About the Course

Paediatric patients account for approximately 10% of the UK ambulance service workload and thus exposure to this patient group can be limited. This course has been developed to provide clinicians with the knowledge, skills and confidence required to undertake an effective paediatric assessment. 



The course will explore aspects of paediatric assessment such as performing a ‘from the door’ assessment, the importance of vital signs and distraction techniques to allow assessment. It will also cover the key questions in paediatric history and useful resources for clinical decision making.

About the Author

William Broughton

Senior Lecturer in Paramedic Science

William Broughton  is currently a Senior Lecturer in Paramedic Science at the University of Hertfordshire, teaching on a range of modules at undergraduate and postgraduate level and he is also the Trustee Official for Professional Practice at the College of Paramedics. He holds a BSc in Paramedic Science from the University of Hertfordshire, an MSc in Paediatrics and Child Health from Imperial College London and a Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching for Higher Education. Will was a guideline co-author for the 2016 edition of UK Ambulance Clinical Practice Guidelines, is a regular speaker at UK conferences and events and contributes to the content of other published texts. Will continues to work clinically as a Paramedic in a number of settings and his clinical and research interests lie in improving education and clinical outcomes for paediatric patients.

Course Curriculum

  • 1

    1. Introduction

    • Course welcome

    • Learning outcomes
  • 2

    2. Approach

    • From the door assessment

    • Appearance

    • Work of breathing

    • Circulation

    • Paediatric sickometer - Good place

    • Paediatric sickometer - A bit poorly

    • Paediatric sickometer - On the edge

    • Paediatric sickometer - Bad place

    • Paediatric sickometer - Very bad place
  • 3

    3. Vital Signs

    • The importance of vital signs

    • PEWS

    • Respiratory rate

    • Heart rate

    • Temperature

    • Other vital signs
  • 4

    4. Distraction techniques

    • Distraction to facilitate assessment

    • Bubbles

    • Glove balloons

    • Smartphones/tablets

    • Favourite toy

    • Distraction box
  • 5

    5. History

    • Key points in the history

    • Open questions

    • Key paediatric questions

    • Other paediatric questions

    • Social history

    • Traffic Light Tool

    • Double check
  • 6

    6. Summary

    • Summary

    • Conclusion