[Aneroo]

I'm scheduled to do my first clinical rotation this semester with peds (first year, second semester ADN student). I am SO nervous, and was looking for some words of wisdom. I don't feel I am good with children, I don't have any of my own (important part of the puzzle is missing there!). I do not mind adults...they're sick usually because of their own reasons (somethign preventable)...Children are so different to me. I love kids, and am afriad I am going to break down or something. Any thoughts, ideas? -Andrea

[Aneroo]

Bump...Come on! Help me out here guys!

[memphispanda]

I don't know that I have any words of wisdom, but I can tell you about my peds clinicals.

I never had a *really* sick kid. That helped. None of them looked horrible, acted lethargic, or was about to die. Some of my classmates did have some very sad cases...kids from St. Jude who were really on their last chance, etc. We all did great. Even my classmates who had no experience with children at all. We were only with the kids for 1.5 days, so there wasn't a major building of a relationship with them. It was not a big deal at all. Some of the cases were sad, but they were also the ones that required the most use of skills--and using the skills that much required so much energy and thought, that there wasn't enough left over to use on getting upset.

You'll do fine.

[JuicyJem]

I am a new nurse working in Pediatrics. Kids are just different....they react totally different than adults do to being in the hospital, usually. (there are always exceptions.) If you havent already I would look at developmental stages, like Erikson and Piaget. They should help you understand why kids may react the way they do.
A lot of kids, especially in the wintertime, are admitted for respiratory stuff like RSV. They are not dying, but they still need special care, and you can often do a lot of teaching with the parents!
I think you will find pedi clinicals different but rewarding.
Good luck!

[NICUbabyRN]

Don't forget that when working with kids very often you work with parents. You need to care for the whole family. I found the hardest part for me when I was on the regular peds floor was that the parents are not always able to stay. It was hard to sometimes walk out of a room and leave the baby/child alone because I had to care for the next one.

[bluesky]

Hi!

I don't have as much experience as the peds specialists who wrote before me. I can tell you this though; as a mother I thought I had my stuff together but my classmates who didn't have kids were far more gentle and attentive at times precisely because they weren't mothers LOL!!!

I had some pretty sick kids at Children's hospital in Washington, D.C. I just kept on reminding myself that the only thing I have control over is right now that they are under my care and I tried to make that time as fun as possible while giving good care. It worked, I think...

[Aneroo]

Thanks guys. Had my first day of peds clinical today. They paired us up with a partner, thank goodness. First pt was a 3 mo. preemie, 3.48kg, hydrocephalus. This poor child. My maternal instinct kicked into high gear today though. I had held him a good part of the day (mom's not involved, no family visits), so when I went out into the hall to do some charting, I was just sitting there, typing away. Partner walks by (he's about 40-ish), I hear pt start to cry, said "My baby's crying"!!! He got so tickled at me. He even held the little one (something he didn't want to do), found himself coo-ing at him. It was ok, but I'm not sure how well I will handle the rest of my time in peds. I'll keep you up to date! Thanks for the advice/wisdom! -Andrea

[NICUbabyRN]

I am happy that all went so well. Keep up the good work

[nekhismom]

So, how is it going now?? Updates, please!!

[Aneroo]

Ok...Peds clinical is through! I had a positive experience, had so many chances to learn and do procedures. We were on the peds floor for three works, and at Howell's Child Ctr for one week. I had three infants and a teenager. The only pt I had where a parent was involved was the teen, which was sad, and probably the main reason I won't go into peds. I was able to drop an NG tube on a 5 week old with FTT. I was very excited, but I don't think my hand has ever shaked so bad! My instructor was impressed...I met resistance, couldn't get the tube to go further, so I gave the baby his pacifer, he started sucking, and the tube went right down. She said she had not even thought of it! I got to give two injections (one IM and one SQ) to another students pt. Pt had been in hospital 3 months, never had any immunizations, so we gave him 5 at once! Bless his heart! Last week I did a lot of suctioning on a 7 mo old pt with a trach. Was nervous as hell the first time, second time I was ready to do it on my own. She was the SWEETEST child! She would grin from ear to ear. Classmates pick on me, telling me my maternal instinct has kicked in. Next week I'll be heading to a medical floor, mostly strokes. Thanks for the advice! -Andrea