Journal of Children and Young People's Health

Background Juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus is a rare autoimmune condition with wide-ranging physical, psychological and social impacts on children and young people (CYP) and their families. This study explored the perspectives and experiences of young people with juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus and their families.

Methods An exploratory qualitative study using interpretive description methodology was conducted. Six young people aged nine to fourteen years, all female, and ten family members (five mothers, three fathers and two siblings) were recruited purposively from a tertiary paediatric rheumatology service in Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand. Semi-structured family group interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically.

Findings Five themes were developed from the perspectives of CYP and their families: getting the right diagnosis; coming to terms with the diagnosis; managing medications; challenges and disruptions; and finding support in family and the healthcare team. CYP and families described lengthy and emotionally draining diagnostic journeys marked by repeated misdiagnosis and delayed recognition. Following diagnosis, families navigated significant emotional adjustment alongside the complexity of medication management. CYP experienced disruptions to schooling, social participation and daily life, including stigma related to visible symptoms. Family relationships, specialist healthcare teams and educational support through the Northern Health School were identified as key sources of support.

Discussion The findings emphasise the complex challenges that extend beyond medical management. Family support and coordinated healthcare relationships were key protective factors.

Conclusion The study highlights the importance of family-centered, culturally responsive care, timely diagnosis, nursing support to enhance adherence and integrated healthcare and education strategies to reduce psychosocial disruption.

Background Undergraduate nursing students undertaking neonatal clinical placements often experience heightened stress due to the complex care needs of neonates and the specialised clinical environment. While these placements offer valuable experiential learning, students frequently report anxiety and limited confidence, which may hinder learning outcomes. To better understand how learning in this setting can be enhanced, this review aimed to map the existing evidence on the types and characteristics of educational interventions used for neonatal clinical placements and their associated learning outcomes

Method Seven databases, Google Scholar, and citation tracking were searched for studies published between March 2013 and December 2024, following the PRISMA-ScR.

Result Eleven studies were included. The interventions varied in content, delivery methods and duration, and encompassed traditional, technology-enhanced and learner-centred approaches, including simulation, virtual reality, game-based learning and AI-assisted instruction. Overall, these interventions enhanced multidimensional learning outcomes across cognitive, psychomotor, affective and professional competency domains.

Discussion The current evidence base is constrained by the predominance of quasi-experimental designs, short-term outcome evaluations, and inconsistent findings related to psychological outcomes. Moreover, most interventions emphasised selected clinical skills, with limited attention to affective domains, which are essential in neonatal practice. These gaps highlight the need for more comprehensive, theory-informed, and longitudinally evaluated educational strategies tailored to undergraduate learners.

Conclusion This review highlights that simulation-based, interactive, and technology-enhanced educational interventions effectively strengthen nursing students’ learning during neonatal clinical placements. These interventions promote active engagement critical thinking, and experiential learning, thereby enhancing knowledge, clinical confidence and satisfaction in high-acuity neonatal settings.

Background Developmental monitoring and screening is imperative to identify issues with neurodevelopmental processes in the early stages of life and to enable timely intervention and treatment. The Australian Early Development Index/Census (AEDI/AEDC) is a national program that collates data on early childhood development when children start their first year of school. This review explores the bibliometric information, collaboration networks, thematic focuses and trends of research of the Australian Early Development Census, and identifies the key research areas, as well as emerging and under-researched topics which may need further investigation.

Method A search of the Scopus database was performed in 2023 using the key words “Australian Early Development Index” or “Australian Early Development Census” (within Article title, Abstract, Keywords). Only peer-reviewed articles and those written in  English  were included for bibliometric analysis. An Excel dataset containing bibliometric information was exported from Scopus, then loaded and analysed in R software, using the package Bibliometrix and Biblioshiny, performance analysis and science mapping were conducted.

Results Overall, 98 articles addressing the AEDI/AEDC, published between 2007 and 2023 were retrieved, with an annual growth rate as 4.43%. Results from thematic maps and trend topic analysis reveal that the major research focuses of AEDI/AEDC include “child development”, “development vulnerability”, “data linkage”, “disability”, “mental health”, “aboriginal children” and the recently emerging topics “built environment” and “neighbourhood”.

Conclusions This study identifies the research output and foci of AEDI/AEDC-related studies, current research gaps and suggests fields needing further investigation.