Question

2. Gina has come into the primary care center with her mother Kris for an 11-year-old wellness examination. As the nurse prepares Gina for her examination, Kris asks to speak to the nurse outside the examination room. Kris shares with the nurse her concerns about recent changes she has noticed in Gina. She explains that Gina’s body is beginning to change and she has made a number of comments about her body image. Kris is concerned about Gina’s self-esteem and emotional development.

a. What are some of the prepubescent changes school-age children experience that the nurse can share with Kris?

b. What are some of the issues regarding body image that the nurse can teach Kris about?

c. What can the nurse teach Kris regarding self-esteem in school-age children to address her concerns?

Answer 1

a. There are a number of changes that every school-age children experience and specially the girls. The nurse can talk about some of these prepubescent changes that Gina is experiencing with Kris in order to make her understand that these changes are natural and she need not to worry a lot about her child. These changes happens usually in the first occurrence of menstruation or menarche. Breast buds starts developing and are usually the first visible change. As the child grows, more and more spread and diposition of adipose happens resulting to significant weight gain and body fat. There is a lot of changes in the body hormones and that is the reason the child develops their respective sexual orientation. Hairs in the pubic area and under the arms also begins to grow.

b. During this stage of development, there are high chances that Gina might feel awkward about her body changes and could possibly carry misconception about her body image. Being a mother, it becomes important for Kris to make Gina understand that these changes are totally normal and she should positively accept her present body image. The mother must educate their child that these changes are due to the transition of body from a child to an adult. The nurse will ask Kris to support Gina emotionally and tell her about her experience when she was of same age. She should also tell Gina about the occurance and importance of menstruation and how to take care of it. To approach her fat related concern, Kris must provide Gina with a nutritious diet and encourage her to do regular exercise or any other physical activity.

c. Not only physical but the body also undergoes a lot of psychological changes during this stage of development. Childrens start developing a sense of self-esteem. So it is quite understandable that Gina will face a lot of challenges in the home as well as school. So it becomes important for Kris to treat Gina with respect as it will help her to grow self-confidence and will serve her self-esteem which could possibly be seen in her positive attitude. Acceptance by her fellow students in the school as well as her other friends is very crucial. Healthy communication will definitly help her in facing these challenges. In addition to these, Kris should also try to prevent the occurance of any health related issue or eating problems as they can potentially affect Gina's self-esteem.