Pre-School-Aged White Female Living in A Rural Community

            Acquiring accurate medical history is a fundamental aspect of patient care. In the case of pediatrics, communication ought to focus on both the child and the caregiver. This means that the nurse should observe the relationship between children and their caregivers to attain clues about the likelihood of any underlying challenges (Mărginean et al., 2017). One should also focus on developing a rapport with the child. This can be attained through using terms that relate to the child, introducing oneself in a friendly manner, and getting down to their level. This improves the quality of the interaction, since a good rapport diminishes the possibility of fear and anxiety that could manifest in the child (Mărginean et al., 2017). Furthermore, it is crucial to note that since minors are usually limited in communication, the nurse should direct most of the questions to the caregiver. The questions should focus on issues such as maternal health, delivery, nutrition, activities, as well as developmental milestones.

Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ)

            The Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) would be an ideal risk assessment for a pre-school. It a caregiver-completed questionnaire that is used in screening the general development of a child (Singh et al., 2017). The assessment of health risks is fundamental in nursing practice since it enables a practitioner to provide personalized healthcare services, based on the particulate risks observed following an assessment (Samet, 2016). The ASQ tool assist in identifying various developmental delays in a child as well as facilitating developmental discussions between the practitioner and the caregiver, to cooperate in intervening on the identified challenges relating to stunted growth (Singh et al., 2017). Therefore, I opted for the tool since it assists in detecting various behaviors of concern in the child, obtaining more information about her developmental history as well as creating a conducive relationship with the caregiver.

Targeted Questions

To the caregiver:

1. What reason made you come to the clinic today?
2. Was the pregnancy characterized by any complications?
3. Were there any challenges during the delivery?
4. Is the child active?
5. Do you have any concerns regarding her development?

To the Child:

1. What is your name?
2. What do you love most?
3. Who brought you to this place?
4. Do you have a favorite color?
5. Are you hurting anywhere?

References

Mărginean, C. O., Meliţ, L. E., Chinceşan, M., Mureşan, S., Georgescu, A. M., Suciu, N., Pop, A., & Azamfirei, L. (2017). Communication skills in pediatrics – the relationship between pediatrician and child. Medicine, 96(43), 83-90. https://doi.org/10.1097/md.0000000000008399

Samet, J. M. (2016). Risk Assessment and Child Health. The Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, 113(3), 952-956. https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/113/Supplement_3/952

Singh, A., Yeh, C. J., & Boone Blanchard, S. (2017). Ages and stages questionnaire: A global screening scale. BMC Pediatrics, 74(1), 5-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bmhimx.2016.07.008