CPD articles
Our continuing professional development (CPD) articles are designed to assist with your nursing skills and practice.
Biological basis of child health 6: skeletal system and orthopaedic conditions
An overview of the development of the skeletal system before and after birth
Biological basis of child health 5: development of the respiratory system and elements...
Development of the respiratory system and conditions that can occur in infants and children
BLS for children with a learning or physical disability and an altered body shape
Nurses need to undertake basic life support effectively while complying with guidelines
Equipping nurses to de-escalate conflict and communicate challenging information
This article considers some of the challenging situations children’s nurses may encounter
Biological basis of child health 4: an overview of the central nervous system and...
This article is the fourth in a series on the biological basis of child health
Biological basis of child health 3: development of the cardiovascular system and...
Cardiovascular system development during gestation and how congenital heart defects arise
Biological basis of child health 2: fertilisation, prenatal development and birth
The period from fertilisation to birth is crucial in the development of an individual
Biological basis of child health 1: understanding the cell and genetics
An introduction to cell biology and genetics for children’s nurses
Care and management of children with a totally implanted central venous access device:...
Research and advances in technology have enabled children and young people with life-limiting conditions to live longer. To maintain their well-being and quality of life many of these children usually require some form of intravenous access for treatment. Children’s nurses should have the skills and training to ensure they are competent to practise using totally implanted central venous access devices such as portacaths (ports). This article addresses the care and management of these ports in children and the wide variation in practice that exists in the UK, and makes recommendations for practice.
The Me first communication model
This article explores communication and decision-making with children and young people in healthcare. Children and young people report that healthcare professionals are good at explaining and helping them to understand what will happen to them, but that they do not feel involved in decision-making about their care or treatment. To improve communication with children and young people, they need to be involved in decision-making about their care and treatment. In partnership with children, young people and healthcare professionals Common Room Consulting, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust and Health Education England have co-produced a communication model, Me first, to support decision-making with children and young people in healthcare. This article introduces the Me first model and explores how it can be applied in clinical practice.
Diagnosing and managing migraine in children and young people
This article gives an overview of migraine in children. It outlines the epidemiology of the condition and describes presentation with headache and other symptoms and linked conditions. It aims to raise awareness of the diagnosis of migraine and its impact on children and young people, their families and school life. The author also describes methods of diagnosis and management, and the importance of recognising and of avoiding medication overuse.
An update on complementary feeding
Complementary feeding is an important developmental milestone in children and occurs at a formative time for the development of healthy eating habits that can continue into later childhood and beyond. The timing of weaning has been a controversial subject and recommendations in the UK differ from those in Europe. In the UK and New Zealand, baby-led weaning is becoming increasingly popular. The importance of responsive feeding is highlighted to make parents aware of a baby’s cues indicating hunger or fullness. There have also been advances in the science of immunology that deem the early introduction of allergens to be a preventive strategy for food allergies. This article discusses the nutritional requirements for infants and reviews the foods that should be introduced and avoided. Guidelines are changing all the time, so nurses must keep up to date with current research to be able to offer advice to parents of infants.