Nervous About Pediatric Rotation!

[KES]

I start my pediatric clinical rotation next week and I am very nervous. I am used to an entire semester of working with adults. Any suggestions on how to interact with sick kids? Any assessment tips? Most of all, how do you deal with the parents??!! Help!!!

[Imafloat, BSN, RN]

There are pediatric assessment movies and articles online, do a google search.

I talked to the parents if they were there. They seemed to enjoy the one on one and were relieved at a fresh adult face to talk to. I always started by talking to them about their ill child, which morphed to any other children and anything else they wanted to talk about.

Children also enjoy the one on one. Depending on the age of the child there are lots of things to do when you are not providing medical care. This time of year you will most likely see a lot of RSV babies. I usually play with them or hold and rock them in their rooms. Kids that can walk and talk I usually took to the play room as long as they were well enough to go. I let teenagers lead the way. I usually sat and watched TV with them or talked about their school and friends with them.

It's not that bad.