ReportonProgressofProfessionalPortfolio

IDENTIFY
COMPETENCY
NUMBER,LETTER
ANDSUBCATEGORY

DESCRIBEONE
SIGNIFICANT
LEARNING
EXPERIENCEINTHIS
COURSERELATEDTO
THECLPNA
COMPETENCY.
PROVIDEAN
EXAMPLE.

Demonstrate knowledge and ability to adapt pain management and

comfort measures for pediatric client:
1.

Physical

2.

Psychological

3.

Pharmacological

One significant learning experience is the theory class about pain

management and the different comfort measures taken with
paediatrics. This class put into perspective for me that a lot of
children do not know why they are in pain, or how to express it. It is
up to the nurse to assess the pain, and to provide proper nursing
interventions. This may include being aware of grimacing, or
guarding actions that may represent the pain that is being experience,
and also it is important to ask where it hurts. Behaviour changes
can also be present if a child is experience pain. Although some
infants may not be able to reply, the children who are older may
provide valuable information related to their pain they are
experiencing.
DESCRIBEWHATYOU Physical pain management can include: allowing the parents to
LEARNEDANDHOW
cuddle with the child, or breastfeeding for breastfed infants. This
ITRELATESTOTHE
will allow the parent to soothe the child and may relieve pain, and
COMPETENCY.
also allows the parent to bond with the child. Warm blankets,
EXPLAINWHYITWAS
heat/cold packs and swaddling babies can be used
MEANINGFUL.
Psychological pain management: using distraction to allow the child
to focus on something else other then there pain, such as music,
thought stopping (substituting there pain with a positive or
relaxing thought in its place), guided imagery (this is useful for
relieving anticipatory anxiety). These are useful because negative
notions may increase the pain experience during a procedure.
Pharmacological treatments: can include acetaminophen, ibuprofen,
codeine and other narcotics. These should all be measure by
weight based calculation, and double check the calculation. Since
childrens pharmacokinetics are different than adults. Oral forms
of medication are favoured as they are invasive. For acute pain IV
administration has become the method of choice.
Aspirin should not be given to children since it may put a child at
risk for development of Reyes syndrome.
It is important to know that children do benefit from nonpharmacological pain relief measures. If effective it should be

used to prevent administration of medication since children can

suffer from toxicity quickly.
This is meaningful to the competency see as these are different pain
management strategies used in pediatric nursing. What I have
learned provide alternative to pharmacological pain management.
Controlling pain is important as it promotes healing, and causes less
distress on the child. This competency emphasizes that a nurse needs
to treat pain with different strategies. With the information I have
gotten from my theory class and reading the textbook I am able to
think of non -pharmacological and pharmacological ways to treat
pain.
USESTHE
Good understands competency in theory and in scenarios and
PROFICIENCY
nursing practice.
CATEGORIESTO
I rated this competency as good since I have not put to practice what
RATETHEIR
I have learned in my theory. Although I know types of distraction
PROFICIENCYINTHE
methods, or psychological methods to help lower pain levels, I have
CHOSENCLPNA
no experience with pediatric nursing.
COMPETENCY.
EXPLAINWHATWAS
DONETOACHIEVE
THECOMPETENCY.
DESCRIBE HOW YOU
WILL APPLY THIS
LEARNING IN YOUR
CURRENT AND
FUTURE NURSING
PRACTICE

When I work with children, or even come across a child who is in

pain, I can use these methods to lower the intensity of pain they are
feeling. I will be able to apply the knowledge that I have learned
through theory class and since all children are different I will need to
try different non-pharmacological methods. I can also educate
parents of these methods, and provide them with a better
understanding of pain and how to decrease the intensity.
Administration of medication (oral, subcutaneous), will be used in
my practice and I will need to educate the parents on how to
properly administer medication when the child is discharge. It is
important for the parent to know that they are able to consult the
child, and to provide comfort for them. The parents should not feel
as if they were a bother or in the way, since the promotion of nurture
between the child in parent will aid in the development, and coping
with stress.
Name: Mikelle Champagne
Course: NFDN 2005 Pediatrics
Instructor: Angela Goudman
School: NorQuest College