Explain how interdisciplinary communication could come into play to help both the patient and the parents have the best possible experience.
Seventy-six words hiding two audiences. The three-year-old and the parents need different tools, and the prompt asks for tools by name rather than for a description of good teamwork.
Editorial process
Last reviewed · August 23, 2026
Two audiences, and the prompt wants tools by name
The word tools is the instruction. A post about being calm and reassuring answers a different question; this one wants named techniques you could be observed using. For the child, the relevant ones are specific to a three-year-old, who is preoperational, thinks in concrete terms and cannot be reasoned with about future benefit. That means simple honest language about what will happen, one instruction at a time, offering control where control is real and not offering it where it is not, comfort positioning on a parent's lap rather than lying supine, and active distraction during the stick. Naming child life specialist involvement is the strongest single answer available, because it is the interdisciplinary element the prompt is steering toward and it has an evidence base behind it. Child life involvement is also the element that turns this from a nursing answer into an interdisciplinary one, which is the frame the prompt opened with.
The parents are the second audience and need different handling. They are stressed, which means their capacity to take in information is reduced, so tools like teach-back, chunking the explanation, and giving them a defined job during the procedure are what work. A parent who has been given a role is a helper rather than an additional source of distress, and saying so is a sharper observation than saying that parents should be kept informed. Then close the loop the prompt opens by naming the interdisciplinary structure: who is in this team, what handover format passes the child's fear and the family's preferences between them, and how the phlebotomist knows before arriving that this is a prepared child. A named handover tool answers the question the prompt actually asked, which is about communication between professionals as much as with the family. State the format by name; a habit described in prose does not read as one.
Likely learning objectives
- Select communication techniques matched to a preoperational-stage child.
- Adapt information-giving to adults whose stress reduces comprehension.
- Name an interdisciplinary handover structure rather than describing cooperation.
- Identify the roles that make up the team around a paediatric procedure.
Assignment instructions
Read the full question
Review every instruction before using the planning guidance that follows.
HLT 317V Topic 3 DQ 2 Assessing communication skills as an interdisciplinary team is a critical aspect of effectively treating a patient. Explain what communication tools you might use in the situation below. You have a 3-year-old patient who is needing a blood draw. The child is afraid, and the parents are stressed and concerned. Explain how interdisciplinary communication could come into play to help both the patient and the parents have the best possible experience.
Course-wide instructions that accompany this question
ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CLASS Discussion Questions (DQ) Initial responses to the DQ should address all components of the questions asked, include a minimum of one scholarly source, and be at least 250 words. Successful responses are substantive (i.e., add something new to the discussion, engage others in the discussion, well-developed idea) and include at least one scholarly source. One or two sentence responses, simple statements of agreement or “good post,” and responses that are off-topic will not count as substantive. Substantive responses should be at least 150 words. I encourage you to incorporate the readings from the week (as applicable) into your responses. Weekly Participation Your initial responses to the mandatory DQ do not count toward participation and are graded separately. In addition to the DQ responses, you must post at least one reply to peers (or me) on three separate days, for a total of three replies. Participation posts do not require a scholarly source/citation (unless you cite someone else’s work). Part of your weekly participation includes viewing the weekly announcement and attesting to watching it in the comments. These announcements are made to ensure you understand everything that is due during the week. APA Format and Writing Quality Familiarize yourself with APA format and practice using it correctly. It is used for most writing assignments for your degree. Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for APA paper templates, citation examples, tips, etc. Points will be deducted for poor use of APA format or absence of APA format (if required).Cite all sources of information! When in doubt, cite the source. Paraphrasing also requires a citation. HLT 317V Topic 3 DQ 2 I highly recommend using the APA Publication Manual, 6th edition. Use of Direct Quotes I discourage overutilization of direct quotes in DQs and assignments at the Masters’ level and deduct points accordingly. As Masters’ level students, it is important that you be able to critically analyze and interpret information from journal articles and other resources. Simply restating someone else’s words does not demonstrate an understanding of the content or critical analysis of the content. It is best to paraphrase content and cite your source. LopesWrite Policy For assignments that need to be submitted to LopesWrite, please be sure you have received your report and Similarity Index (SI) percentage BEFORE you do a “final submit” to me. Once you have received your report, please review it. This report will show you grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors that can easily be fixed. Take the extra few minutes to review instead of getting counted off for these mistakes. Review your similarities. Did you forget to cite something? Did you not paraphrase well enough? Is your paper made up of someone else’s thoughts more than your own? Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for tips on improving your paper and SI score. Late Policy The university’s policy on late assignments is 10% penalty PER DAY LATE. This also applies to late DQ replies. Please communicate with me if you anticipate having to submit an assignment late. I am happy to be flexible, with advance notice. We may be able to work out an extension based on extenuating circumstances. If you do not communicate with me before submitting an assignment late, the GCU late policy will be in effect. I do not accept assignments that are two or more weeks late unless we have worked out an extension. As per policy, no assignments are accepted after the last day of class. Any assignment submitted after midnight on the last day of class will not be accepted for grading. Communication Communication is so very important. There are multiple ways to communicate with me: Questions to Instructor Forum: This is a great place to ask course content or assignment questions. If you have a question, there is a good chance one of your peers does as well. This is a public forum for the class. Individual Forum: This is a private forum to ask me questions or send me messages. This will be checked at least once every 24 hours.
What this Topic 3 discussion asks for
- 01An explanation of the communication tools you might use in the situation.
- 02An explanation of how interdisciplinary communication helps the patient.
- 03An explanation of how it helps the parents.
- 04A focus on the best possible experience for both.
Preparing the child, the parents and the team
What a three-year-old can process
Establish the developmental stage and what it rules in and out.
What the assessor is likely looking for
Developmental reasoning rather than an age-neutral approach.
Tools for the child
Name preparation, comfort positioning, choice and distraction techniques.
What the assessor is likely looking for
Named techniques an observer could see being used.
Tools for the parents
Cover teach-back, chunked information and an explicit parental role.
What the assessor is likely looking for
Adaptation to stress-reduced comprehension.
Who is in the team
Identify the nurse, phlebotomist, child life specialist and provider and their contributions.
What the assessor is likely looking for
Disciplines named, with a distinct contribution each.
How information passes between them
Give the handover format that carries the child's fear and the family's preferences.
What the assessor is likely looking for
A structured handover rather than informal communication.
Where procedural preparation evidence sits
Recommended databases
- PubMed Central
- AHRQ
- CINAHL
- NCBI Bookshelf
Search sequence
- 1.Search paediatric procedural preparation before writing the child-directed tools.
- 2.Look up child life specialist evidence, since it is the interdisciplinary anchor.
- 3.Read a structured handover source so you can name a format rather than a habit.
- 4.Check teach-back evidence for the parent communication section.
Reference shortlist
These are authoritative starting points, not a ready-made bibliography. A qualified reviewer must confirm that each source fits the assignment and supports the claim beside which it is cited.
The Effectiveness of Child Life Services in Reducing Pediatric Procedural Pain: A Systematic Review and Three-Level Meta-Analysis
Journal of Pediatric Nursing · 2026
Child life services and procedural pain, the evidence behind the strongest single answer.
The Use of Extended Reality Distraction Methods During Needle-Related Procedures in Pediatric Patients
Journal of Clinical Nursing · 2026
Distraction during needle procedures in children, for the tool selection.
TeamSTEPPS 3.0
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality · 2024
A named team communication framework, for the handover element of the answer.
THERAPEUTIC COMMUNICATION AND THE NURSE-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP
Nursing: Mental Health and Community Concepts, NCBI Bookshelf · 2022
Therapeutic communication, for the principles underlying the parent-directed tools.
COLLABORATION WITHIN THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM
Nursing Management and Professional Concepts, NCBI Bookshelf · 2022
Interprofessional collaboration, for identifying who belongs in this team.
Before you post to the Topic 3 forum
Common mistakes
- Describing a calm reassuring manner instead of naming tools.
- Using explanations pitched at a school-age child for a three-year-old.
- Treating the parents as observers rather than as participants with a role.
- Never naming the other professions the interdisciplinary claim depends on.
- Leaving out any handover mechanism between team members.
Submission checklist
- Are your child-directed tools named and developmentally appropriate?
- Have you addressed the parents' reduced capacity to absorb information?
- Is a specific role given to the parents during the procedure?
- Have you named the disciplines involved?
- Is there a stated way information passes between them?
Use this guide to plan and review your own work. Follow your institution's rules and read Brinevia's academic-integrity policy.
Written by
Maren Caldwell
MSN, RN, CNE
Medical-surgical nursing, pharmacology and NCLEX preparation
Maren is a registered nurse with over 15 years of clinical and educational experience in medical-surgical nursing. She writes on NCLEX preparation, patient care fundamentals, pharmacology and evidence-based practice.

Reviewed by
Dr. Tessa Redmond
DNP, RN, CNE
Evidence-based practice and clinical education
Tessa is a doctorally-prepared nurse educator. She reviews Brinevia content for clinical accuracy and alignment with current evidence-based guidelines.