Nursing-Nurse.Com

Visits and Teachings
•    Mothers are discharged quickly, so you must teach accordingly.
•    Home visits and follow-up telephone calls let the nurse and parents discuss adaptations, questions and concerns.
•    Postpartum teaching should include women’s health promotion.
•    The adolescent mother benefits from developmentally appropriate teaching and referral to community resources, including parenting classes.
Growth and Development
•    Normally proceed in a regular fashion from simple to complex and in cephalocaudal and proximodistal patterns.
•    Are orderly, directional, predictable, interdependent and complex processes.
•    Are unique to individuals and their genetic potential.
•    Occur through conflict and adaptation.
•    Growth and development are impacted by genetics, environment, health status, nutrition, culture, and family structures and practices.
•    Growth should be measured and evaluated at regular intervals throughout childhood.
•    Deviations from normal growth and development should be thoroughly investigated and treated as quickly as possible.
•    In the care of children, key concepts are anticipatory guidance and prevention of disease.
•    Major developmental tasks of infancy are: increase in mobility, separation, and establishment of trusting relationships.
•    In both toddlerhood and adolescence, hallmarks are development of independence and further separation.
•    Children and adolescents grow rapidly, so nurses must stress optimum nutrition and give anticipatory guidance related to nutrition.
•    In children over one year of age, the leading cause of death is injuries
Elder Adults
•    Elder adults must adjust to lessening physical and cognitive abilities. Over 85% have some type of chronic disease.
•    When elder adults experience cognitive changes, check for possible substance abuse or polypharmacy.
•    Cognitive impairment can be acute and reversible, or it can be chronic and irreversible.
•    Up to 60% of older adults have some impairment in performance of activities of daily living.
•    Some physiologic changes are a normal part of the aging process and do not signal disease.
•    Elder adults need more time to complete tasks.
•    Age is a weak predictor of survival in traumatic injury and critical illness.