Pediatric Nursing

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Mar 19, 2014

Seems like the biggest challenge in pediatric nursing is the parents, I can't understand why it would be, after all those are their children and parents don't like to see their children sick or hurting. Janfrn, I like your approach on dealing with the parents that get in the way it is better that way than being rude and I bet it does go a long way. Thanks for the advice everyone.

I think you can't understand why it would be because you've never been a pediatric nurse. I'm not sure why you assume that we are rude to the parents of our patients, though. No one has stated on this thread that they've ever said to a parent "MOM, GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

I do not mind overbearing parents. I mind the abusive and neglectful ones. I'm talking about the parents who shake their baby, have custody taken away by the state, are granted limited visitation and come by to leave threatening notes to the baby's foster mother. The parents who drop their kid in the ER and take off, never coming by to see the kid during his hospitalization nor calling to check in, instead using the child's hospitalization as a vacation for themselves. Meanwhile the child lies awake crying every night because Mommy is not here with her and she has cancer and limited time left on earth. And, btw, Mommy doesn't work and doesn't have other children just can't be bothered to spend time with her kid and would rather be out at the club. The parents whose child is on the verge of death and being rushed to the OR who decide to take off so emergency surgery has to be done with no consent. The parents who can't be bothered to open the door for the visiting nurse they KNOW is coming because it's more important for them to sleep until 1PM than it is for their child to get the treatment he needs for his cancer. The parent who just doesn't give her child his G-tube feeds or seizure medications because she'd rather go out and get her nails done. Said child is NPO due to aspiration so if he doesn't get his G-tube feeds, has NO nutrition and has seizures due to non-detectable drug levels. When he gets admitted to the hospital for such, Mom doesn't come by at all. The parent who tries to use her son's Make-A-Wish as a free vacation for herself, calls the Make-A-Wish office, puts the kid on the phone and forces him to recant his original wish and say that he wants to do what she wants to do.

I have experienced every single one of the aforementioned parents. Basically, these are the parents that I deal with on a regular basis: (#18 on the second list was clearly posted by someone who doesn't know what it's used for but, otherwise, these are my pretty much kids' parents in a nutshell.)

27 People Who Are Way Worse At Parenting Than You

25 People Who Haven't Quite Figured Out Parenting Yet

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Mar 19, 2014

I think you can't understand why it would be because you've never been a pediatric nurse. I'm not sure why you assume that we are rude to the parents of our patients, though. No one has stated on this thread that they've ever said to a parent "MOM, GET OUT OF MY WAY!"
I do not mind overbearing parents. I mind the abusive and neglectful ones. I'm talking about the parents who shake their baby, have custody taken away by the state, are granted limited visitation and come by to leave threatening notes to the baby's foster mother. The parents who drop their kid in the ER and take off, never coming by to see the kid during his hospitalization nor calling to check in, instead using the child's hospitalization as a vacation for themselves. Meanwhile the child lies awake crying every night because Mommy is not here with her and she has cancer and limited time left on earth. And, btw, Mommy doesn't work and doesn't have other children just can't be bothered to spend time with her kid and would rather be out at the club. The parents whose child is on the verge of death and being rushed to the OR who decide to take off so emergency surgery has to be done with no consent. The parents who can't be bothered to open the door for the visiting nurse they KNOW is coming because it's more important for them to sleep until 1PM than it is for their child to get the treatment he needs for his cancer. The parent who just doesn't give her child his G-tube feeds or seizure medications because she'd rather go out and get her nails done. Said child is NPO due to aspiration so if he doesn't get his G-tube feeds, has NO nutrition and has seizures due to non-detectable drug levels. When he gets admitted to the hospital for such, Mom doesn't come by at all. The parent who tries to use her son's Make-A-Wish as a free vacation for herself, calls the Make-A-Wish office, puts the kid on the phone and forces him to recant his original wish and say that he wants to do what she wants to do.
I have experienced every single one of the aforementioned parents. Basically, these are the parents that I deal with on a regular basis:
27 People Who Are Way Worse At Parenting Than You
25 People Who Haven't Quite Figured Out Parenting Yet

Thank You Kel215. Well said :yes:

Pedsismypassion · Mar 20, 2014

I'm going to have to agree with the vast majority and say parents BUT this has changed a great deal for me since I am now in an outpatient primary care setting versus inpatient. However, despite it all I love peds so much I still wouldn't trade it for anything else :yes:

Uknurse2314 · May 15, 2014

I agree, parents can be a massive challenge sometimes - there's different types of parents. The over anxious usually first time parents, parents who think that we are not doing anything unless we do some kind of medical procedure (example, parents who complained that I only gave their bronchiolitic child saline nasal spray rather than suction the baby, who wasn't in oxygen, no respiratory distress and could have gone home). Also parents who, as others have said, either 'encourage' illness in their child, or state their child is presenting with symptoms and are then asymptomatic when admitted.

I also struggle with the children who come in with non accidental injury, malnutrition, shaken baby etc, because they are often very sad cases. CAMHs patients can vary, as some will be admitted to hospital with low mood, then sit there in facebook writing about being in hospital, but some have had awful lives and genuinely think they would be better off if they weren't here. They always make me feel so sad and thankful, very often I will take extra time to sit with them and chat about whatever they want to chat about.

Paeds nursing can be very sad at times. However, it is one of the most rewarding jobs you could ever, ever do. When you have a child draw you a picture, write you a card to say thank you, when you do distraction so well the child doesn't know what's happening. When you can leave knowing that at some point in the day you did something, no matter how big or how small, that at that point in time made all the difference to a child and their family. That feeling is amazing, and whether or not that family will remember what you did in 1 year, 10 years or 50 years, you can go through your career knowing you did your best, and your best, at some point, will have made a moment in time so much better.

As you can probably tell, I am very passionate about being a childrens nurse.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · May 15, 2014

Today, a mother lost custody of her child because of me. It was the right decision and I had no choice but to file a report with the state after what I witnessed yesterday but it IS a challenge knowing that, four days after Mother's Day, this child's mother is no longer her legal guardian because of me.

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · May 16, 2014

Today, a mother lost custody of her child because of me. It was the right decision and I had no choice but to file a report with the state after what I witnessed yesterday but it IS a challenge knowing that, four days after Mother's Day, this child's mother is no longer her legal guardian because of me.

Is this the one you wrote of previously and the state finally took action?

KelRN215, BSN, RN · May 16, 2014

Is this the one you wrote of previously and the state finally took action?

Nope. This is a different but very similar case. The other one is still in his mother's custody, as far as I know. His services were discontinued a while ago when his primary care providers decided that a home nurse monitoring the family's compliance with the child's critical meds wasn't good for the mother's anxiety. So, yeah...