I need to know...

I almost quit nursing school to become a german teacher after working for a summer as a tech in the adult world (sorry grown-up nurses ... I'm just not one of you!)

Once I got my foot in the peds door, I realized that I was a peds nurse (PICU, specifically) and I've never looked back. I think, whatever your calling in nursing is, once you've found it, you can be happy. I'd be willing to argue that the only really unhappy peds nurses out there are the ones who aren't supposed to be working peds!

(And could I have said "peds" one more time without my computer blowing up? I think not!)

I am really liking my PEDS rotation, that's why I asked. I wanted to know if anyone disliked it at all. I want to try PICU as well.

I really don't see how you can be grouchy when you get to wear cartoon scrubs and get to work with kids even if they are sick.

Also, when your 13-month peds overflow kiddo wakes up from his nap, crawls into your arms and spends the next 10 minutes contentedly poking each and every neon lizard on your shirt? (And even stands up to get the ones on your back?) Yeah, life is good.

Oh, I feel the same way. I loved my Peds rotation! People say how can you be happy when the kids are so sick (my goal is PICU)? When I was a student on Peds/PICU, maybe I wasn't happy all the time, but I was satisfied. It was meaningful to me. Even the time I had to leave the room and cry it felt right. The children, no matter how sick or damaged, had moments of beauty. And of course the ones who started to get better were a riot! Plus, being a parent who's been there, my heart goes out to the parents. Any small thing I could do to make their life easier felt like a triumph. Maybe I just like to be able to say negotiating over a hot wheel is therapeutic communication.

That said, most of my classmates had no trouble announcing I HATE PEDS! I said I'm glad, more job opps for me!