A child working harder to breathe
RN OSCE practice station
Vital signs · 2 min to read · 8 min to perform
A written station. Free to try, no sign-up.
The task
Maya Thomas, aged eight, is waiting in an ED assessment bay with her father after a cough worsened this morning. Assess her observations and respiratory effort, record them in the child observation record and arrange appropriate review. The patient is a manikin; address the patient and the examiner voices their answers and supplies findings. Dr Taylor Singh is reachable by phone. RN Alex Morgan is available. Noah Thomas is present.
What this station tests
- A normal blood pressure does not exclude serious respiratory distress in a child.
- Record respiratory effort and the parent’s concern alongside the numerical observations.
- Use the service’s child response pathway; do not apply an adult early warning score.
Sources for the clinical content
- ACSQHC: Recognising and Responding to Acute Deterioration Standard
- ACSQHC: Communicating for Safety Standard
- National Asthma Council: My Asthma Guide (first aid)
An original practice scenario with invented patients. Not an exam question.