The National Hemophilia Foundation’s (NHF) Nursing Working Group has been revising and expanding the Nurses’ Guide to Bleeding Disorders (NGBD). First published in 1995, the guide provides comprehensive information and practical ideas to assist nurses at all levels in caring for patients with bleeding disorders.
Over the last several years, the NGBD has further evolved into a readily accessible online resource, serving as an introduction to nurses new to the field and as an information source for more experienced nurses. New chapters, which continue to be added in downloadable PDF format, cover a wide range of topics such as orthopedics, pain, rare bleeding disorders and women with bleeding disorders.
In “Teaching Children about Bleeding Disorders,” Jocelyn Bessette Gorlin, RN, MSN, CPNP, draws from seminal research relevant to child education and psychology in putting together a series of general concepts to assist nurses in efforts to engage and inform children. She shares well-tested techniques used by parents of affected children, as well as medical and psychosocial providers. Recognizing that each life stage encompasses a distinct set of cognitive and social abilities, Gorlin dedicates individual sections to distinct age groups including infancy, toddler (1-3 years), preschool (3-7 years), school age (7-11 years) and adolescent (11 years and older). The chapter concludes with a recommended reading list for parents and children.
