dealing with chronically ill children

Specialties Pediatric

Published

.:imbar i feel INCREDIBLY much like i'm back in High school doing this.:imbar , but here's the deal: I need to know how nurses cope with dealing with a chronically ill child, ie. not getting attatched, feeling bad that they should be outside enjoying themself and not in hospital.. that sort of stuff. There's a lot of books and websites for parents of chronically ill kids, but nothing about the psychological side for nurses.. Help?

kids

1 Article; 2,334 Posts

I work with chronically ill/high tech kids...you learn to celebrate what they have and forget to mourn what they don't. The majority of kids I work with don't experience losses because they never had "it" (mobility, good health, oral feeds, breathing on their own eyc.) in the first place. And you do get very attached but like dealing with adults your skin thickens a little...you still hurt for them but you pick up and go on.

I guess there is a thought process that goes into dealing with these kids...one you either have or have learned or you don't...

I do not like working with terminal adults...so much unfinished business over a lifetime but I LOVE Pediatric hospice...kids don't have baggage to sort out and I have never felt sad about their unfullfilled potential and missed life experiences.

BuffaloLPN

48 Posts

When people ask me how I deal with sick kids, especialy the chronically ill, I have the same response. It is very fulfilling to make whatever time you have with them fun. Sure, getting through treaments and meds isn't always easy, but just maybe you can be that fun nurse that makes it a bit easier on them.

I know this is an old post, but I would be interested in seeing more responses:)

JNJ

138 Posts

I've worked for 30 years, intermittently with kids, heme/onc included. Never, ever felt anything other than professional concern for these children.

For over a year now, I've been doing some independent Medi-Cal nursing, still fairly high tech, but the child is at home (I'm semi-retired). I'm becoming obsessed with this little one. I think about her much of the time I am off duty, I cook special little meals for her and take them in (success in getting her to eat is one of the things the parents value me for), I plan our days hours before I arrive on duty to maximize her learning/enjoyment. I constantly think if I should be doing more as she has such a small window of opportunity to learn.

I'm childless by choice with no regrets, have a wonderful husband and good friends, and a large remodeling project to keep me busy. It seems we are never too old to get caught by a special child. Funny though, I feel privileged by it all. What happened?

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