Advice for a new peds nurse? :)

nursemcsleepy, BSN, RN · Aug 16, 2016

Random tidbit, but it's really hard to calm a two or three year old once they get worked up about something. Singing Happy Birthday is the FASTEST way to get them to calm down. I saw another nurse do this, and I was amazed.

BeenThereDoneThat74, MSN, RN · Aug 28, 2016

Pick your battles, when it comes to parents and patients. You need to understand that most everything will be a battle for them, due to their level of stress. Even if you are not in a critical care setting, understand that for them, their sick kid (even if its a gastro or tonsillectomy) could be the worst thing in the world for them. I've worked in many different ped settings, and I've seen dying kids. But I'd never tell a parent that it could be worse.

With the kids, definitely learn to negotiate what is negotiable. Bed times, bath times, food times and choices (depending on the setting) may be negotiable. Meds may not be, and this is something the parents need to understand. The worst thing in the world is having a parent ask "does he really need to take that", and now the child thinks it is negotiable. Believe it or not, parents don't always agree with the plan of care. SO when there is room for negotiation, be flexible. Remember, anxiety (on the part of the patient and the parent) often stems from lack of control. They surrender a LOT of control when they are patients. You're basically telling them "I am in charge" so keep this in mind.

If you can get past this, it will make your job more manageable. Good luck!!

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Aug 28, 2016

The hardest part of the job is the parents. The worst part of the job is the parents.

The kids are hilarious. Unlike adults, they take ZERO enjoyment out of the the 'sick role'. All they want to do is get well and get the hell outta Dodge. Use that to your advantage.

guest940422 · Sep 1, 2016

My mom was an ICU nurse with 30+ years of experience when I finished nursing school. I do not know how anyone survives that first year without a mom to cry to on the way home who doesn't REALLY know what you are going through. Advice she gave me that first year....

You did not go to nursing school to learn to be a nurse, you learned to pass the NCLEX. Take KAPLAN, pass that damn test, and do not walk into that unit acting like you know what you are doing. We will teach you how to be a nurse.

Don't stop asking questions. A quiet GN is a scary GN. We want you to grill us with questions. Never do anything without knowing why. "because the doctor said to" should never come out of your mouth.

Amazon sells bubbles in bulk. Don't cheap out! Get the ones with the little animals on them. Children will forgive you for anything if you have bubbles.

Hang some little bells or noisy key chain or something like that from your badge to distract infants and see if they can tract objects for neuro assessments.

Keep a mini perfume sample in your work bag if you are still sensitive to smells. When you know what you have to do is going to be a rank one, give a tiny sprits on a mask before you put it on. You may be looking at a necrotic purulent wound... but you smell Dior.

Get good running shoes... for real REALLY GOOD SHOES, and don't wear them outside work so you won't have to replace them more than twice a year.

Never stand when you can sit, if you see a bathroom use it, always have water nearby to drink, keep emergency granola bars in your bag, and when orientation is over don't think the question asking stops. Medicine evolves faster than humans, we are all always learning together. Don't be the guy to does something wrong because they were too proud to ask for help.

Jen2010 · Sep 1, 2016

Congrats on your new job! As others have said, the patient's parents can be hard to work with sometimes. I've learned upon admission and change of shift, I always tell the parents the plan for the day and what goals we're looking to reach. If you have a frustrated parent, try to understand where they're coming from - having a child in the hospital is extremely tough on them.

Also, child life specialists will soon become your best friend! Use them! Whenever my patient has to get their blood drawn, an IV placed, a foley catheter placed, an injection administered, etc. I always call child life to see if they can come and distract the child to help them feel more comfortable. They usually come in with an iPad and have them play a game or something of that nature. And it actually works wonders! And if you have treatment or procedure rooms, use those instead of the patient's room. We always want the child to feel safe in their room.

As for little things, I have a Minnie mouse penlight I keep on my ID badge reel for when I need it. And my badge reel is some sort of animal. Lately I've been using a Monkey :) But you can buy them on amazon for pretty cheap. The badge reel & the penlight come in handy with the little ones. They're usually distracted by it so I can listen to their lungs without making them upset.

Bubbles can definitely come in handy especially for respiratory kids. They'll love blowing the bubbles and it helps open their lungs at the same time. It's a win-win! I always have them handy for my asthma patients.

Good luck on your new adventure as a Peds nurse!! :)

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Sep 2, 2016

Jen2010, BSN, RN, you're very lucky to have child life readily available to you. A lot of peds nurses don't have that advantage. We've actually been told NOT to call them for anything to do with siblings, and since most of our patients are sedated for the lion's share of their admissions siblings are the ones most in need of child life. We've also been told not to offer families footprints or hand molds (for children who have died) unless it's during weekday hours. So I'll confess, I'm jealous.

LuvableNurseCee · Sep 3, 2016

I just started my first peds job in homecare I start my first actual case in a week and I'm a little nervous as well as excited because like you this is also one of the reason I became a nurse. I love the kiddies but I've also been with adults for a while.. Good luck to you!!!

Jamuhh · Oct 26, 2016

Don't worry about reading anything - you will learn as you go. It is much easier to learn when you have seen something than for you to read it from a book. Fav example: we covered oxygen delivery systems in school, but I was totally clueless on them until I actually touched and handled them in real life.

The best piece of advice I can give is, although the child is your patient, be mindful of the parents in the room. They are watching and they pick up on things that you wouldn't think about. They can tell when you're nervous or not comfortable, so if you're not comfy, fake it! I say that not to scare you - just to prepare you so you aren't blindsided when someone fires you for being "too stressed" (true story!).

Good luck :)

FutureRNDO · Nov 3, 2016

My mom was an ICU nurse with 30+ years of experience when I finished nursing school. I do not know how anyone survives that first year without a mom to cry to on the way home who doesn't REALLY know what you are going through. Advice she gave me that first year....
You did not go to nursing school to learn to be a nurse, you learned to pass the NCLEX. Take KAPLAN, pass that damn test, and do not walk into that unit acting like you know what you are doing. We will teach you how to be a nurse.
Don't stop asking questions. A quiet GN is a scary GN. We want you to grill us with questions. Never do anything without knowing why. "because the doctor said to" should never come out of your mouth.
Amazon sells bubbles in bulk. Don't cheap out! Get the ones with the little animals on them. Children will forgive you for anything if you have bubbles.
Hang some little bells or noisy key chain or something like that from your badge to distract infants and see if they can tract objects for neuro assessments.
Keep a mini perfume sample in your work bag if you are still sensitive to smells. When you know what you have to do is going to be a rank one, give a tiny sprits on a mask before you put it on. You may be looking at a necrotic purulent wound... but you smell Dior.
Get good running shoes... for real REALLY GOOD SHOES, and don't wear them outside work so you won't have to replace them more than twice a year.
Never stand when you can sit, if you see a bathroom use it, always have water nearby to drink, keep emergency granola bars in your bag, and when orientation is over don't think the question asking stops. Medicine evolves faster than humans, we are all always learning together. Don't be the guy to does something wrong because they were too proud to ask for help.

This made me tear up!! Wonderful HUMAN advice, Thank you and your Mom!!!