How can I make peds less miserable for me?

[JZ_RN]

One day a week I do peds. I hated peds in clinicals, and it seems it hasn't changed. Let's start off by saying that I never plan to have kids. I've never wanted them. I don't hate them, but I find no enjoyment in them. I feel for them, I was once a kid, and I don't want bad things to happen to them, but I don't enjoy spending time around them.

A lot of it is the parents. They stick their heads out and call for someone, complain about any waiting, and they either show up way early, or way late, or without an appointment and demand their child be worked into our extremely busy schedule. They also let their kids run, scream ( I have to admit, the 'screech' is what makes me hate peds the most, I just can't tolerate that high pitch screaming, it makes me want to start throwing things) make messes, and cry and flail for every little thing. I know kids are kids, I get that it happens once in a while, but it seems none of these kids have ever been disciplined. When I was a child I would have been spanked for any noisemaking, touching things that aren't mine, screaming, etc in public at all. The ones that are rude little brats and their parents just say "Oh, it's ADD" get me as well. Or the parents who clearly need a visit from CPS or who are bad parents make me angry (abuse, neglect, etc.) and the situations are infuriating. How can I make this less miserable? I dread it!

[Marshall1]

Not sure why you have to work PEDS once a week but I suggest going to your boss and being honest about hating it etc. and see if there isn't something that can be worked out. If not, you may need to think about finding another place of employment. For the reasons you listed plus a few more I would not be happy working PEDS either so you are not alone there.

[JZ_RN]

The clinic has a pediatrician one day a week is why I get stuck working peds. They overbook her and she sees like 50 peds patients in one day. It's insanity. If there wasn't so much screaming and parents being nasty and who apparently don't remember that they need a shot record.... lol I try to hide in my office or in another area of the clinic and do adult patient work on that day!

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

If the pediatrician is only there one day a week and with the behavior you describe, I wonder how "kid-friendly" the office is. Kids are not little adults... they can't just sit in a white room with grey chairs and an old stack of magazines and entertain themselves for long waits.

Do you have any toys or games in the waiting room? Puzzles, coloring books, anything? Young kids often (correctly) associate the doctor's office with shots. Do you have any prizes for them if they behave during their appointment? If they know that cooperating means getting a sticker or a lollipop, they'll be much more likely to do so.

I love peds and can't imagine EVER working with adults but know that it's not for everyone. Are there other nurses in the office who enjoy peds more than you do? Presumably, adults still need to be seen on this day and if there are other nurses, can you arrange for them to work on the peds side while you work solely adults?

[JZ_RN]

We have children's books and stickers and stuff like that. But even if it were a sterile room with no colors or anything, when I was a kid, there still would have been no screaming or running around or playing with things that weren't toys. No one in my office seems to enjoy peds really. It also doesn't help that we have a population that mostly is not known for the best parenting skills. We get peds patients on other days besides that day but the regular doctor sees them, and it's usually only a handful out of the few hundred patients we see a day.. It's not just nonstop screaming, crying, running, shots, angry parents, etc. Which si why peds clinic sucks so bad I think.

[JZ_RN]

It also doesn't help that we have 2 doctors still with regular patient loads, and they each only have 1 MA, and they have to split up the load of the pediatricians patients between them too, and one of them is extremely lazy, which means I have to take over and it's a nightmare.

[28andcountn]

I truely feel for you as this is how I would feel if I had to work with adults!! I don't like working with teens much either.

If you are feeling this way the kids probably don't care for you too much either or do the parents I bet.

Some days the crying and running around and parents get to me as well and LOVE peds!

When I used to have to work in ICU which I hated to the nth degree, I would try to break my day down into smaller increments like telling myself only 2 hours then take a bathroom break, another 2 hours then lunch etc. something like that to get me thru the day.

It sounds like you have a busy practice overall with staff that isn't that reliable which I can understand being frustrating to begin with.

Would your manager be open to you requesting not to work with the pediatrician? Sounds like that would be the best solution if you are going to stay in that office.

[JZ_RN]

I try to work adult on the days the pediatrician is there. I'm surprisingly good with kids though. But inside I am dying while listening to the screaming and biting my tongue at the bad behavior. I don't hate kids, but I've never really enjoyed kids either. I'd rather just stay in my office or do paperwork than deal with peds clinic. I talked with my manager and she said they'll only pull me there if absolutely necessary. I actually took on some more work within the practice so now i'll have to do that, and not have as much time (as least on days the pediatrician is there LOL) to do clinical functions that others can do.

[anon456, BSN, RN]

I didn't think I wanted to do peds, either. Then I found my niche. I work on a floor with a lot of trach/vent/total care kids, and we also have a lot of RSV/respiratory babies. There are very few "normal" kids beyond infants. I really enjoy pampering the special needs kids. Very few have behavior issues that are not related to their neuro conditions. When I have to float to other units with "normal" kids I don't enjoy it quite so much, but I try to find those happy moments like making a connection with a kid or a parent. Although some parents are just plain needy, remember they are worried, sleep deprived, and any issues they may have had will be compounded by trying to care for a sick child in the hospital. I agree about being honest with your manager and see if you can find a unit that suits you better.