The Growth and Development of Arnold Shortman Alan Ly N332 California State University, San Marcos
MEET ARNOLD AND HIS FAMILY Arnold Shortman is a kind, calm, and compassionate 9-year-old boy who has an optimistic view of life. He is supportive to others and often goes out of his way to help them. He lives in the Sunset Arms boarding house in a no-parent family consisting of his paternal grandparents (Phil and Gertrude) and several boarding residents (Perry, Hockenberry, Lowdermilk, & Wilson, 2014). Arnold was born in San Lorenzo, South America to Miles and Stella Shortman as an only child while they were on an adventure. They moved back to the city of Hillwood to live with Arnold’s grandparents at the Sunset Arms home. However, at the age of 1, Arnold’s parents had gone on another expedition to San Lorenzo but never returned. Although Arnold’s grandparents have exuberant personalities of their own, he calls them his real parents because they have raised him as long as he could remember.
Physical Appearance Arnold has a short stature and a moderately slim frame. The shape of his head is unusually elongated and his ears extend off the side of his head. He has a fair skin complexion and yellow hair that is split down the middle. His daily outfit is composed of an untucked red plaid shirt, a green sweater, jeans, black shoes, and a tiny blue baseball cap.
Social Network & Hobbies Arnold attends an elementary school called P.S. 118 and is friends with most of his fourth-grade classmates. He is often seen with his best friend Gerald but also spends a lot of time with his group of friends from school. He is known to be the leader in his group due to his boldness, creativity, respectfulness, and generosity. However, Arnold is often taken advantage due to his kindness. He is also constantly bullied by his friend Helga who secretly admires him. He had several failed relationship attempts throughout his elementary school years most notably with Ruth P. McDougal and Lilia Sawyer. His hobbies include playing baseball and football, listening to jazz music, watching movies, and going to the arcade. Arnold’s bedroom is set up with fascinating technology including a collapsible couch, a remote that controls all aspects of his room, and a glass ceiling with access to the boarding house roof.
QSEN According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, QSEN requires that nurses provide competent and safe patient-centered care. The QSEN prepares nurses to identify and implement the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to care for a patient (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2017).
Growth & Development Physical Growth
School-Age (6 to 12 Years) Arnold: Age 9
Children at this age will gain 4.4 to 6.6 lb and grow 5 cm per year (ATI, 2013). The normal weight for school-age children is 43-87 lb a height of 117-142 cm (Perry et al., 2014). The normal BMI of a 9-year-old child should be 16 Âą 2 (CDC.gov, 2015). Arnold has a short stature and has long, slender extremities. He has all of his permanent teeth. His BMI is 15.1 which is within normal range.
Gross Motor Skills At age 9, movements are fluid and graceful. They are steadier on their feet compared to preschoolers. They are always on the go and often seeing skipping, chasing, and jumping (Perry et al., 2014). Arnold participates in sports regularly including baseball and football. He is able to run, bike, and swim without problems. He walks to and from school every day.
Fine Motor Skills The brain is near full development and basic neuromuscular mechanisms are present. Small-muscle and eye-hand coordination increases as they age and their ability to use writing instruments such as pencils and pens (Lippincott Williams & Wilkin, 2015). Arnold is a skilled harmonica player. He also builds challenging crafts and machinery which require exceptional fine motor skills.
Piaget, Erikson, & Kohlberg School-Age (6 to 12 Years) Arnold: Age 9
Piaget: Concrete Operations
Children are able to use thought processes to make actions and experience events. They correlate the relationship between things and ideas to form conceptual thoughts. They also master the concept of conservation (Perry et al., 2014). Arnold is likely to be in the latter formal operational stage (ATI, 2013). He is capable of using logic to make reasonable judgements. He is very imaginative and has the ability to influence others positively.
Erikson: Industry vs. Inferiority At this stage, children experience relationships and cooperate with others. They also gain independence and overcome challenges to complete tasks. They develop personal competence in order to contribute to society and feel accomplished (Perry et al., 2014). Arnold’s communication skills and kindness gives him to ability form rapport with others. He spends a lot of time learning new things and solving problems that occur in the city.
Kohlberg: Conventional The child behaves in a way based on rules or standards of society. They are able to understand the reasonings behind unacceptable behaviors. They understand multiple points of view instead of an act that is right or wrong (Perry et al, 2014). “Treat others the way you like to be treated.� Arnold is highly optimistic of the world around him. He is able to foster new relationships and help others in need. He is humble and sees good in others despite how devilish they can sometimes be.
Nutrition Obesity is a significant health concern for this age group, and they should be encouraged to form healthy eating habits. The quality of the child’s diet is mostly dependent on their family’s eating habits. A somewhat active 9-year-old boy should be eating 1,800 calories per day. Nutrition for school-age children should consist of adequate protein, fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2017) Food groups amounts for 1,800 calories per day Protein
5 ounces
Fruits
1 ½ cups
Vegetables
2 ½ cups
Grains
6 ounces
Dairy
3 cups
Arnold never brings his own lunch to school. He eats cafeteria food at school everyday which does not always provide healthy choices. The lunch at P.S. 118 is mainly processed, fatty foods including hamburgers, meatloaf, and pizza. Arnold often binge eats when there is an eating contest in town or when he sees a large platter of pancakes. He goes out with his friends to eat at diners and fast-food restaurants frequently.
OREM Self-Care Requisites Respect Arnold has respect for everyone including authority figures. He is frequently bullied by Helga but still maintains dignity and respect for her. He understands societal rules and boundaries and abides by them.
Family Arnold lives with his paternal grandparents who has raised him since he was a toddler. They are able to provide Arnold with adequate food, shelter, and clothing. He does not know if his biological parents are dead or alive, but he is extremely curious about their status.
Friends Arnold has numerous friends including most of his classmates, his housemates, mayor and butcher Marty, Stoop Kid, and many other adults in the city. His charming personality and friendly demeanor makes him likeable by many.
School Habits Arnold is very involved in school activities. He performed in several plays and won spelling contests and game shows. He takes education very seriously and does not slack or fool around in class. Helga often bosses Arnold around in school by calling him names and throwing spitballs at him.
Nutrition
Teaching
Arnold eats mostly processed food every day. He often goes out with his friends and eats at diners and fast-food restaurants, Intervention: Educate Arnold making healthy food choices. Guide him through choosemyplate.gov to determine adequate food portions. Work with his teacher and grandparents to plan a balanced meal.
Physical Development Arnold has a short stature and is the shortest among his friends. He is sometimes ridiculed because of his height. Intervention: It is important to inform Arnold that it is normal to have a variation in height as a kid. He will continue to grow through his school-age and adolescent years.
Social Development Arnold is bullied often by his peer Helga and occasionally by Harold. He usually doesn’t mind the bullying and shrugs it off. Intervention: Speak with school administration to increase supervision in hallways, playgrounds, etc. Tailor an education session with students, parents, and teachers about bullying. Provide guidance counseling for Arnold if necessary.
Safety Arnold lives in an urban city and walks to and from school every day. He sometimes walks around the neighborhood at night by himself. Intervention: Arnold should be instructed on safe pedestrian skills since he lives in a big city (Perry et al., 2014). Although Arnold is highly independent, his grandparents should closely supervise him especially at night. He should also be taught to use the buddy system.
References American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2017). About QSEN. Retrieved from www.aacn.nche.edu/qsen/about-qsen Arnold Shortman. (n.d.). Retrieved June 17, 2017 from http://heyarnold.wikia.com/wiki/Arnold Assessment Technologies Institute. (2013). RN nursing care of children: Content mastery series review module (9th ed.). USA: Assessment Technologies Institute, LLC. Bartlett, C. (1996). Hey Arnold! [Television series]. Burbank, CA: Nickelodeon Animation Studios. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015). About child & teen BMI. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/childrens_b mi/about_childrens_bmi.html Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. (2015). Pediatric nursing made incredibly easy! (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health. Perry, S. E., Hockenberry, M. J., Lowdermilk, D. L. & Wilson, D. (2014). Maternal child nursing care (5th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier. U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2017). Myplate daily checklist. Retrieved from https://www.choosemyplate.gov/MyPlate-Daily-Checklist Images [1] Title. Retrieved from https://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/heyarnold/images/4/40/M ain_Page_Title.png/revision/latest?cb=20170419083715 [2] Arnold. Retrieved from https://cdn3.whatculture.com/images/2013/11/Arnold.png
References (cont.) [3] Arnold. Retrived from https://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/heyarnold/images/f/f5/Arn old.png/revision/latest?cb=20120801163742 [4] Arnold Baseball. Retrived from https://media2.giphy.com/media/lpI5iUnnrPgfC/200_s.gif [5] Arnold Eating. Retrieved from https://media3.giphy.com/media/hiQndt1hi1Lva/giphy.gif