GETTING STARTED WITH PEDIATRICS

by | May 27, 2025 | Analysis

Primary care of children from newborns to those on the cusp of adulthood requires considerable knowledge, as well as the finesse to manage parents and families of all types, and the changing needs, attitudes, and independence of young people as they grow and mature. Considering that this week—in fact, this entire first module—is focused on growth and development, it is fitting for you to reflect on your current and anticipated growth and development in advanced nursing, and specifically, in pediatric care. When you made your decision to pursue training as a Family Nurse Practitioner, how did pediatrics factor in your thinking? Is the opportunity to work with children and adolescents a strong motivator, or does it rank for you as more of a concern?
As you get started with this course, take time to reflect on your present capacity as you prepare to immerse yourself in the requirements of pediatric care as a nurse practitioner. How can you benefit most from this course, and how can it further you along the professional path you have chosen or in achieving your career goals?
This Discussion can be a catalyst for self-assessment and offer valuable insights from your colleagues. It is also an opportunity to get to know them and to introduce yourself, in anticipation of further interaction as you engage in the course i-Human Assignments.

• Review this week’s Learning Resources, and particularly Chapters 10, 11, 13, and 18 of the Burns’ Pediatric Primary Care text.
• Consider the roles and responsibilities of a nurse practitioner providing pediatric primary care. Work to define the strengths you bring to the position of Family Nurse Practitioner and the challenges you face.
• Reflect on this course and what you expect to learn and do, such as by reviewing the course description, outcomes, and course introduction. Consider how the next 11 weeks can help build your strengths and address your challenges.
• Also consider your career goals and objectives and how this course can support and/or further them. Be detailed in your thinking.

Post a brief introduction of yourself that includes an explanation of your strengths and challenges as they apply to pediatrics and the role of a Family Nurse Practitioner. Also explain your career goals and objectives, and how your work in this course can help to accomplish those goals and objectives as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Use your research to support your explanations by providing credible and scholarly sources.
Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses.

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Pediatrics in My FNP Thinking

When I made the decision to pursue training as a Family Nurse Practitioner, pediatrics was a significant factor, albeit one I viewed with a mix of strong motivation and a healthy dose of humility/concern.

  • Motivation: The opportunity to work with children and adolescents is a strong motivator for several key reasons:

    • Preventive Care and Early Intervention: My DNP project in pain management has highlighted the long-term impact of chronic conditions, often stemming from early life. The idea of intervening early in a child’s life to promote healthy habits, prevent chronic diseases, and address developmental concerns before they become entrenched is incredibly appealing. As Burns et al. (2020) emphasize, primary care for children is fundamentally about health promotion and disease prevention

Pediatrics in My FNP Thinking

When I made the decision to pursue training as a Family Nurse Practitioner, pediatrics was a significant factor, albeit one I viewed with a mix of strong motivation and a healthy dose of humility/concern.

  • Motivation: The opportunity to work with children and adolescents is a strong motivator for several key reasons:

    • Preventive Care and Early Intervention: My DNP project in pain management has highlighted the long-term impact of chronic conditions, often stemming from early life. The idea of intervening early in a child’s life to promote healthy habits, prevent chronic diseases, and address developmental concerns before they become entrenched is incredibly appealing. As Burns et al. (2020) emphasize, primary care for children is fundamentally about health promotion and disease prevention
    • Impacting Generations: Successful pediatric care can have a ripple effect, setting children on a healthier trajectory that impacts their families and future generations. For example, understanding early life adverse events and their link to adult health outcomes (as discussed in previous modules) makes me eager to contribute to positive childhood experiences.
    • Holistic Family Care: As an FNP, the ability to care for the entire family unit is a powerful draw. Understanding the child within the context of their family structure, parenting styles, and cultural background (as we’ve discussed) is essential, and I believe caring for children deepens the holistic family perspective.
    • Growth and Development: The dynamic nature of pediatric growth and development is fascinating. The chance to witness and support children through their formative years, from infancy to the cusp of adulthood, is a unique privilege.

  • Concern/Challenge: My primary concern stems from my limited direct, independent pediatric primary care experience. While I have interacted with adolescents in my current role (e.g., those with chronic pain conditions, or addressing substance use in older teens), and have provided care to children in acute settings, the nuances of well-child checks, developmental screening, acute pediatric illnesses, and managing the unique parent-provider dynamic from infancy through adolescence are areas where I recognize a significant learning curve. The rapid changes in needs, attitudes, and independence of young people require a different finesse than adult care, as highlighted in this week’s readings. My experience has primarily involved managing adult “consumers” of healthcare, while pediatric care involves managing the complex triangle of parent, child, and provider.

Current Capacity and Benefits from This Course

My current strengths that I believe I bring to the position of Family Nurse Practitioner, particularly in pediatrics, include:

  • Strong Assessment Skills: My DNP training has honed my ability to perform comprehensive health assessments, critically analyze data, and synthesize complex patient information. While the parameters will shift for pediatrics, the process of thorough assessment is transferable.
  • Patient and Family Education: I have extensive experience in translating complex medical information into understandable language for patients and families, empowering them in their care. This skill is paramount in pediatric care, where parents are key decision-makers.
  • Chronic Disease Management: My background has provided me with a solid foundation in managing chronic conditions, which applies to children with chronic illnesses, developmental disorders, or those transitioning into adolescence with ongoing health needs.
  • Interprofessional Collaboration: I regularly collaborate with physicians, specialists, social workers, and therapists, a skill that will be vital in coordinating care for children with complex needs or disabilities.
  • Advocacy: My DNP work has instilled a strong commitment to patient advocacy, which is especially important for children who cannot always advocate for themselves.

My main challenges, as mentioned, lie in the specific knowledge base and clinical nuances of pediatric primary care. This includes:

  • Developmental Milestones and Age-Appropriate Interventions: Accurately assessing developmental milestones, understanding age-specific communication strategies, and identifying subtle deviations from normal growth patterns.
  • Common Pediatric Illnesses and Management: Familiarity with the epidemiology, presentation, and management of common childhood illnesses, including differential diagnoses unique to pediatric populations.
  • Immunization Schedules and Public Health: Staying current with complex immunization schedules and understanding their public health implications.
  • Parent-Provider Dynamics: Mastering the art of communicating effectively with parents, addressing their concerns, and building trust while also engaging the child.

This course is invaluable to me in several ways:

  • Foundation of Pediatric Knowledge: Chapters 10, 11, 13, and 18 of Burns’ text, focusing on topics like health promotion, developmental surveillance, and specific systems, will provide the essential theoretical knowledge to build upon my existing assessment and management skills.
  • Clinical Reasoning in Pediatrics: The i-Human assignments will be particularly beneficial, allowing me to apply theoretical knowledge to simulated pediatric cases, refine my clinical reasoning, and gain practical experience in decision-making in a safe environment. This will help me bridge the gap from adult-focused assessment to the unique requirements of pediatric care.
  • Understanding Family Systems: The course content, particularly discussions around family structure, parenting styles, and cultural background, directly addresses my interest in holistic family care, enabling me to better support both the child and their caregivers.

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