Reference:1001708
Cohort:10B
Care Study

The purpose for carrying out this assignment is to explore and analyze an in depth role of the paediatric nurse when promoting health, safety and wellbeing for a child suffering an illness such as Asthma.
For this assignment my chosen patient will be given the pseudonym Amie. This is to ensure I comply with the Nursing and Midwifery Council guidelines (NMC 2008). I came across this patient whilst on placement on a children’s ward consisting of three bays and twelve side rooms giving a total of twenty six beds.
Amie is an eight year old girl with a history of Asthma, she was diagnosed at the age of 4 years old. Asthma has been adapted in this essay due to the patients I came across within my care suffered with either mild or server respiratory disorder. I feel that focusing my essay around asthma which would enhance my knowledge and confidence when caring for a child with this condition.
Amie was admitted to the ward after having an exacerbating episode of shortness of breath (SOB) and wheezing, these symptoms have been the same in the past to which it showed in relation to her past medical history of asthma. She attended with her Mother and Father who she lives with in a two bedroom second floor flat. Amie’s Father is a smoker and smokes inside the family home out of a window. Amie’s Grandmother had a history of Asthma and her older brother who does not live in the family home has also had a past history for mild asthma. Naspitz et al (2001) suggests that a family history of asthma greatly increases a child’s chance of inheriting the condition.
Amie attends a state school, her mother and step father are on low income and have help from the government such as income support.
Amie living environment is surrounded, by passive smoke as her step father is a chain smoker within the same building as her. This is a major trigger of Amie’s asthma. Asthma U.K spent money on a research project which found the following results.
In the United Kingdom, Asthma affects over 1.1 million children and adolescents. (Asthma U.K, 2011)
According to Johnson (2008) asthma is a chronic, inflammatory lung disease involving recurrent breathing problems such as wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing and chest tightness.
When an onset of asthma occurs - also known as a trigger - it is normally caused by something that makes an individual allergic or irritant. When this does happen the airways react and become tighter resulting in symptoms such as coughing and wheezing. An increase of mucus and phlegm builds up which causes difficulty in breathing and chest feeling tight which become very uncomfortable. A bad onset of all these symptoms causes asthma attacks or acute asthma exacerbation which most often results in hospitalization and the need for medical treatment such as corticosteroids.
Asthma can have a significant impact on an individual’s life; just like Amie’s, which can affect the quality of living over a period of time.
National Service Framework (DOB, 2004) sets out standards for the care and well being for children and young people such as; Standard One, “promoting health and well being Identifying needs”, Standard Two; “Supporting Parenting”, Standard Six, “Children and young people who are ill”.
These guidelines fall into place when caring for children with Asthma, which I will be referring to through the nursing process in this essay. These guidelines are in place for children such as Amie so both Amie and her parents feel supported.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council also set out standards of care for ill children and children with asthma and these will be filtered into this assignment.
It has been recognized by past studies that asthma in paediatrics can cause a major impact on their health surrounding psychological and social factors which affects their quality of life. (Juniper, 1997)
Erickson’s theory (1994) of psychosocial side of a child’s development believes that