interested in peds, please give advice and experiences, thanks

[aly18]

I recently applied to do pediactrics at london southbank, i got a place and am due to start in 2007. I wanted to get some experience of nursing so joined my local nursebank. This however has changed my mind a bit about nursing as i was not working with children, but the elderly. I really want to go into working with children as a nurse, has anyone got any advice or stories that may give me more of an incite into the profession. I have done a lot of research but think that this site will be able to show me an insiders view. Thankyou for your time.

[weekend warrior, BSN, RN]

Hello!

I've worked in pediatrics for 13 yrs now, since I graduated. I love working with kids, and the one thing any nurse will say is.. I can't work with adults, and visa versa... I can't work with kids!

I've never worked with adults, other than in my training in school. The one thing that I do consider a negative is that I have solely worked with children my whole career, that I don't have as much choice as to WHERE I want to work. If you want to work with kids, there aren't as many pediatric speciality hospitals as adults. I would be so nervous to work with big people now! That I find myself at the mercy of staying where I am, which is a major pediatric center. I could work in a ped ward in a general hospital but I would not have the same specialties or acuity.

So in that way, I wish that I kept my hand in general nursing as well.

Peds nursing is different in that you have to deal with families obviously. It is very rewarding but also can be very challenging, as some families are very stressed.

Nursing is difficult.... so you HAVE to work in an area that you love, with a patient population you love I think to offset the discouraging things about nursing, the hours, sometimes the pay, the politics etc...

The thing that I love about pediatrics is that you can't just get away with 'doing your job' , doing your tasks, meds, assessments. These little patients won't let you! You need to give of yourself or you wont' get anywhere with them! You have to set up a repore, and when you do and they trust you, it makes you feel like you're the best nurse ever!

[MackNJacks mom]

Weekend Warrior gave you some great insight on the field. I would add that when working with kids it also seems that the parents are your patients as well. The child is just your actual patient. Parents are usually so stressed about their child's condition and or procedures they are not themselves and can be a handfull to deal with. I would assume that is the same with children of adult patients. I love peds and I could not work with adults. My heart wouldn't be in it the way it is with the kids. Kids are so fun to work with, but they can also break your heart.