Assessing and managing a child with a rash, infection or febrile illness can be especially challenging, and is often not well understood. This seminar will provide nurses with the knowledge to assist in determining what may be contributing to a child’s rash, and how to manage the associated condition(s). Additionally, this interactive program will allow nurses to differentiate common, mild, and more serious infections that occur in children, the management and ongoing assessment required, and the role immunisations can play in prevention of some of these diseases.
Need for Program
No matter where nurses work, at some stage they are likely to be asked ‘What infection or rash is that?’ Many nurses have a good understanding of infectious diseases and rashes that present in adulthood. However, childhood infections may not be so well understood by nurses. A program that explains and discusses the conditions that cause childhood infections and rashes will be useful to a diverse range of nurses and will assist them in the early identification and care of sick children.
Aims and Objectives
This program provides nurses with continuing professional development that examines and explains childhood infections and rashes. It will discuss different types of infections and rashes including how to assess the child and administer the appropriate nursing care.
At the end of this program nurses will be able to:
Assess and identify different types of childhood rashes.
Explain which rashes are most serious and why.
Recognise and manage a range of infectious diseases in infants and children.
Describe the current Australian Immunisation schedule.
Day 1
Day 2
Educators
8.30 AM Registration and Refreshments
9.00 AM "What Rash is That?" Introduction to Program
In this first session we will discuss the aims and objectives of the program. Include a debate on: "Why do children get so many infections?"
9.20 AM Fever & Febrile Convulsions
Although a high fever alone is not reflective of serious illness it is cause for concern in an infant or child as it indicates infection is present.
This session will review the definition of fever and look at the common causes. It will then review febrile convulsions. Topics include:
What impact is fever having on the child?
Should you aim to lower the temperature of a child who has a fever?
What is the best way to care for a child with a fever?
What should you do if a child has a febrile convulsion?
10.30 AM Morning Tea and Coffee
10.50 AM Infections and Rashes - The Childhood Context
Assessing a child with a rash requires an holistic approach that relies heavily on a nurse's general knowledge of paediatric care.
In this session you will:
Learn about the significance of reviewing a child's overall health as a key to understanding the context of the presenting rash.
Review the terminology that describes different types of rashes.
Gain a thorough understanding of different types of rashes and have a clear picture in your mind of how they look.
Topics include:
Macule, papule or pustule? How to identify different rashes.
Correct documentation of rashes.
11.20 AM Non-Infectious Rashes
Now it is time to review specific rashes. We will initially look at those that are non-infectious.
In this session you will review the conditions that present with a non-infectious rash.
Conditions Include:
12.30 PM Lunch Break and Networking
1.30 PM Common Infectious Diseases that CANNOT be "Immunised Against"
Children cannot be immunised for all infections that exist. In this session we will look at the signs and symptoms, and nursing care of a range of conditions for which there is no immunisation available. This includes:
'Slapped cheek'
'Hand, foot and mouth disease'
Roseola infantosum
Herpes simplex
Molluscum contagiosum
'Scarlet fever'
Non-specific viral rashes
Scabies
'Ring-worm'
3.00 PM Afternoon Tea & Coffee
3.30 PM Immunisation - Preventable Infections
Immunisation is a cornerstone of health promotion in infants and children. In this session you will be brought up-to date on the current immunisation schedule in Australia and some of the illnesses that immunisation can prevent. This session particularly looks at the following:
Chickenpox, measles and rubella
Illnesses caused by Haemophillus influenza type B.
4.20 PM Close of Day One of Program
9.00 AM Neurological Infections
In this challenging, illustrated session you will review some of the infectious conditions that attack the neurological system. This will include a revision of the nursing assessment of a child for meningitis and the correct action to take if you suspect a child has the condition. You will learn the characteristics of meningococcal disease and review examples of the rash that results from this serious condition. Topics include:
Meningitis - review of signs and symptoms.
Meningococcal disease.
Encephalitis.
10.20 AM Morning Tea and Coffee
10.40 AM Coughs, Colds and Other Respiratory Tract Infections
Can you confidently identify a wheeze from stridor? Are all coughs a cause for concern - especially those that sound dreadful? Preserving respiratory function is vital for survival and yet it is one of the most likely systems to become infected in childhood. In this interesting session, you will consider a range of different respiratory infections and review contemporary nursing care. It includes:
Coughs and colds
Sore throats and ear infections
Bronchiolitis, croup and pneumonia.
12.30 PM Lunch Break and Browse the Book Display
1.30 PM Diarrhoea … Diarrhoea - Tummy Upsets in Children
Gastroenteritis is usually a short acting condition that is very common in children, however, it can also be lethal. We will review this condition and discuss the appropriate nursing care. Session includes:
A review of the causes of gastroenteritis.
How it is spread through communities and how to stop it in its tracks.
Why gastroenteritis can be a killer.
Rehydration and electrolyte rebalance.
When a child has a coexisting disease.
Nursing care of a child with gastroenteritis.
3.00 PM Afternoon Tea and Coffee
3.20 PM Urinary Tract Infections
Infections of the urinary tract (UTIs) can cause enormous discomfort to a child. They are usually caused by bacteria and can lead to serious problems. In this short session we look at the common causes of infections of the urinary tract and their clinical manifestation and nursing care.
3.50 PM Summary of Program and Wrap Up
What will you do different in your practice as a result of attending this seminar?
4.00 PM Close of Program and Evaluations
Gerry Silk
Gerry has many years of paediatric nursing experience, including 16 years in the Emergency Department of the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne. The last 10 years at this renowned hospital were spent as a Clinical Nurse Educator. Gerry currently works part-time as a
paediatric nurse educator at the Angliss Hospital in Melbourne and runs her own business in paedaitric health education. Her teaching is consistently highly evaluated by participants who attend her lectures.
As well, Gerry is the author of the highly succesfull Ausmed book entitled: “Care of Sick Children: A Basic Guide.”
