmentally able to
understand and carry out health-promoting behaviors. Until then, the nurse works directly with caregivers and
reinforces their self-confidence in caring for and teaching the child. Refer
to Chapter 31 for
additional information on language development, which is critical when
communicating with children, and to Table 13-1 for general principles for
communicating with children of
various ages.
Infants
Infancy is a time when
communication is achieved through nonverbal
means. Even though the adult may use language to relate to an infant, the tone,
pitch, and speed of words as well as touch
and the bodily movements accompanying the words generate meaning to the infant rather than the words used. However,
loud, sudden noises may cause startle reactions and crying, while soft, song-like tones delivered in an upbeat tempo may soothe and comfort. Gentle rubbing or
patting while securely holding an infant is also a method to communicate pleasure and security. Infant responses are
nonverbal, such as vocal cues,
including crying, cooing, and whining, and body language, such as stiffness or relaxation, arm or leg movement,
pushing away with hands and feet against the adult, opening or closing the mouth,
and gripping or pushing objects
such as rattles and blankets. Infant expressions of comfort and discomfort become more direct and
overtly explicit with age. That is,
a 2-week-old infant will cry and flail
arms and legs when hungry, while a 6-month-old infant may kick the legs
and arm-wave, or suck on toys, fingers, or blankets when hungry. Caregivers soon learn to distinguish their infant's
cries and will differentiate the cry of hunger from the cry of pain or anger. As the caregiver understands the meaning of infant behavior, satisfaction and attachment
increase. As the caregiver learns how to turn the infant's tears
into satiation, contented sleep, or
cooing wakefulness, interactions and communication are positively
reinforced.
Prior to developing
stranger anxiety, infants will respond positively
to the nurse and other strangers who provide comforting behaviors through feeding,
diapering, rocking, and other forms of nonverbal communication. After the onset
of stranger anxiety, incorporating the caregiver into the health care procedures reduces the infants discomfort.
Whenever the nurse needs to hold or give an infant care, caregivers should be involved. If this is not possible, the
nurse should hold the infant so that the caregiver is in view.
The nurse's movement should be firm and gentle, allowing time for the infant to
get to know the nurse; abrupt movements will only increase the infant's distress. Using calm, soft,
and soothing vocalizations and
purposeful, slow movements enhances therapeutic
communication with infants (Figure 13-4). For more information, refer to
Chapter 8.
Figure 1 3-4 When communicating with infants,
nurses often need to move slowly,
and interact with parents initially.
Toddlers
The
toddler continues to experience the world through hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting,
and touching, and remains dependent on caregivers.
Nurses
interacting with toddlers should be observant of the situation surrounding one-word
utterances and gestures. Learning the words that toddlers use for common items
or behaviors, and using them in conversation is recommended. For instance, instead of saying
it is "time for bed," the nurse may want to use an expression that
for the child means bedtime, such as "it is time to hear the night-night
angel sing." Using
the expression that indicates bed- or naptime, while following the child's ritual of
falling asleep while a music box plays
is a comforting, familiar way of interacting that brings safe and familiar experiences to the child's mind.
Using play or books to demonstrate or
describe activities or procedures immediately before they are to occur is a
good way to prepare toddlers for
experiences. Refraining from wordy explanations and preparing for procedures well in advance
are not toddler friendly. Being aware
of the child's response and approaching
the child calmly and positively are important.
Preschoolers
During the preschool years, a child's
articulation becomes clearer, there are improvements in correct grammatical
usage, and an
expansion of word combining occurs. The child's vocabulary rapidly expands, and the child is able to use words appropriately even when
the meaning is not fully appreciated. Since the preschooler is striving for
independence,
but still needs adult encouragement and support, it is important to allow the
child to initiate activities and make choices if possible. For example, let the child decide
whether to have
"water or a mouthful of Jell-O after your medicine." Nurses may need
to remind the children how to cooperate in an activity or to wait for their turn.
Asking the child's cooperation by giving them something to do or hold may engage them cooperatively and allow the procedure
to be performed. Using picture books, stuffed toys, and puppets to prepare a child for a
procedure will allow the child to experience the procedure in a nonthreatening way
(Figure 13-5).
A child may also answer the nurse's question through a teddy bear: "Hi, Mr. Teddy
bear, do you think your friend, Johnny,
would like some Jell-O after his medicine or would a mouthful of chocolate pudding be better?"
Preschoolers
are egocentric, and magical thinking predominates during the preschool
years; these children see things only from their perspective. When they lack
information
or do not understand something, they fill in the gaps with their imagination. Since an avid imagination can
be far worse than any reality, it is better
to communicate with honesty, in simple sentences using concrete language. The
nurse should never smile or laugh when
giving an injection, say something
won't hurt when it will, or use words with double or literal meanings such as a
"shot" or a "stick in the arm." It is also not helpful to tell the child about others
or what "good boys or girls"
do. Allowing the preschooler to touch
and manipulate equipment they will see and experience is essential. Telling preschoolers how it will feel
when they come in contact with the
equipment (cold, warm, pressure, tickles,
etc.) and how they can behave is also important. For example, tell them that it is okay to squeeze the
teddy bear, cry, or bang on the bed with their hand, etc.
Figure
13-5 Establishing rapport with preschoolers often can be done by
reading a story.
School-Aged Children
A school-aged child's relational experiences expand to include people and environments
outside the family and home. They are taught rhymes, chants, and rituals by other children, which can serve as a means of emotional-social control in frightening and confusing contexts. We all
remember examples, such as "cross your
heart and hope to die," "star
light, star bright, first star I see tonight," and "knock on
wood," which we used to minimize the bad that could befall us. Humor and
riddles are tension releasers and assist a child with their social identity,
i.e., "knock, knock, who's there?" During early school years, interaction with other children increases and
close friendships are developed. Children of this age group may be verbally aggressive, bossy, opinionated, and
argumentative.
School-aged
children learn to accept responsibility for their actions, they understand
rules, and they become oriented to rules and sanctions. They are interested in
learning and
have increased attention spans. They learn to master classification, serialization,
and spatial, temporal, and numerical concepts. Concrete thinking emerges and predominates. They learn to focus on
more than one aspect of an experience and to explore and consider many alternatives to a problem.
They are increasingly able to understand their body and their environment and to
use language as a means
of control and
appreciate it as a method used by others to control them. School-aged children
also have expanding vocabularies that enable them to describe feelings, thoughts, and concepts. They are
able to carry on conversations with others and to appreciate their viewpoints. However, words with multiple
meanings and words that describe things they have not experienced are still not thoroughly
understood.
When working with the school-aged
child, the nurse should spend time with the child to explain treatments and procedures well in advance of the scheduled time (Figure 13-6). Photographs, books,
drawings, and videos may be used to aid understanding and assist in answering questions that may follow. Immediate and
subsequent opportunities should be allowed for questions, and repetition of
explanations
and enhanced details of what will happen to them should be provided. Fears and
concerns about body integrity should be assessed and truthfully answered. Conversation that
encourages critical thinking should be promoted.
Figure 13-6 When communicating with school-aged children, nurses need to assume a relaxed demeanor and convey interest.
Adolescents
Adolescents
are able to think logically and abstractly, and are able to verbalize and comprehend most adult concepts. They are able to
create hypothetical situations and generate explanations for and about
situations they encounter. Privacy and independence
are sought in activities and relationships. The adolescent makes personal
discoveries about their relationships
and events, and will discuss these discoveries with peers and trusted adults in an effort to construct
ideals.
An adolescent's preoccupation with
what should or could
be produces conflict in relationships with people who are unwilling to listen
to them express their thoughts. They need to verbalize what the world should be
like in order to analyze their own ideas and come to their position short of the ideal. The ideal world
they construct must be merged with the real world by listeniiig
to themselves and others.
Attentiveness and acceptance are
necessary. Caregivers and other adults need to be patient and actively
listen to matters that the
adolescent considers significant, even if trivial to adults (Figure 13-7). The adolescent should be allowed the freedom to work through issues and should be
provided the guidance necessary to develop and decide on a positive course
of action. Since adolescents may be moody and argumentative, interactions between adolescents and caregivers or other adults will be more cooperative when the
adolescent participates in working
toward a solution and is permitted to
participate in the selection of the final decision and subsequent course of action. The nurse should communicate support during interactions with adolescents by actively listening,
without demonstrating surprise,
disapproval, or trivialization. The nurse
should avoid questioning, giving personal advice, or taking sides. It may be necessary for the nurse to
initiate multiple interactions before an adolescent feels safe and secure
enough to ask questions or discuss
concerns. Short, nonthreatening contacts
may serve as icebreakers, which may lead to involved conversations.
Figure
13-7 Listening is especially
important when
interacting with children and adolescents. |
CULTURAL
IMPACT ON COMMUNICATION
The
nurse's relationship with children and their families should be caring,
supportive, and respectful and, just as important, congruent with their
acceptable cultural perspective. This is important so that the nurse's intentions
and behavior are not perceived as culturally insensitive. This requires that the nurse know and
understand how personal cultural values and beliefs affect behavior in providing nursing care, and learn about and be
nonjudgmental of the cultural values and beliefs of those cared for. Nurses also need to know how to respond to gestures or questions, how to listen to concerns, how and when to be
sensitive to child/family reactions, when to use an interpreter, and how to consider
illness- and health-related beliefs
when delivering care (Luckman, 1999). Refer to Table 13-2 for information related to
specific cultures and their
communication patterns and
The care that is planned and
implemented with a child and/or caregiver should be congruent
with their values and consistent with their understanding of health care.
During contact,
the nurse needs to incorporate questions and make observations that elicit
information about family practices that may impact care. These include
questions about their communication and decision-making strategies, child
rearing, and health and illness practices. Once this information is obtained, it can be used to determine
priorities and develop an individualized treatment plan that is culturally consistent
with the family's
values and beliefs and that will engender
their commitment and compliance See Box 13-6 for more information.
A. With an interpreter Determine
language(s) and dialect (if relevant) a client is familiar with and speaks at
home; the language may not be identical to the one commonly used in their
country of origin. Some clients may be multilingual, and a language other
than their mother tongue can be used. Avoid
using interpreters from groups (countries, regions, religions, tribes) where
there may be past or present conflicts. Be
sensitive to and make allowances for differences with regard to age, culture,
gender, and socioeconomic status between the client and interpreter. Request
as verbatim a translation as possible. Be
aware that an interpreter not related to the client may request compensation. Maintain
a list of potential interpreters. Contact
institutions (hospitals, universities, etc.), organizations, and translation
services, including telephone companies, that may be able to provide
interpreters, emergency translations, and other relevant information. B. Without an interpreter Always
be polite, formal, patient, and attentive to the client's (or client's
family) attempts to communicate. When
greeting the client, smile, use the client's complete or last name, indicate
your name by saying it while gesturing to oneself, and offer a handshake or
nod. Speak
in a low and moderate tone. If possible,
use words from the client's language. Use
simple words-no idiom, no jargon (medical or otherwise), no slang. Avoid the
use of contractions and pronouns, which may be unclear to the client. Give
instructions clearly, in simple language (with a minimum of words), and in
the correct order. Talk
about one topic at a time. Use
hand signs freely and act out actions while talking. Check
the client's understanding by requesting that he or she describe/illustrate
the procedure, pantomime the meaning, or repeat the instructions. Try
using Latin phrases or phrases from other languages that have become
universal. Write
simple sentences in English or another language, since some people understand
the written, but not spoken languages, and some accents may be confusing. See
if a family member or friend can act as an interpreter for the client. If
not, and if the health provider cannot find one, enlist the family in
networking to find one. Use
phrase books and flash
cards. Adapted
from Luckman, J. (1999). Transcultural
communication in nursing. |
For
caregivers who would normally depend on their extended family for support and
find themselves without them in their present environment, extra time or assistance may be necessary to help them
make critical health care decisions (Figure 13-8). Anticipating the arrival of
members who must travel to reach a child and family, or providing a quiet place for the family to
telephone distant extended family
members is an appropriate nursing intervention.
·
Who do you discuss your child's health/illness problems with? · Who assists you in making
decisions about your child's health/illness problems? · Who assists you or your family
when you need help related to health care |
?
|
Figure 13-8 It is important to interact with all family members
when caring for infants, children and adolescents.
COMMUNICATING WITH CHILDREN WITH
SPECIAL NEEDS
Communicating
with children who have special needs can be particularly challenging and
may require adopting alternative methods of interacting. Whenever communicating with children with special needs, it is imperative to
involve families and to carefully assess the child's skills and abilities. Principles of communicating with children with
special needs and their families are
the same as those discussed in this
chapter. However, refer to Chapter 31 for specific information on
communicating with children who have a visual or hearing impairment and to Chapter 33 for specific information on communicating with children who have a
significant cognitive impairment.
Key Concepts
The
ability to communicate effectively is recognized as a basic and central component in
delivering care to children and their caregivers.
The
sender, message, channel, receiver, and feedback are major components of the
communication process.
Barriers
to successful communication will impede the message, and include physical
factors and psychological factors.
Communication
can be formal/informal and verbal/ nonverbal.
Empathy,
listening effectively, observing accurately, using silence appropriately,
being aware of the environment, humor, play, writing, drawing, and using third parties are effective
methods of communicating with children and adolescents.
Effective
communication requires sensitivity to the child's developmental level, and
to the needs of the child and family's, and a well-developed and carefully thought-out plan.
Cultural background can play a role in the determination of an individual's
communication pattern.
Communication
with children with special needs requires
knowledge of their skill and ability level, and may require adopting alternative methods of interacting.
Review
Questions
1. Describe a developmentally
appropriate communication approach for each of the following age groups: infant (0-12 months), toddler (1-2
years), preschooler (3-5 years), school-aged child (6-11 years), adolescent (12 years plus).
2. Describe two behaviors that
negatively affect communication between nurse and child, or nurse and care-giver, and discuss each.
3. Describe two behaviors that
positively affect the relationship between nurse and child, or nurse and care-giver, and discuss each.