Pediatric LTC facility

Nurseinthemaking · Aug 12, 2005

Wow, never heard of one. That sounds interesting. I bet that is a hard job, though. Kids make me cry. I always think of mine and how they would feel if they had to go through what I have seen some of them go through. It breaks my heart.

You must have angels wings!!! God Bless you!

krob0729 · Aug 12, 2005

Wow, never heard of one. That sounds interesting. I bet that is a hard job, though. Kids make me cry. I always think of mine and how they would feel if they had to go through what I have seen some of them go through. It breaks my heart.
You must have angels wings!!! God Bless you!

Thank you. Yes, there are days when it's heartbreaking, but more often than not they brighten my day up when I go in. Only down side is that my med passes take longer than they should because I can't quit playing with or talking to the babies.. :chuckle

suzanne4, RN · Aug 12, 2005

I have done it in the past. The number of nurses in it is quite limited as to other areas of work. Most kids are placed back in their own homes unless the care is too complex, etc. for the parents to handle.

krob0729 · Aug 12, 2005

I have done it in the past. The number of nurses in it is quite limited as to other areas of work. Most kids are placed back in their own homes unless the care is too complex, etc. for the parents to handle.

These definately will not be going back home. Care too complex. Some may go for a day or 2 for a visit if their parents come to town. these kids are from all over the US. It has truly been a learning experience.

jkaee · Aug 12, 2005

Kim, i knew a nurse that worked in peds ltc, and I think there's one in our area....what kind of patients do you see, and do you have a lot of infants? Are the floors divided by age groups or dx? I'm intersested to hear more about pedi ltc.....

suzanne4, RN · Aug 12, 2005

Exactly as you stated, they come from all over the US. There are not that many of these facilities around. I am currently in CA, and the closest one to me is abou two hundred miles away.

There are group homes in some areas that will take up to about 6 kids, but the actual full facilities are few and far between.

krob0729 · Aug 12, 2005

Kim, i knew a nurse that worked in peds ltc, and I think there's one in our area....what kind of patients do you see, and do you have a lot of infants? Are the floors divided by age groups or dx? I'm intersested to hear more about pedi ltc.....

We have 1 floor, just divided by 2 wings. Most of our trach kids are on one end with the smaller kids. The older kids are on the other end. There's kids with SIDS, SBS, Congenital MR, some had accidents that caused brain damage or had O2 supply cut off too long to brain before they were revived. There are many many more Dx there, it's just a group of kids that somebody had got to take care of. It's one of those fields that either you love it or hate itl. There is no in between. I personally love it.

BabyRN2Be · Aug 12, 2005

This is the first time I've ever heard of this, aside from psych facilities for kids. What types of kids and illnesses do you deal with? I had thought the law was pushing for kids to be out of facilities as much as possible. Must be high acuity level you're working with. Wow... it must be hard sometimes to work in that type of LTC.

krob0729 · Aug 12, 2005

This is the first time I've ever heard of this, aside from psych facilities for kids. What types of kids and illnesses do you deal with? I had thought the law was pushing for kids to be out of facilities as much as possible. Must be high acuity level you're working with. Wow... it must be hard sometimes to work in that type of LTC.

it is high acuity. these children could go nowhere else. they will be this way for the rest of their lives. About 90% of them, u honestly don't know if there's even (exuse the expression) "anybody home". They're pretty much "just there" They respond some but very little.

suzanne4, RN · Aug 12, 2005

These are not kids that are institutionalized because of psych issues but children with a physical disability of some type that needs nursing care aorund the clock. Many have trachs and require a ventilator 24 hours per day.

There are usually quite a few near drowning victims that do not wake up, children that survived near-fatal automobile accidents, etc. but still require more care than can be provided at home for them continuously. Children with congenital anomolies that cannot be cared for at home also.

medicrnohio, RN · Aug 12, 2005

We have a similar facility in my area. Except I think they take them in as children and will keep them through adulthood. It's called a childrens home but is really a large facility, much like a nursing home.