The National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners Partners for Vulnerable Youth (NAPNAP Partners) is dedicated to raising awareness about the significant impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on the health and well-being of infants, children and adolescents. By recognizing that early life experiences shape not only current development but also long-term physical, mental and emotional developmental health, there is the opportunity to address the ongoing public health crisis that one in five children nationally experience.
To optimize long-term health outcomes, providers can implement strategies to mitigate the impact of trauma on children. The National Traumatic Child Stress Network defines trauma-informed care as health care for children, families, and service providers that assess, recognize, and respond to traumatic stress and its effects. By working to understand trauma, there is the opportunity for providers to pinpoint the necessary support and guidance that would benefit both the child and caregivers.
“All APRNs caring for children and their fellow health care professionals should implement trauma-informed practices, as supported by current guidelines. By providing high-quality care to the patients and families we care for, we can routinely screen for ACEs and integrate trauma-informed care into our practice,” said NAPNAP President Daniel Crawford, DNP, ARNP, CPNP-PC, CNE, FAANP. “It’s essential that health care providers lead efforts for further education, research, advocacy, and expanded funding to reduce barriers to care for those children and adolescents experiencing ACEs.”
NAPNAP Partners is committed to promoting trauma-informed care for pediatric patients across all health care settings. Through encouraging efforts to generate and implement trauma-informed care models in health care settings, ensuring a safe environment for patient families, and recognizing the impact of trauma on the long-term health of children and adolescents, there is the opportunity to provide high-quality care for all patients. By advocating for all pediatric-focused APRNs to have access to the tools needed to assess, recognize, and respond to ACEs in children and their caregivers, providers are able to promote child and family resilience and address prior trauma.
The position statement, including additional steps NAPNAP Partners is committed to taking to make impactful changes, is published in the September/October edition of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioner’s Journal of Pediatric Health Care and can be accessed here.
Oct. 29, 2024
