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Child Health Nurse

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What is the role of a Paediatric and Child Health Nurse? A Paediatric and Child Health Nurse are registered nurses who have additional training and skills, and the ability to provide appropriate education and care to children and young people (Competencies for the Specialist Paediatric and Child Health Nurse 2006, p. 7). A paediatric nurse may work in a variety of settings including community, intensive care, oncology or emergency wards (Nurseuncut.com.au 2015). In Western Australia a child health nurse can work in maternal health clinics or provide home visits. The roles they perform include developmental assessments and providing support to families in regards to care of their child, up until the age of four (Healthywa.wa.gov.au 2015). …show more content…

This is to ensure that the standards of care remain consistent within the profession and that registered nurses remain ethical and safe (National competency standards for the registered nurse 2006, p.1). In addition a paediatric and child health nurse should also work with in the Competencies for the Specialist Paediatric and Child Health Nurse. As it is common for the child health nurse to be a midwife, a child health nurse must also provide care that meets the National competency standards for the midwife, when performing the duties of a midwife (2006). With many standards for the nurse to be aware of there may be confusion in interpretation of these standards. The Competency Standards for Child and Family Health Nurses (2009) were published in NSW as a supplementary document for child and health nurses. They aim to provide a guide for practice and to help the nurse to evaluate the care they provide (Competency Standards for Child and Family Health Nurses 2009). Furthermore each state has their own competencies of care, which means it is essential for the Paediatric and Child health nurse to be familiar with the relevant state based guidelines to fulfil their nursing responsibilities

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