PNP Corner

Children in the foster care system are exposed early in life to adverse experiences by living within dysfunctional families and specific facts have not changed. What has changed is the recognition of the need for the healthcare system to change its care for these vulnerable children to prevent the adverse effects that traumatic stress imposes on their physical and emotional development and well-being.

Dr Bass’s article on “Factoring the Metabolic X Syndrome” in the latest issue of Contemporary Pediatrics provides us with information on the emergence of Metabolic X syndrome in the pediatric/adolescent populations, previously a syndrome seen only in adults. How can we, as nurse practitioners (NPs) prevent children from developing the symptoms for a diagnosis of Metabolic X Syndrome?

In their article, “Kid care on the slopes,” in the latest Contemporary Pediatrics, Drs. Brown and Fishman draw on their many years of caring for kids in Colorado ski country to provide this special primer on managing pediatric injuries sustained while skiing and snowboarding.

The article “National hospital initiative targets preventable injuries,” in the most recent issue of Contemporary Pediatrics, describes 35 years of impressive work by a nationwide coalition of concerned pediatricians and pediatric trauma surgeons who have championed hospital, school-based, and community-wide initiatives to reduce the prevalence and incidence of unintentional injuries in children.

I truly fear a day when parents are asked to consent to every routine newborn screening. The outcomes for newborns whose parents refuse newborn screening would be disastrous.

Opioids are known for their powerful pharmacokinetics for pain relief, but are now well recognized for their overuse and abuse through prescriptions provided by healthcare providers. This has created a medical oxymoron: well-meaning pain management as a valued, caring practice for successful recovery from both medical problems and surgical procedures, juxtaposed by the alarming growth of opioids' prescriptive footprint.

Many of today’s practicing PNPs grew up during the “difficult and rebellious” adolescent years when teenagers were trying alcohol, marijuana, drag racing, and attempting to access birth control. In retrospect, that adolescent lifestyle was simplistic in comparison to the complex, tumultuous adolescent life of today.

Significant gaps in the knowledge of EBP are evident as new diagnostic criteria are recognized and evolve in clinical practice. An example of this EBP knowledge gap is the diagnosis of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) that was identified in 2013 as a separate diagnosis in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5).

Over the past several months, we have received information from news reports, local and state departments of health, and from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about the Zika virus, a mosquito-transmitted disease, and the devastating outcomes experienced by some pregnant women who contracted the Zika virus during pregnancy.

The Millennial generation grew up using computers in classrooms and at home, thus they embrace a world full of technology that excites, providing instant feedback, gratifications, sometimes sadness, and rapid changes in their everyday world.

Because it requires forging alliances among all pediatric providers to initiate and effectively change policies to provide quality healthcare for all children and adolescents, this is a tough one: a collaboration that may not be embraced by everyone.

As always, one look at the statistics for any childhood chronic illness, but in particular asthma, and we know we need to do better.

In the article, Talking to Teens about Marijuana, Ms Nierengarten reported national statistics that reveal the number of teenagers who self report using marijuana: the statistics are STAGGERING!

Imagine living in a world where you cannot hear anything: your mother’s loving voice, your siblings’ laughter, normal environmental sounds and music, someone standing behind you and calling your name.

Caring for the medically complex neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) graduates is a challenge for everyone: the very stressed parents and family members, physicians, physician specialists, nurse practitioners, nurses, and early intervention specialists including physical therapists, occupational therapists, and education specialists.

‘Itch-scratch-itch’….is a typical chief complaint for many children who present to the pediatric primary care office. The infant is irritable and the mother wants the infant to stop being irritable; the child, or adolescent wants to stop ‘feeling itchy’; and their parents want medications that will immediately return the skin to normal. What a dilemma!

Busy PNPs and their fellow pediatric-focused APRNs recognize how important, yet sometimes difficult it is to maintain current clinical practice in a rapidly changing healthcare environment. NAPNAP is pleased to announce our new partnership with Contemporary Pediatrics.