HEAL504 Portfolio Part A

“The time I went to the ER”

Azra Ali – 22169974

Lifespan Development & Communications

HEAL504

Background case study

When I was 6, I remember being woken up from a throbbing earache in the middle of the night. I
told my father and we then rushed to the emergency room. I was nervous and felt scared whilst
waiting in the waiting room as to what might happen. However, the nurse begins to ask me
questions and check what the problem with my ear is. She then says “Say ahh and open your
mouth wide, I'm going to check the back of your throat," she says. Then continues checking the
inside of my ear with a light, “this’ll be super quick” she mentions. Soon she told me that I had
an ear infection, “I’ll give you some medicine to help with the ear pain, ok?” she says. By the
end of the checkup, she had said that I was a “brave girl” and did well. I remember feeling
relieved and calm at that moment, forgetting that it was the middle of the night and everyone
else would be asleep.
(This case study is from my own experience, and I do not require consent from others. I have maintained the
privacy of my father as he is not named and have ensured his identity remains anonymous.)
 Section 1 – Theory / theorists

Piaget's theory of cognitive development is one theory that concerns my case study. This
theorist works in developmental psychology and works to try and explain these age-linked
changes (Brown & Desforges, 2007). Jean Piaget has 4 stages of cognitive development, and
each stage shows how an individual can adapt to their environment (Huitt & Hummel, 2003). I
would be in the 4th stage, the preoperational stage of Piaget’s theory as it relates to children
aged 2-7. According to his theory, children understand the world around them via language use
and mental imagery. Thus, communicating is important. The nurse would communicate to me
whilst being there.
Another theory that concerns my case study is Erikson's theory. His theory is the psychosocial
development of social and cultural interaction with the world. His theory has 8 stages, all of
which are linked to personalities identified at each stage of life. starting from birth to death.
Stage 4 of Erikson's theory is the ‘school age’ stage of children between the ages of 5-12 years
(Cherry, 2022). He believes that skills are developed as kids interact with the world, do tasks,
communicate, and have support to make them feel pride when completing basic tasks. This is
demonstrated as the emotional domain as the nurse made me feel calm and proud.
 Section 2 – Cognitive domain and Emotional domain

While exploring my case study, it allowed me to also explore my emotions and feelings and the
environment around me. At the age of 6, I would be in the preoperational stage of Piaget's
theory. This means that children from the ages of 2-7 comprehend the world around them
through language. This relates to the cognitive developmental stage (Huitt & Hummel, 2003).
My experience corresponds to this theory as during the check up the nurse would communicate
to me. During my time there, I was on edge and felt worried as I was in an unfamiliar
environment and with a stranger although having my father be with me made me a little more at
ease. The nurse spoke in a calm tone and would guide me through what she was doing each
step by communicating. She then praised and acknowledged me by considering my thoughts
and feelings, which made me feel better and gained confidence. Which then links to the
emotional domain and Erikson’s theory of competence and feeling emotionally nurtured. I felt
confident and relieved when the nurse said she was proud of my bravery. This emotional
domain allows support to children who then gain confidence and trust resulting in children who
grow up to live their life confidently, with hope and knowledge in their adulthood (Cross, 2001).

Section 3 – Communication strategies and skills

In the position of a healthcare professional, I would try to understand a child’s viewpoint. I would
use different skills to approach and communicate with patients. Those between the ages of 5-12
are in their ‘egocentric’ phase according to Hargraves (2021). I would speak to the child
 understandingly and calmly and use gestures such as eye contact. Doing so can allow open
communication and build trust as being in an unknown and new place can be a scary
experience for children (O’Toole, 2020). This can be done by talking through the stages of
when, how, and what is likely to occur to the child appropriately so that the child can understand
(Shaw et al. 2020, as cited in Cook, 1999).
 Section 4 – Ethical principles

As a future healthcare professional, it is important to be aware of the following ethical

considerations like communication and language between the ages of 5-12 years as it allows a
better understanding of the patient and gains trust not only to patients but also caregiver(s)
(Shaw et al., 2020). Health practitioners can ask children and parents about the health condition
of the patient by having an open attitude and acceptance towards them. This allows patients to
be open, feel welcomed, and feel a sense of inclusion (O’Toole, 2020). Ethics in healthcare
allow clear communication and guides the patient throughout the process of medical conditions.

Section 5 - References

Brown, G., & Desforges, C. (2007). Piaget theory A psychological critique (pp. 1-30). Taylor & Francis
Group. https://lib/aut/detail.action?docID=1111472

Cherry, K. (2022, December 29). Industry vs Inferiority in Psychosocial Development. Verywellmind.

https://tinyurl.com/3z724cae

Cross, T. (2001). Gifted children and Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development. Gifted Child Today,
24(1),54.

https://www.proquest.com/docview/203256165?fromopenview=true&pq-origsite=gscholar
Huitt, W. & Hummel, J. (2003). Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development. Educational Psychology
Interactive Cognitive Development, pp. 1-2.

https://tinyurl.com/5n82ztvu

Hargraves, V. (2021). Piaget’s theory of education. The Education Hub.

https://theeducationhub.org.nz/piagets-theory-of-education/

O’Toole, G. (2020). Misunderstandings and communication for the healthcare professional (4th ed.).
Elsevier.

https://www-clinicalkey-com-au.ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/nursing/#!/content/book/3-s2.0-
B9780729543255000260?scrollTo=%23hl0000103

Shaw, S. (2020). Foundations for Health, Science and Sport in Aotearoa New Zealand (pp. 189-195).
Oxford University Press Australia and New Zealand.

https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/aut/detail.action?docID=6454437