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PICU Nursing (Pediatric) /

Traumatic injury of a child



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Jun 17, 2009 08:53 PM

Traumatic injury of a child


Just had a horrible day at work and needed to get something off my chest.........

We had a terribly abused little kid that came into out ER today. I wont go into any details, but to say that she will be better off when she passes away.

What I really don't get is this. Here I am, wanting to have another child badly, making a child and having to let her go early, while this child was perfectly healthy before this happened to her. Why would you have children if you are going to abuse them? Do the parents not understand that they have been given a gift? That they have something truely special and that they should be protecting her from the world? Not damaging her! Yes there are many children in the foster care system that do not ever get adopted, but if they don't want her, why not give her up to someone who does? To top it off, the mother is pregnant with another child. If she didn't want the first child, why on earth would she have another?

This whole scenerio bothers me!

Sorry for the rant. Needed to get it off my chest.

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7 Comments
No. 1
from shep1960
Old Jun 17, 2009, 09:16 PM

Default Re: Traumatic injury of a child
Super RT

You can rant all you want to. I have debated those same questions myself for many years and I still have not found the answer. I hope and pray social services takes the child away from this mother.

A fellow nurse sends his prayers of strength for you and your family. Tomorrow is a new day with new challenges and lives to save.
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No. 2
from WarEagle4Life
Old Jun 18, 2009, 11:04 AM

Default Re: Traumatic injury of a child
Hugs to you, Super RT

As a PICU RN, I truly believe that the worst cases we get are the abuse cases. I ask myself the same questions you are asking. Unfortunately, there are no answers that even come close to making sense. The only thing we can offer is loving hands at the end of a too short life. And I ask for patience and self control not to start torturing the abuser and enabler(s) standing right there in front of me - telling some of the biggest whopping lies in the world - and some even have the nerve to outright accuse us of not properly caring for their child.

And I grieve for all the people I know who would have given anything for that precious baby/child - who would have loved, adored and protected him/her from anything remotely harmful - and are having difficulty in conceiving or have lost a child through any other circumstance.

I grieve for myself, too. I have a child with a severe CHD and other problems who won't have the life I envisioned for her. I think she knows now she'll never have a child of her own, and I grieve with her. She'd do her best to be a good mommy.

Our work sometimes is so difficult - but it can also be the most rewarding.
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No. 3
from Super RT
Old Jun 18, 2009, 02:36 PM

Default Re: Traumatic injury of a child
I worked for about 8 years in a PICU and finally left about 2 years ago. I have been working in a small community hospital since. The reason I left was due to the large amount of non-accidental head trauma we got. I got so tired of broken children that were only that way because of someone they trusted.

Unfortunately I am dealing with my own recent loss (like a month ago) of a pregnancy ended early due to Trisomy 18. Then I get this beautiful child that was thrown away by her father. Her mother is pregnant and I worry that the new child will suffer the same outcome. It makes me so angry that here we are, my husband and I, trying for the last year to have a baby, having it end badly, and this woman allows her precious baby to be damaged. The poor child had scars all over, so even though she didn't inflict the latest damage, you know that she either did some herself or has been allowing it to happen. It just makes me so angry! Further more, when this mother was allowed into the room with the child, she never even looked at her! I would have been all over my child! Then again, there would never be an opportunity for someone to hurt my child that way as I am the ultimate overprotective mother.

Give me my smelly old chronic lungers anyday!
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No. 4
from WarEagle4Life
Old Jun 18, 2009, 08:15 PM

Default Re: Traumatic injury of a child
Yeah, I'd rather have a good, juicy, snotty patient anytime! So rewarding to get all that garbage out of someone. We have some great RTs, and they have taught me everything I know about suctioning. When I am on with one or two RTs in specific, we are known as "The Snot Squad".

Seriously, so sorry for your loss of such a beautiful angel. Prayers for a new one for you soon.
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No. 5
from tryingtohaveitall
Old Jun 23, 2009, 07:42 PM

Default Re: Traumatic injury of a child
Many hugs, a listening ear and comforting shoulder for you. These are the worst cases to have to deal with. Having dealt with your own loss makes it even worse.
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No. 6
from Chapis
Old Jun 26, 2009, 03:01 PM

Default Re: Traumatic injury of a child
(((Hugs)))
prayers for the little girl and for you
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No. 7
from rbs105
Old Aug 07, 2009, 03:47 AM

Default Re: Traumatic injury of a child
As a nurse who struggled with infertility, adopted a child w/special needs and finally had an IVF baby, I feel for you! Why is it so simple for some? Now I work in the OR and do pediatric home care. I consider myself to be a temporary mom for all my pts. Maybe you can see it that way-sometimes I think kids get more love from the rn than the parent-but I am happy to give them that love and feel some satisfaction from that. Don't get me wrong, there are some extremely fertile idiots out there who would kill plants and we have to stand by and watch them handle a child! I feel for you!
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