Grace McVeigh and Pauline Cardwell discuss the management of children with abdominal pain in urgent care settings from the perspective of nursing students

A common complaint in children, abdominal pain can be clinically challenging for healthcare professionals to diagnose and treat. Accurate assessment and thorough investigations, combined with the measurement and monitoring of vital signs, are essential to eliminate any underlying conditions. Self-reporting tools can be used to aid communication with children, who may have difficulties articulating their thoughts and feelings. This article refers to a case study to discuss the care of children who present to emergency departments (EDs) with abdominal pain. It suggests that children’s nursing students can be valuable assets in busy EDs because they have the knowledge and skills required to care for young people.