Hesitant to try paeds-encouragement/advice needed!

[regerterb]

Hi!

I will be finishing up my grad program come this December and am in the process of deciding whether to apply for a Transition to Paediatrics Program..which allows RN1's (who have completed a new grad program or are new to paeds) to transition from adults to paeds. They do 3 rotations, paeds ED, NICU and Medical. I majored in paediatrics at uni my whole last year consisted of paediatric rotations and study. As a student it is ok…you aren't the responsible one…I am petrified of paediatric dosings, one decimal point wrong away from a disaster. That is the ONLY thing holding me back from applying, not the parents, the the workloads, not the illnesses, just doses. Can anyone ease my mind or give me an idea of their experiences working in paediatrics? Thanks so much!

[Jamuhh]

Check your doses and then ask someones else to check too.

[Annaiya, NP]

You can't always have someone double check your doses. If you aren't competent to give meds correctly, then you shouldn't be in nursing. One decimal point in adults can be disasterous too. If you don't feel like you can be safe giving meds, then look into nursing specialties where you don't have to give meds. I've known nurses who quit, not because they weren't smart enough to give meds, but because they couldn't handle the anxiety of giving meds quickly due to having so much to do in so little time, and they didn't feel safe. If every time you give a med you do your 6 rights of med administration you should be fine. But only you can decide if you can do that safely.

[Jamuhh]

I guess I meant until you feel confident. The decimal thing should not be an issue for YOU if you are the one checking. If the physician writes an order and misplaces a decimal and you check the math (correctly) you'll catch the mistake and question it. Spend time practicing dose checks. With nursing comes responsibility!

[~PedsRN~, BSN, RN]

NO matter how stupid and easy the dose, I check it and double check it. I use a calculator religiously. And then of course I scan all my meds and verify that dose to my dose as well. Seriously, I'm anal about it. If I have a vial of 50mg/ml, and my order is 25mg, I still plug it in the calculator most of the time. LOL!! It's just habit. :)