Caring for Children and Families

Caring for Children and Families has been written as a resource for those who provide health care for children and their families. The overarching aims are to help the reader to understand the fundamental aspects of care in order to facilitate safe and effective practice; to stimulate thought, and to generate discussion - this will encourage the development of paediatric caring skills underpinned with a sound knowledge base. This is a foundation text that will enable personal growth in relation to child health care. The material is organised in such a way that it reflects contemporary practice in a user-friendly manner; in addition, information is related to clinical practice issues that may be experienced when working with children and their families. Each chapter has activities which have been integrated to help, encourage and motivate. Some of the activities presented will provide the reader with possible responses to the questions set, others do not, they are there to support learning, and to persuade the reader to delve deeper, and extend further understanding of the topic. Contributors to the book are experts from a range of backgrounds - both in practice and academia. The contributors are committed to, and firmly believe, that the child comes first and foremost; they believe that each child is a unique person with individual needs and aspirations - this stance is clearly reflected in each chapter of the book. The text should be seen as a handbook or a manual that has a sound evidence base, and one that will challenge and encourage the reader to develop a questioning approach to care provision, it emphasises the integration of theory and practice.