The 7 year old son of a patient was so utterly adorable today. He sat, with legs dangling, reading a chapter book while Mom got worked up for her symptoms.
I loved seeing this youngster not on a tablet or phone. I enthusiastically complimented his wonderful mother. What a special son she has. She said she grew up in a family without a lot of money, and she and her siblings spent much time outdoors. She wants her children to have these old fashioned values.
The lad is beloved by his teachers and wants to be a scientist.
Lucky you. I have always struggled to find something a 3yo would be interested in to take their minds off of the assessment so that I could conduct an assessment. Distraction and all that.
General rule of thumb is that small children do not do well sitting and staring at a healthcare professional. Either they focus on their issue so the pain or issue is enhanced or they get the freaked out. Not sure why the child focusing on something other than his medical issue would be a concern that could not be worked around.
The point I was trying to make was I couldn't get to him enough to do vitals (simple pulse and sat), or watch his respiratory effort. I was in triage, takes only a few minutes, not just sitting and staring. This kid was so intent on his cartoon he couldn't even be talked to.
JBudd, MSN
3,836 Posts
The point I was trying to make was I couldn't get to him enough to do vitals (simple pulse and sat), or watch his respiratory effort. I was in triage, takes only a few minutes, not just sitting and staring. This kid was so intent on his cartoon he couldn't even be talked to.