A pediatric nurse who is employed in a busy ambulatory clinic setting is informed by the nurse manager that average nursing time allocated for each child and family is being reduced to 10 minutes to manage the clinic more efficiently

Question

The nursing activities must include a nursing assessment and discussion on anticipatory guidance. Which of these strategies should the nurse utilize in the plan of care delivery? 1. Attempt to complete the assessment and education in 10 minutes, but extend the time whenever the nurse deems necessary.

2. Plan to do the anticipatory guidance first, since either the nurse practitioner or the physician can perform assessment of the child.

3. Ask each parent to complain to the nurse manager that there is not adequate time to talk with the nurse at each visit.

4. Focus anticipatory guidance strategies on topics in which the parent or child has expressed interest.

Answer 1

4

Rationale:

1. Limiting assessment and education to 10 minutes does not give either activity ample time.
2. Performing anticipatory guidance prior to history taking does not follow the nursing process.
3. Suggesting that parents complain to a nurse manager might be destructive to the needs of the children and parents, and might adversely affect the operation of the nursing unit
4. With limited time for each visit, the nurse should focus on anticipatory guidance strategies that will benefit the parent and child most during that office visit.