For three weeks starting at the end of February, faculty and staff at the Ingram School of Nursing brought their children into the Satoko Shibata Clinical Nursing Laboratories for a fun and interactive learning experience in connection with a unit on pediatric health and physical assessment. Small groups of BNI students conducted mini-simulations in these health and physical assessment labs that mimicked a primary care "well child visit" while BScN students conducted health and physical assessments with a focus on communication skills and gathering information through observation.
As BScN Assistant Program Director and Course Coordinator Bruna Fernandes explains, “This lab activity provided our students with the opportunity to develop their pediatric assessment skills in a supportive and interactive environment. By engaging with children through play, students practiced building rapport, using age-appropriate communication, and conducting assessments in a way that is both effective and comforting for young patients.”
The lab simulation highlighted the importance of respecting a child’s comfort and autonomy. As one BNI on-campus student reflected about one of the children he assessed, “Even though his Iron Man costume limited our ability to fully assess his respiratory and gastrointestinal systems, respecting his choice not to remove it for a long period of time was crucial in maintaining rapport.”
A total of 35 children ranging in age from 6 months to 12 years old and 265 students participated in the 2025 edition of Children’s Weeks. While some of the children were excited and cooperative, others were shy and had to be coaxed to have their vital signs taken. Faculty Lecturer Anne-Laurie Beaubrun, who brought her three children to the lab, noted that exposing students to a wide range of behaviours is an important part of the learning experience. “My oldest and youngest were fully engaged, while my middle child challenged the students by saying 'no' at every turn. It was a valuable exercise in adaptability, teaching the students how to respect individual responses while still completing their assessments effectively."
The labs were coordinated by Faculty Lecturers Maria Damian (BNI on Campus Coordinator), Bruna Fernandes (BScN Course Coordinator), Allyssa Zeagman (BNI On Campus Lab Coordinator) and Amanda Trevisonno (Direct Entry Master's Course Coordinator) with volunteer scheduling coordinated by Course Technician Luisa De Marte.
Key learning outcomes included enhancing students' confidence in pediatric nursing, refining their ability to adapt assessment techniques to different developmental stages, improving clinical reasoning, developing proficiency in using validated children’s assessment tools, and fostering a child-centered and family-focused approach to care.
The positive feedback from the students as they debriefed with their educators indicates that these objectives were met. As noted by student Rachel Guzman, “Seeing everyone, children and students alike, bringing a positive attitude into learning was a wonderful experience. We had the opportunity to interact with the children and learn how to foster their curiosity through hands-on activities and games. It was rewarding to see their excitement as they explored new concepts such as having their vital signs taken, as they asked questions, and discovered the fun side of science.”
Faculty Lecturer Jayalakshmi Caliaperumal, who is pregnant with her third child, reported that in addition to engaging with her daughter, the students capitalized on this unexpected opportunity to practice their pregnancy assessment skills. “They measured my fundal height and touched my abdomen to feel the baby's position. It was a fulfilling day for me and my daughter, knowing we contributed to our future healthcare professionals' learning experience while creating special memories together,” says Caliaperumal.
As for the children, for the most part, they were enthusiastic about their experience. The last word goes to 4-year-old Violet, who visited the lab with her younger brother and her aunt, Assistant Professor Caroline Marchionni. “I had so much fun! They checked my ears and I didn’t cry!”
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