The role of the pediatric nurse in the prevention and early detection of disease includes the following:

1. Engaging in disease prevention activities (e.g., washing hands thoroughly before and after providing client care).
2. Participating in health promotion programs, such as teaching a class on accident prevention to parents of infants and young children.
3. Conducting health screening as needed, such as performing the Denver II developmental assessment on age-appropriate clients (1 month to 6 years) in the pediatric clinic as part of routine screening.
4. Teaching families about and administering immunizations as ordered—signs/symptoms of reactions, providing parents with an immunization record card after administering immunization(s).
5. Discussing lifestyle choices with older children and adolescents, as appropriate (e.g., discussing risks associated with body piercing and tattooing).