Pediatrics

1. I want to shadow a nurse in pediatric care.
   
   Should I just be bold and call the clinics/units and ask if I can shadow?
   
   Who should I ask to speak to? the charge nurse?
   
   Should I call human resources instead?
   
   Is calling ... OK?
   
   I dont have gas money to drive to 30+ places. I can go in person to places near me though.
   
   I live in Houston... HUGE Medical Centre.

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2. 

   About StudentOfHealing

   Joined: May '12; Posts: 621; Likes: 587
   Registered Nurse

   4 Comments

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3. 
   Mar 2, '13

   If you are a student, the proper way to set this up is through your school. You can ask the hospital nursing staff education department to help put that together, but I would be astonished if they'd let a student just walk in and do this.
   
   GREAT pedi hospital experiences in Houston.
4. 
   Mar 2, '13

   GrnTea is right....your school is best for this......many facilities are restrictive of their shadow programs anymore due to "HIPAA" fears and ensuring the person who wants to follow someone is compliant with immunizations.
   
   Good Luck!
5. 
   Mar 2, '13

   Calling the units themselves probably isn't going to accomplish much. I worked inpatient peds for the first 4 1/2 years of my career... once, a friend who had gone to nursing school with was mentoring a high school senior for her senior internship. The girl was interested in nursing and thought she might be interested in pediatrics... my friend asked me if I could take her for a day. By the time I got in touch with the appropriate personnel to arrange this, the student's semester was over.
6. 
   Mar 4, '13

   I agree with the above posts. It will probably be very difficult to get into a hospital peds unit. BUT, how about trying a privately owned pediatric office. I worked for a pediatrician as a Medical Assistant for years before I went to nursing school and once or twice we had students from a high school and a nursing program come in and shadow the physicians and watched us prepare the vaccines, etc. As long as we explained to the parents of the patients who they were and the purpose of them observing, most were happy to oblige. Good luck!

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