Gordon's functional health assessment and Erikson's developmental stages in children

Gordon's Functional Health Assessment for Children & Erickson's Developmental Stages

This study will use Gordon's Functional Health Assessment for Children and Erickson's Developmental Stages and list normal findings in an assessment and potential problems a nurse would discover in an assessment of the ages groups including toddlers, preschool age and school age children. This work will compare and contrast identified similarities and differences in expected assessment across the childhood age groups and will summarize how a nurse would handle physical assessments, examinations, education, and communication differently with children vs. adults. Considered will be spirituality and cultural differences.

Gordon's Functional Health Assessment

Gordon's functional health patterns are described as "an expression of the bio-psychosocial integration." (Nursing Guide, 2012) Functional patterns are influenced by "biological, developmental, cultural, social, and spiritual factors." (Nursing Guide, 2012) Patterns that are dysfunctional may indicate disease or potentially developing disease. Included in Gordon's functional health patterns are the following:

(1) Health Management Pattern -- addresses assessment, asepsis, safety, and therapeutic relationship. (Nursing Guide, 2012) Normal findings include the patient reporting that they feel well and that they practice health care preventive practices and in children, this could include positively such as washing hands and brushing teeth or negatively failure to attend to these.

(2) The Nutritional Metabolic Patterns focuses on nutrition as well as fluid balance. (Nursing Guide, 2012) The positive findings in this assessment is that of a well-balanced diet in which all food groups are consumed and negatively that the child does not eat fruits and vegetables but only meats and breads. The child's low body weight and decaying teeth are indicative of poor nutrition.

(3) The Elimination Pattern -- includes bowel and urinary elimination. (Nursing Guide, 2012) The assessment of the child may include negative findings of excess urination or constipation.

(4) The Activity-Exercise Pattern -- includes cardiopulmonary function and mobility. (Nursing Guide, 2012) Negative assessment findings include obesity in the child due to overeating and lack of exercise.

(5) The Sleep-Rest Pattern -- the patient's need for rest. (Nursing Guide, 2012) Negative assessment findings include the child's failure to go to bed at a reasonable hour and oversleeping in the morning and the child reporting falling asleep at odd times during the day due to lack of rest at night.

(6) The Cognitive-Perceptual Pattern -- neurological function, pain and communication. Negative assessment findings may include the child's improper use of language, poor memory, and poor decision-making skills.

(7) Self-Perception/Self-Concept Pattern; (8) Role-Relationship Pattern; (9) Sexuality-Reproductive Pattern; (10) Coping Stress Tolerance Pattern; and (11) Value-Belief System -- All consider the psychosocial aspects of the patient. (Nursing Guide, 2012)

The assessment of the self-perception/self-concept pattern may result in negative findings that include the child having a poor self-perception of their own abilities or of their body image including low self-worth, which can be identified through the child's body posture as well as failure to make eye contact.

The role-relationship pattern assessment may result in negative findings about the child's view of their parents or their teachers and even friends.

The sexuality-reproduction pattern includes the child's satisfaction with their own sexuality and negative findings in the assessment include the child's maladjustment to their own gender or perceived problems about their gender.

The coping-stress tolerance pattern assessment may result in findings that include the child having a low tolerance for stress and poor skills for managing stress including that the child has temper fits in time of stress or withdraws crying.

The value-belief system assessment may result in findings that the child has poor perceptions in terms of making choices and does not have a solid base on which they base their decisions.

The judgment of whether a pattern is functional or dysfunctional is based upon the comparison of assessment data to: (1) individual baselines; (2) established norms for age groups; or (3) cultural, social, or other norms.

Erikson's Stages and Tasks

Each stage is a representation of a series of behavioral changes in the lifetime of the individual. The assessment stages at focus and which the nurse can use in assessing the child's development at various stages include those stated as follows:

(1) Birth to 18 months -- Trust vs. Mistrust -- This stage involves the development of trust and confidence when the infant's needs are expressed by crying and the child is dependent on others to meet their needs quickly and in a gentle manner. (Kirdwood Edu, 2012)

(2) 18 months to 3 years - Autonomy vs. Doubt and Shame -- This stage involves the infant differentiation of self from parents although the child is still dependent. The child acquires self-control and willpower and have learned they are good and develop self-confidence. (Kirdwood Edu, 2012)

(3) 3 years to 6 years -- Initiative vs. Guilt -- This stage involves the child learning to develop plans and putting those plans into action as well as acquiring directions and purpose and the ability to evaluate their own behavior. If guilt is developed the child's conscience is developing in a way that lacks spontaneity. Limiting children too harshly may lead to the child feeling guilt. (Kirdwood Edu, 2012)