This unit has been designed for registered healthcare professionals in primary care and urgent care services caring for both adults and children. It will help practitioners to develop their knowledge and skills in the assessment, planning and treatment of a range of minor ailments commonly presenting in children.

It will also enable students to evaluate the evidence base for practice, thereby enhancing their clinical reasoning skills. Students will complete a Clinical Practice Portfolio which will be assessed their own place of work by a practice assessor.

Indicative unit content

• Child Development- anatomy and physiology, functional, behavioural , motor & social Developmental milestones
• Approaches to a child
• History taking, physical assessment and triage of children
• Examination of a child with undifferentiated minor illnesses and injuries
• Recognition of red flags for referral
• Management of commonly presenting childhood ailments and injuries in primary and urgent care
• Recognising and responding to the sick child in the primary & urgent care environment. 
• Legal and ethical issues in children’s nursing
• The use of Paediatric Early Warning Score systems
• Safety netting 
  
  

Learning and teaching methods

The unit will use a blended learning approach comprising a mixture of lectures, workshops, tutorials, on-line materials and work based learning. Students will be required to undertake group work and benefit from interprofessional peer learning. 

This course requires 100% attendance. All the teaching is delivered face to face (from 9am to 4pm).



Learning outcomes

Having successfully completed this unit the student is expected to:

1. Consistently demonstrate the ability to confidently approach a child and perform a thorough history with parental involvement where relevant
2. Demonstrate a full assessment of the presenting child, applying their skills and knowledge of the relevant pathophysiology and child development to present a diagnosis.
3. Decide on a treatment plan that is evidence-based, patient-focused, ensures personalised care and safety netting of the child
4. Critically evaluate and reflect upon their personal abilities, knowledge, skills and levels of professional competence, recognising when to act independently, interdependently or when to be dependent on the interventions of other team members. 

Assessment

In pairs, students will start a thread on a paediatric ailment on Brightspace and moderate a discussion with other students through the thread. The Unit leader will offer feedback through the discussion board.

Students will complete a clinical practice portfolio. Once this has been completed, students will have a viva assessment based on their development within the competency booklet (3000 word equivalent)