tips of the trade

always tell kids what you are doing, tell them it is their antiobiotic you are putting into their line, tell them that you are just checking the o2 on the wall. it makes them (and their mommies) feel like they being informed and a part of what is going on.

I also get kids aged 8+ to write down stuff for me. They write down what they ate, how much they peed, what their pain is, etc....It makes them feel important and is a huge help when I am busy and cannot look at their food trays after they eat.

I also have a couple of cute stuffed animals on clips. They are supposed to be for babies to attach to their clothes. I wear them clipped to me and then I can wave them in babies faces or lend them to little kids for the day. The best part is they go in the wash with my uniforms and so I don't need to worry about them geting germy.

My last hint for you isn't really for the kids. When doing a urine bagging on a babe put sterile cotton or gauze into the bag. Urine bags always leak, so this way you will atleast get a bit of a specimen!!!

NEVER NEVER NEVER LIE to kids. explain everything to both the child and the parent. i try to direct most of my qestions to the child so he/she doesn't feel left out. when something is going to hurt i tell him/her so that the child will always trust me. also i try to treat the child/parent the way i would like my child and my self to be treated. as a patient, i hate it when a nurse assumes i know something because i'm a nurse. i want everything to be explained to me. lots of luck in your career

Howdy
consider carrying blowing bubbles with you in your pocket - very handy for those "not pleasent" procedures we have to do, or just to entertain other nurses!
also try and make your uniform kid friendly - lots of exciting colours and pictures
Smile and talk to them like you really care what they think - it's amazing what kinda conversations you can get yourself into!

never forget thet kids younger than 3 or 4 years don´t have an "idea of things, room and time". will say
- they think if something (or somebody) isn´t in their view, it´s
gone. so if they don´t see their parents they think they don´t
exist anymore. they won´t understand that they will come
back after they left the room.
- if they are in another place (than home), they don´t know that
home still exist and waits for them to come back.
- they won´t understand if you tell them "you´ll have to wait
three more days unless you can go home" or "your mum will be
back in 2 hours"