You know you are a PEDS nurse when...

Specialties Pediatric

Published

*you can do a full set of vitals on a sleeping one years old with just the light shinning from the bathroom without waking them..

*you have at least 3 different techniques for cutting the taste of liquid PO prednisone...

*you realize how vital it is to have all of your tape/flush/tagaderm (etc) prepared BEFORE you start the IV...

*you have ever rolled used the "burrito roll" technique when starting an IV (rolled the kid up in a blanket with only the extremity that you plan to poke exposed...)

*armboards are you best friends...

*while babystitting a friends 4 month old you are reluctant to throw the diaper away and you get the sudden urge to put it on the scale to you can see how much it weighs...

*you have ever had your stethascope slobbered on by a curious 1 year old...

*your conversations with your coworkers begin with: "the parent in room XXX is crazy!"

*you are no longer phased by the sight of xrays with broken tib fibs, and foreign objects in the throat...

KEEP EM GOING!

Specializes in Peds Critical Care, Dialysis, General.

your neuro assessment includes "Who is SpongeBob's best friend & where does he live?"

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I am not a pediatric nurse yet, but I must say, this is VERY INSPIRATIONAL. All the things I have read are amazing. I am just starting nursing school, and I want to be a pediatric nurse. This gives me even more to look forward to! Thanks!

dancing with excitement,

may

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Specializes in PICU, surgical post-op.

You know you're a peds nurse when ...

... the size of a grownup vent circuit totally freaks you out ... so much dead space!

... the morning dilemma is a tough one: dr. seuss or shrek scrubs?

... you can produce that one specific Barney video for a cranky postop heart cath in record time (and if you can't find it, you have methods of keeping their legs straight that involve baby blankets and lots of tape)

... you have a "postop scoli" mix on your ipod, full of sothing music, to play for your patients who are waiting for their families to bring back their own music

... when playing hide and seek, the first place you look is behind the code cart

... you have no idea what the names of your patients' parents are ... you just call them "mom" and "dad"

... you can juggle a foley, pulse ox, IV pole and little red wagon while taking a jaunt around the unit with your little king or queen reclining in style

... you have about 15 stock nicknames for small people to use when you forget their names (things like sweetpea, bubba or lovebug)

... you have no children of your own, but still browse the aisles looking for baby clothes on sale

... your stethoscope has more than 1 animal sticker on it

... you keep finger puppets in your bag of tricks and frequently rely on them to "help" with assessments

... you schedule "snuggle time" on your daily to-do list

That's all I can think of for the moment ... I love being a PICU nurse!

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Reading these are making me want to work Pediactrics after nursing school.

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Specializes in ER,ICU and Progressive Care Unit,Peds.

I got more...

....when you can still hear kids crying after you leave the hosptial.....and you have know kids of your own.

....when you get home and you talk to your husband in that voice you use with the 5 yr old (some times this may be required though!).

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Specializes in Pediatric Rehabilitation.

Those are great!

..when you are out in public and you suspect the large-headed toddler may have hydrocephalus.

...when you try to figure out what syndrome the kid in the grocery line has by the way he looks.

...when your own children beg to just once be allowed to do something unsafe.

...when your 7 year old begs you to stop cutting her weinners into lengthwise-quarters.

...when your own child is sick with a cold and you get up several times a night to check for respirations.

..when you know the address of every kid-oriented website.

...when your children have no clue what to do with a medicine spoon, they are only familiar with taking meds from a syringe.

...when you've ordered chicken fingers and fries from dietary four times in one shift.

...when you've tripped over toys in the floor or become entangeled in balloons while trying to do an assessment.

...when you have no patience with healthy-bratty children

...when you've been strangled with your own stethescope, by a smiling patient.

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You have ever been taped snuggly to a kids IV because your friend was so eager to secure it before the wailing toddler dislodged it or because he was thrashing so hard she couldn't even see where she was taping. Either way, frget the armboard. You are attached to him now and you're considering just staying that way until he goes home because it would be easier than risking a restart! :)

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Specializes in PICU, surgical post-op.
You have ever been taped snuggly to a kids IV because your friend was so eager to secure it before the wailing toddler dislodged it or because he was thrashing so hard she couldn't even see where she was taping. Either way, frget the armboard. You are attached to him now and you're considering just staying that way until he goes home because it would be easier than risking a restart! :)

I laughed out loud when I read that ... It just happened to me yesterday!

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- you have to talk about nemo for 30 minutes to get your pt to cooperate with taking 1 tsp of tylenol

- you know all the elmo songs by heart and you wish he would just find his blankey so he could stop singing that damn song!

-you tell the parents a million times to save the diapers and you still end up going in the garbage to measure I/O's for the ones they threw out!

- you are trying your hardest not to trip on the IV lines or pulse ox line when taking vitals when the pt is in the parent bed! Let's not forget trying not to wake them up and raise their b/p!

-you have no kids of your own, but everyone you know calls you when they have a medical question about their child!

you can't recall how to cook a certain meal, but you know all the components of TPN.

more to come!

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Specializes in everywhere.

I'm a peds/PICU nurse and aI have to agree with all the above posters! I left for a little while (3 months) and had to come back! I missed my slobbery kisses and hugs from my little ones!

I love my little ones, and miss them terribly when I'm off.

Oh, and I almost forgot..........Adults scare me!

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Specializes in PEDIATRICS.

- you catch yourself sing baby/kid songs while driving or cooking.:Melody:

- you find yourself talking baby talk to your 9 year old.:clown:

- you wear no jewelry because a 3 year old attempted to yank them off.

- your stethoscope is to lil when assessing an adult.

- you have stickers on your name tag.

- you find slobber/milk stains on your uniforms.:barf01:

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Specializes in Oncology.

OMG, you guys know me and my co-workers so well.

I love being and peds nurse. Where else can you have fun with your patients.

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