[The role of pediatric assistants in health education]

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Child Development
• Nursing Education

Background:

• Auxiliary paediatric nurses (APNs) in France care for children aged 0-6.
• APNs perform crucial daily care tasks including feeding, hygiene, and monitoring sleep.
• Current APN training often overlooks their significant psychological impact on child development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the psychological role of APNs in early childhood development.
• To advocate for enhanced training for APNs in psychological observation.
• To emphasize the importance of health educator training for APNs.

Main Methods:

• Review of the role and responsibilities of APNs in France.
• Analysis of the psychological impact of APN care on children aged 0-6.
• Recommendations for curriculum development in APN training programs.

Main Results:

• APNs significantly influence child development beyond basic hygiene.
• APNs are often unaware of the psychological dimension of their role.
• Current training does not adequately prepare APNs for psychological observation and health education.

Conclusions:

• APN training requires integration of psychological observation skills.
• Enhanced training will empower APNs to better support child emotional and developmental needs.
• APNs should be trained as effective health educators for daily practice.