Nurse's Pocket Guide

• Ascertain availability/use of resources to include extended
family, support groups, and financial resources.
• Evaluate parents’ ability to provide protective environment
and participate in reciprocal relationship.
NURSING PRIORITY NO.2.To enhance behavioral organization of child:
• Identify infant’s strengths and vulnerabilities. Each child is
born with his or her own temperament that affects interactions
with caregivers.
• Educate parents regarding child growth and development,
addressing parental perceptions. Helps clarify realistic or
unrealistic expectations.
• Assist parents in modifying the environment to provide
appropriate stimulation.
• Model caregiving techniques that best support behavioral
organization.
• Respond consistently with nurturing to infant/child.
NURSING PRIORITY NO.3.To enhance best functioning of parents:
• Develop therapeutic nurse-client relationship. Provide a consistently
warm, nurturing, and nonjudgmental environment.
• Assist parents in identifying and prioritizing family
strengths and needs. Promotes positive attitude by looking
at what they already do well and using those skills to
address needs.
• Support and guide parents in process of assessing resources.
• Involve parents in activities with the child that they can
accomplish successfully. Promotes sense of confidence, thus
enhancing self-concept.
• Recognize and provide positive feedback for nurturing and
protective parenting behaviors. Reinforces continuation of
desired behaviors.
• Minimize number of professionals on team with whom parents
must have contact to foster trust in relationships.
NURSING PRIORITY NO. 4.To support parent/child attachment
during separation:
• Provide parents with telephone contact, as appropriate.
• Establish a routine time for daily phone calls/initiate calls, as
indicated. Provides sense of consistency and control; allows
for planning of other activities.
• Invite parents to use Ronald McDonald House or provide
them with a listing of a variety of local accommodations/
restaurants when child is hospitalized out of town.
• Arrange for parents to receive photos/progress reports from
the child.
Information in brackets added by the authors to clarify and enhance
the use of nursing diagnoses.
Diagnostic Studies Pediatric/Geriatric/Lifespan Medications 103
risk for impaired parent/child ATTACHMENT