Paediatric Assessment Reference Card

Assessing children can feel challenging — especially when vital signs vary by age and clinical deterioration can happen quickly.

This reference card provides a clear guide to essential paediatric assessment tools, helping you recognise early signs of deterioration and perform structured assessments with confidence.

Whether you're preparing for paediatric clinical placement, completing routine observations, or responding to changes in a child’s condition, this card supports safe and systematic paediatric assessment.

Why This Card Matters

Children often show subtle signs of deterioration, and early recognition is critical to ensuring safe care. Using structured assessment tools helps you identify concerns quickly and communicate findings clearly to the healthcare team.

Having a reliable reference available helps reduce uncertainty and supports safe clinical decision-making.

This card is designed to act as a practical clinical tool — something you can rely on when assessing paediatric patients.

What You'll Find on This Card

• Paediatric vital sign ranges
• Paediatric Assessment Triangle (PAT)
• Wong-Baker FACES Pain Scale
• FLACC pain assessment tool

Everything is organised in a clear, easy-to-read format so you can assess children confidently and recognise changes in condition early.

When You’ll Use This Card

You may find this card especially helpful when:

• Completing paediatric observations
• Assessing unwell children
• Preparing for paediatric clinical placement
• Monitoring children for clinical deterioration
• Building confidence in paediatric assessment skills

A Practical Tool for Safe Paediatric Assessment

This card is not designed to replace clinical judgement — it is designed to support it.

Whether you are learning paediatric assessment for the first time or strengthening your clinical confidence in practice, having a reliable reference can help you assess children safely and deliver high-quality care.