NRS 420 Topic 2 Developmental Assessment and the School-Aged Child

NRS 420 Topic 2 Developmental Assessment and the School-Aged Child – Step-by-Step Guide

The first step before starting to write the NRS 420 Topic 2 Developmental Assessment and the School-Aged Child, it is essential to understand the requirements of the assignment. The first step is to read the assignment prompt carefully to identify the topic, the length and format requirements. You should go through the rubric provided so that you can understand what is needed to score the maximum points for each part of the assignment. 

It is also important to identify the audience of the paper and its purpose so that it can help you determine the tone and style to use throughout. You can then create a timeline to help you complete each stage of the paper, such as conducting research, writing the paper, and revising it to avoid last-minute stress before the deadline. After identifying the formatting style to be applied to the paper, such as APA, you should review its use, such as writing citations and referencing the resources used. You should also review how to format the title page and the headings in the paper.

How to Research and Prepare for NRS 420 Topic 2 Developmental Assessment and the School-Aged Child

The next step in preparing for your paper is to conduct research and identify the best sources to use to support your arguments. Identify the list of keywords from your topic using different combinations. The first step is to visit the university library and search through its database using the important keywords related to your topic. You can also find books, peer-reviewed articles, and credible sources for your topic from PubMed, JSTOR, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, and Google Scholar. Ensure that you select the references that have been published in the last words and go through each to check for credibility. Ensure that you obtain the references in the required format, for example, in APA, so that you can save time when creating the final reference list. 

You can also group the references according to their themes that align with the outline of the paper. Go through each reference for its content and summarize the key concepts, arguments and findings for each source. You can write down your reflections on how each reference connects to the topic you are researching about. After the above steps, you can develop a strong thesis that is clear, concise and arguable. Next you should create a detailed outline of the paper so that it can help you to create headings and subheadings to be used in the paper. Ensure that you plan what point will go into each paragraph.

How to Write the Introduction for NRS 420 Topic 2 Developmental Assessment and the School-Aged Child

The introduction of the paper is the most crucial part as it helps to provide the context of your work, and will determine if the reader will be interested to read through to the end. You should start with a hook, which will help capture the reader’s attention. You should contextualize the topic by offering the reader a concise overview of the topic you are writing about so that they may understand its importance. You should state what you aim to achieve with the paper. The last part of the introduction should be your thesis statement, which provides the main argument of the paper.

How to Write the Body for NRS 420 Topic 2 Developmental Assessment and the School-Aged Child

The body of the paper helps you to present your arguments and evidence to support your claims. You can use headings and subheadings developed in the paper’s outline to guide you on how to organize the body. Start each paragraph with a topic sentence to help the reader know what point you will be discussing in that paragraph. Support your claims using the evidence conducted from the research, ensure that you cite each source properly using in-text citations. You should analyze the evidence presented and explain its significance and how it connects to the thesis statement. You should maintain a logical flow between each paragraph by using transition words and a flow of ideas.

How to Write the In-text Citations for NRS 420 Topic 2 Developmental Assessment and the School-Aged Child

In-text citations help the reader to give credit to the authors of the references they have used in their works. All ideas that have been borrowed from references, any statistics and direct quotes must be referenced properly. The name and date of publication of the paper should be included when writing an in-text citation. For example, in APA, after stating the information, you can put an in-text citation after the end of the sentence, such as (Smith, 2021). If you are quoting directly from a source, include the page number in the citation, for example (Smith, 2021, p. 15). Remember to also include a corresponding reference list at the end of your paper that provides full details of each source cited in your text. An example paragraph highlighting the use of in-text citations is as below:

The integration of technology in nursing practice has significantly transformed patient care and improved health outcomes. According to Smith (2021), the use of electronic health records (EHRs) has streamlined communication among healthcare providers, allowing for more coordinated and efficient care delivery. Furthermore, Johnson and Brown (2020) highlight that telehealth services have expanded access to care, particularly for patients in rural areas, thereby reducing barriers to treatment.

How to Write the Conclusion for NRS 420 Topic 2 Developmental Assessment and the School-Aged Child

When writing the conclusion of the paper, start by restarting your thesis, which helps remind the reader what your paper is about. Summarize the key points of the paper, by restating them. Discuss the implications of your findings and your arguments. End with a call to action that leaves a lasting impact on the reader or recommendations.

How to Format the Reference List for NRS 420 Topic 2 Developmental Assessment and the School-Aged Child

The reference helps provide the reader with the complete details of the sources you cited in the paper. The reference list should start with the title “References” on a new page. It should be aligned center and bolded, in sentence sentence care. The references should be organized in an ascending order alphabetically and each should have a hanging indent. If a source has no author, it should be alphabetized by the title of the work, ignoring any initial articles such as “A,” “An,” or “The.” If you have multiple works by the same author, list them in chronological order, starting with the earliest publication. 

Each reference entry should include specific elements depending on the type of source. For books, include the author’s last name, first initial, publication year in parentheses, the title of the book in italics, the edition (if applicable), and the publisher’s name. For journal articles, include the author’s last name, first initial, publication year in parentheses, the title of the article (not italicized), the title of the journal in italics, the volume number in italics, the issue number in parentheses (if applicable), and the page range of the article. For online sources, include the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) or the URL at the end of the reference. An example reference list is as follows:

References

Johnson, L. M., & Brown, R. T. (2020). The role of telehealth in improving patient outcomes. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 35(2), 123-130. https://doi.org/10.1097/NCQ.0000000000000456Smith, J. A. (2021). The impact of technology on nursing practice. Health Press.

NRS 420 Topic 2 Developmental Assessment and the School-Aged Child

This topic will focus on children and how to assess for and address their developmental needs. The Search Institute is a nonprofit organization that conducts and applies research to promote positive youth development. In 1994, the Search Institute published “What Kids Need to Succeed” with 40 Developmental Assets for raising children. Please review the 40 Developmental Assets documents located in topic Resources GCU.

Based on the first letter of your first name you will create a plan using the nursing process (Assessment,

Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation [ADPIE]) that will focus on the given age group:

A-F: 3 to 5 years – Early childhood

G-M: 5 to 9 years – Children grades K-3

N-S: 9 to 12 years – Middle childhood

T-Z: 12 to 18 years – Adolescents

Use the attached template based on your assigned age group to successfully complete the assignment from the perspective of a nurse working at your state’s Department of Human Services.

You are required to cite a minimum of three peer-reviewed sources to complete this assignment. Sources must be published within the past 5 years, appropriate for the assignment criteria, and relevant to nursing practice GCU.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.

American Association of Colleges of Nursing Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education

This assignment aligns to AACN Core Competencies 1.1, 1.3.

NRS 420 Topic 2 Developmental Assessment and the School-Aged Child Sample

Developmental assessment is meant to evaluate a child’s physical and psychosocial developmental milestones based on the child’s age and the milestones required from children of that particular age. Developmental assessments also help identify developmental disorders early and thus help plan management interventions (Coscini et al., 2022). Pediatric patients of different ages have different health needs depending on their ages. The assessment done on pediatric patients also differs; thus, the nurses must have the assessment techniques that suit the age of the child being assessed. This essay examines the needs of a school-aged child between the ages of 5 and 12. A comparison of the physical assessments among school-aged children, assessment techniques, the typical developmental stages of an 8-year-old, and the application of Piaget’s developmental theory to assess the child will be discussed.

Physical assessment for school children of different ages may differ. Comparing the assessment of a 5-year-old to that of a 12-year-old child will require different assessment techniques. The 5-year-old may not have information on their health history, thus requiring the presence of a parent or caregiver, while the 12-year-old may give all the responses required. The patient’s needs differ in age. Thus, the assessment technique should be modeled in consideration of these needs. For instance, a physical assessment of the 12-year-old may require privacy, while a physical assessment of the 5-year-old may be done when the parent is present. Physical assessment of the 5-year-old may include fine motor skills assessment and shedding of deciduous teeth, while assessing a 12-year-old may include evaluating whether puberty onset is occurring. However, the assessments for both ages may also have some similarities. For example, both assessments require a physical examination.

The developmental stages and milestones of children depend on age. The typical developmental stages that an 8-year-old should have achieved include language, cognitive, sensory, motor, physical, and social/emotional development (Malik & Marwaha, 2018). A child at this age will develop complex language skills such as pronunciation. They will be more physically active doing physical activities such as jumping and skipping, have begun to make social friends, and are learning to cooperate and feel comfortable in a group. If the child’s language, emotions, thinking, movement, and behavior meet these developmental milestones, the child is said to be developing as expected.

Various developmental theories exist to explain the developmental stages human beings go through and guide developmental assessments at various levels. Jean Piaget developed a cognitive development theory that explains children’s cognitive development from birth to 12 years (Sangyhi, 2020). Based on the theory, cognitive development occurs in four stages: the sensorimotor stage occurs from 0-2 years, the preoperational stage occurs from 2-7 years, the concrete operational stage occurs from 7-11 years, and the formal operational stage occurs at 12 years. School-aged children fall at the preoperational stage and transit to the concrete and formal operational stages. In this case, for the 8-year-old, who is at the concrete operational stage, the assessment should focus on the ability of the child to use logic and reasoning and solve concrete problems. The developmental milestones of this stage are the ability to use reasoning and logic and solve complex problems.

The strategies I would use to ensure maximum cooperation from the child during the assessment include being friendly, ensuring the assessment environment is child-friendly, and allowing the child to be accompanied by a parent or caregiver to prevent them from fearing me. According to Rose et al. (2018), making the assessment environment child-friendly enhances the child’s cooperation. I would also ensure I explain to the child and the parent where necessary, consider the child’s level of understanding in acquiring the assessment results and ensure nothing is left out. The potential findings of the assessment include the ability to use logic, and the child can solve concrete problems.

A child’s developmental stage is an essential factor to consider when developing the appropriate techniques for developmental assessments. Assessing a child’s development against the standard developmental milestones enables the care provider to identify any deviations and plan interventions to correct them. Maximum cooperation from the child should be encouraged.      

NRS 420 Topic 2 Developmental Assessment and the School-Aged Child References

Coscini, N., Heyes, P., Bedford, H., Cohen, E., D’Aprano, A., Goldfeld, S., Hargreaves, D., Loveday, S., Nejat, S., Roberts., Saradi, A., Saunders, N. R., Woolfenden, S. & Milner, K. (2022). Multicountry review: developmental surveillance, assessment, and care by outpatient pediatricians. Archives of Disease in Childhood. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2021-322799

Malik, F., & Marwaha, R. (2018). Developmental stages of social-emotional development in children. Retrieved from https://europepmc.org/article/PMID:30521240

Rose, E., Lehrl, S., Ebert, S., & Weinert, S. (2018). Long-term relations between children’s language, the home literacy environment, and socioemotional development from ages 3 to 8. Early Education and Development29(3), 342-356. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2017.1409096

Sanghvi, P. (2020). Piaget’s theory of cognitive development: a review. Indian Journal of Mental Health7(2), 90–96. https://indianmentalhealth.com/2020/vol7-issue2/5-Review-Article_Piagets-theory

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