There are so many differences beyond the obvious. Peds patients typically are not in hospital with a life-style related problem such as heart disease or lung cancer, although the number of children being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes is climbing at an alarming rate. We tend to see more purely respiratory illnesses in children and children usually will experience a respiratory arrest before they have cardiac arrest because of their smaller airways and very low tolerance for hypoxia. Children with head injuries or brain tumors will have better outcomes than adults and most children's cancers are more successfully treated than those in adults. The treatment regime kids are subject to by itself would kill a grownup: drugs, dosage, duration are all much harsher than those used with adults. Because kids are growing they often will need two or three YEARS of chemo, for example. Kids typically don't complain unless they've got a whiner role model. They'll continue to do kid things even when they're in pain, they will get up and move around despite the pain, they want to eat even when they're nauseated, and if they're old enough to understand explanations, they are cooperative.
One thing that is difficult about peds is interacting with the parents. They're often the demanding, whining person, not the child. Sometimes they'll pretend to know more than they do to see if YOU know. They sometimes will get in the way when you're trying to do something, or try to direct your care. And many of them never want to let the child out of their sight. At the same time, they are your best resource in understanding their child. Much of the negative behavior stems from fear, and if you can make the parent feel like they're part of the team, that they have a place in the care plan and allay their fears, you'll be fine.
What I don't like is the lack of importance placed on child health in most hospitals. When you admit peds patients but don't bother to ensure you have staff that are competent to care for children, and you don't bother to ensure you have equipment that's appropriate for children, and you don't do anything to provide age-appropriate services, you're saying that kids don't matter.
I've been a peds nurse my whole career and there are definitely things I like and don't like but they're more related to where I work and who I work for and not what I do when I'm there.
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