Shaken Baby

[royr]

I am a senior in a BSN program and the last couple of days make me wonder if I can in fact be a nurse. In my clinical I took care of a newborn baby that was suspected to have been shaken to the point of loosing the ability to breath. I did everything by the book - helped the baby and the family. I even showed the dad the shaken baby tape and explained anger managment (walk away, count to ten - take deep breaths). I helped the primary nurse fill out the suspected abuse forms and call for the opthemologist consult and ultrasound tests. I did everything by the book - the right way and in the right order. After all tests and paperwork was completed our tiny pt was released with an apnea monitor and follow up from family services was arranged. Several weeks have passed, my clinical is finished and as I prepare for my final exams I notice on the local news that this baby - now 1 month old - was brought back to the hospital this time beaten and shaken to death and the dad is in police custody charged with murder. Everything was done "by the book" - so why is this little baby dead - and what as a nursing student could I have done to prevent this from happening. I feel like a useless fool for trusting this baby to "the system" that failed to protect. Should I give up my dream of working with children because I will never be able to help them be well and safe? My heart aches and all I can do is hug my own little daughter. My school has no berievment program or services available and I feel like - I think everyone has the idea how bad.

[GingerSue]

you did what was supposed to be done by the book

and it still didn't solve the problem for that child in that environment

other professionals were also involved

what would have helped?

[BSNtobe2009]

I know that during the 50's and 60's, they used to have mandatory sterilization of women that were sentenced to prison terms, those that were mentally retarded, etc. I thought it was the most barbaric practice that I had ever heard of.

However, I just wonder....in cases like this....how much sympathy would I have for a mother who did that to a child if this was something that could be legalized today? Not much.

Drug addicted babies, those mothers need to be sterilized.

Mothers that keep getting their kids taken away by the foster care system that are CLEARLY not cleaning up their act....they need to be sterilized.

A society is judged by how we treat our most vulnerable. I just have no sympathy at all for people that are so horribly cruel to a child.

[HeartsOpenWide, RN]

There is nothing you could have done. The baby should have never been released to the parents, but that is the system for you.:trout:

[Jo Dirt]

I couldn't be civil to parents whose baby was brought in for that.

[Freedom42]

You didn't screw up sweetie....the social worker did by sending that child back.

I doubt social workers like being stereotyped any more than nurses do. How do you know the social worker wasn't overruled by a judge? How do you know one parent didn't lie to police about what the other did? How do you know that there aren't other suspects?

What happened is a tragedy for all concerned. Don't not make it worse with needless speculation.

[justavolunteer]

Please don't feel bad about the fact that you couldn't do much about an abused child as a nursing student. I am 'justavolunteer', but I've had the occasion to see abused children before because I volunteer on a pt unit. I never knew the outcome after they left. I just remember that it wasn't something I could just see & forget about. After I saw one child who had new bruises, old bruises & various in-between bruises, I didn't sleep well for a few nights.

I hope you continue on your quest to be a nurse. Look at it this way too: if you ever QUIT caring, that's the real time to worry.

[allantiques4me]

What a horrible situation you encountered!Dont give up your dream to work with children.I happen to work with children that have been severely abused and have behavioral issues because of it.i can say i truly feel I can make a difference in thier lives ,I bet you could too.Hang in there and try to find coping mechinisms to help you feel better when encountering such horrorible things people sometimes do to children

[kate1114]

Should I give up my dream of working with children because I will never be able to help them be well and safe? My heart aches and all I can do is hug my own little daughter. My school has no berievment program or services available and I feel like - I think everyone has the idea how bad.

Please, don't give up your dream. It is so very sad to see children like this, but they do exist, and leaving nursing or avoiding pediatrics won't make the situation go away. I cared for a shaken baby once who was just devestating. No one who cared for that child was untouched. We were angered over the needless abuse of this 4 month old who was beautiful and had no other health problems, unlike many other children in our PICU.

I'm sad that your school doesn't have any sort of bereavement program, but surely there's a counselor or something? This is hard to work through on your own. The nurses on that unit may have an informal bereavement process and employers usually have an assistance program of sorts. In other words, you are seldom all on your own to deal with these sorts of things.

Good luck to you. Your caring attitude tells me that you are a great fit for pediatrics. Sometimes, unfortunately, children fall through the cracks. But knowing that you did all you could do really helps in a situation like this. There is nothing else that you could have done.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

I am so very sorry for you - this is a tragedy. There is nothing you could have done to prevent it. However, if you continue to have difficulty with this situation, please share your feelings with a counselor or a trusted instructor.

[Antikigirl, ASN, RN]

Most of the best people in healthcare I know have done the right thing and had other systems in play lead to heartbreak...but those folks seek some counseling if needed, get back on that horse with greater knowledge and an even bigger passion to change things for the better...sounds like that very well could be you!!!!!!

Maybe by whatever fates that be...this lesson so early was actually part of what you will become! (I think of that daily now). The heart and spirit are powerful things..and using them as motivation to help illicit change instead of sorrow or anger is something wonderful!

Don't give up...let yourself greive thought..but don't give up! This was most certainly NOT your fault..and I mean what could you do...go to jail by not letting the parents have their child back? What about the mother? She should be equally responsible in my book for even allowing her child to be in harms way (I mean hello...hospital once for about killing the child! That would have me running with my child for the hills!). What about CSD or AFS??? Did they drop the ball and allow for this?

NOT your fault! But learn from this, learn about points of the system that need help, and be aware of them for the future (working with kids you have more than just shaken baby I am afraid...heck, I worked with geri's and you wouldn't believe the amount of different abuses people get away with with them!!! About killed my own heart till I strove, and still do, to do something about it...many a police and AFS was called by me!).

[scribblerpnp]

YOU did everything right, CPS did not/ the legal system did not.

Once the pediatrician I worked with was called on to testify against the parents about a child abuse case. SHE did everything right as well, but the judge ruled in favor of the parents (apparently they could have one more chance not to beat their child to a bloody pulp.) Not two months later the kid is brought to the ED DOA from being beated by the parents. :angryfire

The pediatrician sent a copy of the death certificate to the judge.

Screw HIPPA in that case.

[BSNtobe2009]

The pediatrician sent a copy of the death certificate to the judge.

Screw HIPPA in that case.

:yeahthat: :redlight: :w00t: :redlight: :bowingpur