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5 Hospitalized Child Nursing Care Plans

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By Paul Martin, BSN, R.N.
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Whether it is a brief hospital admission, a follow-up check-up, surgery, or recurrent hospitalizations due to chronic illness, a child who is hospitalized creates a crisis within the family. Child’s responses to hospitalization are associated to the developmental level but usually include fear of separation, loss of control, injury, and pain.

The smoothness of transition from home to the hospital relies on how well the child has been prepared for it and how the child’s physical and emotional needs have been satisfied. Providing support to the family, supplying them with information, and empowering their participation in the child’s care adds to the adjustment and well-being of all concerned.

Nursing Care Plans

The major nursing care plan goals for a child who is hospitalized include increased ability to perform self-care activities, relief of anxiety, and an increased sense of power of family in making decisions and absence of injury.

Here are five (5) nursing care plans (NCP) and nursing diagnosis (NDx) for hospitalized child:

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  1. Self-Care Deficit
  2. Deficient Diversional Activity
  3. Anxiety
  4. Powerlessness
  5. Risk for Trauma

4. Powerlessness

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Powerlessness

Nursing Diagnosis

  • Powerlessness

May be related to

  • Health care environment
  • Illness-related regimen

Possibly evidenced by

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  • Expression or behavior indicating discontent with the inability to perform activities and dependence on others
  • Expression of loss of control over the situation
  • Fear of alienation from others in the hospital environment
  • Hesitation to express true feelings

Desired Outcomes

  • Child will gain a sense of control over the situation.
Nursing InterventionsRationale
Encourage parents and child to vent feelings in an accepting environment.Allows for expression of feelings about the loss of control and frustrations over the inability to accomplish activities.
Allow parents to participate in the child’s care as much as desired, and to visit or stay with child consistently.Promotes support of the child and allows family some control over the situation.
Provide encouragement and appreciation to child and parents for their participation; encourage and defend expression of their true feelings.Promotes positive feedback and decreases fear of rejection by staff due to their behavior.
Allow for suggestion and input from child and parents in formulating care goals, care plan, and scheduling of activities, and integrate this input into routines as much as possible.Allows for as much control as possible for child and family.
Let the child perform simple tasks in hospital unit and for own care, such as pouring own water and marking amounts on record at the bedside.Promotes independence and control of the environment.
Notify parents and child of tasks that
they can perform in the care plan.		Accommodates need for a sense of control.
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4. Powerlessness

Recommended Resources

Recommended nursing diagnosis and nursing care plan books and resources.

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See also

Other recommended site resources for this nursing care plan:

Other nursing care plans for pediatric conditions and diseases:

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Paul Martin, BSN, R.N.
Paul Martin is a registered nurse with a bachelor of science in nursing since 2007. Having worked as a medical-surgical nurse for five years, he handled different kinds of patients and learned how to provide individualized care to them. Now, his experiences working in the hospital is carried over to his writings to help aspiring students achieve their goals. He is currently working as a nursing instructor and have a particular interest in nursing management, emergency care, critical care, infection control, and public health. As a writer at Nurseslabs, his goal is to impart his clinical knowledge and skills to students and nurses helping them become the best version of themselves and ultimately make an impact in uplifting the nursing profession.
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