Advice & Tips for working with pediatric er patients

Specialties Emergency

Published

I love kids, but this is my first time working with them. My preceptor is awesome and has been giving me tips to try (eg getting a rapid strep swab on a 5 yo and asking her if she has a dog, can you pant like your doggy to reduce the gag reflex and distract her). Do you guys have any other ideas? If there's already a thread out there please let me know :)

Specializes in Emergency.

Gotta agree with hiddencat, swabs are unpleasant at best. Everybody's tolerances are different so ymmv.

Well, that's your perogative.

Of course it is.

Perhaps the person who did yours was a bit rough,

The person who did my flu swab was me- I was trying it out on myself to see what it felt like. I didn't even go up all the way.

Specializes in ER.

Ya know, there are times on this site where I honestly feel like people will argue about ANYTHING. Seriously? A flu swab shouldn't hurt- they aren't pleasant, but they aren't the same as getting a chest tube. Come on now people ;)

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

Pain is a very subjective thing......what one feels is excruciating to another it's a walk in the park. After 34 years of nursing I agree that Flu/RSV swabs are extremely unpleasant if done properly and that any three year old.....while initially amused at the thought of someone else picking their nose.....objects with extreme force and decibels when they realize how far you are looking for their boogers.

Allnurses promotes lively debates as long as it is constructive and polite......there is a NO tolerance policy against personal attacks.

Lets return to the subject of the post......pointers to care for pedi patients in the ED for a new nurse.

Props! If you are working in a peds facility only then props are amazing. I did a week in a peds facility and wore funny ears, in the less painful tests I did it myself first to show them and for things like needles I put angel cream on the area once I had the order. It numbs the skin so they barely feel anything. I also have a Childcare qualification so I knew settling techniques etc.

I must say though I prefer an adults ED to a child's, the deaths are a little easier to deal with than peds....

Specializes in LTC, MDS, ER.

XmasShopperRN and Rhi007, those were the exact kind of things I was looking for...tips and tricks that I wouldn't find in a typical pediatric nursing text. I completed PALS today, and picked up a few more good tips and tricks. You all probably know this, but for a kid in stable SVT, pull the plunger out of syringe and tell them to blow into it like a straw to help them stimulate the vagal response (since they might not understand how to "bear down".

Thanks for your input, and I'd love to keep the tips coming!

I just started working with kids, oral meds tylenol etc for young ones if mom prefers to do it ill get the dose and let her give it. She knows better than me what works for her kid...

some parents are great and totally help you (holding etc)and some others panic about everything...

Massaging the throat alittle when giving oral meds helps

Distraction is great

interact with them - I love whoever said the glove turkey and the thristy butterfly!!!

I give the toddlers my sethoscope and they can listen to my heart (or moms) then ill listen to thiers... usually they get a kick out of it... and ill take them by our sticker area and they can pick out two...

We also have little blow up balls that they love too

+ Add a Comment