Working with the kids.

Specialties Pediatric

Published

I would love to work with kids. I think that they all are so cute and they are easier to control. You wont here any complaints or dissatisfaction from them. I currently attend the college of the Bahamas which is located in New Providence. If you haven't visit it yet WHAT!!!!!!!!! are you waiting for cause once you visit you would want to keep on coming trust me. From a small child I always wanted to help the sick and make them better especially kids. Mind you I dont mind the adults but I prefer the Kids and with the help of the Lord I hope that He helps me to make it through.

While it's true kids can be fun, working in a pediatric office for the past 8 months has helped me learn that for the most part, it's really hard work! They don't like having temps taken, being weighed, getting breathing treatments, immunizations, antibiotic injections, taking p.o. meds, giving urine specimens, having fingerstick CBC's, or much of anything else they're in the office for. A couple of weeks ago, I had to try and drag a child out from underneath the chair where he was hiding...yesterday a mom got angry at me when her child knocked the needle out of her own leg while I was giving a shot with one hand and holding both legs with the other and mom was supposed to be holding her hands :uhoh21: ...I've gotten bruises from having to hold children still to get sutures removed because they're pushing so hard to try and get away...cathing a screaming, writhing 2 y.o. is a challenge beyond description and it's IMPOSSIBLE to maintain sterile technique (even with two nurses and mom trying to hold her still and mom's worrying about the child's head bumping the wall - the only thing that kept her from falling off the table, BTW :uhoh3: )...and on and on and on! And trust me, they (and their parents) are master complainers! :chuckle

Believe it or not, I'm not trying to burst your bubble, but, after 8 years of adult practice and thinking I needed a change, I think I'd really like to go back to adults again. I guess I just feel more comfortable there. As it happens, the hours where I'm at are perfect for me for the time being, so I'm reluctant to leave for now.

I hope you find the perfect nursing niche for you since there are so many opportunities out there, and if in fact it turns out to be peds, all the better! Best of luck to you. :)

Donna

Specializes in ER, NICU, NSY and some other stuff.

LOL, I loved your post. Unfortunately you may have a few misconceptions about kids, especially sick children or kids in pain. When they do not feel well they are much less likely to be remotely cooperative. They do complain, sometimes loud enough people in the parking lot 4 floors down will think you are trying to skin them alive.

Don't get me wrong kids are great and peds can be great but it definitely has some challenges you may not have considered.

I wish you well in your endeavors.

Specializes in er, pediatric er.

It does take a special person to work with kids! You have to be willing to do things that hurt them like IV sticks, shots, ect. It takes a lot more patience working with the kids. It is not as easy to go in and start an IV as it is with an adult, who for the most part, holds thier arm out and holds still. On a child, you have to try the minimize their fears by explaining in thier terms what you are going to do beforehand, then you have to start the IV on a moving target!! You also have to be strong enough to watch the kids suffer and some of them die. It is much easier to deal with an adult not making it than it is when a child dies, especially if the case involves abuse or neglect.

As an above poster mentioned, kids do complain and their parents are even worse!!!

I will say that I love Pediatric nursing! I can't see me doing anything else, and I knew it from the time I started nursing school. If you truly believe you will love it too, you need to go for it. You just need to go in with your eyes wide open knowing that peds has it's negative aspects as any other area does.

Hey, I think it's great that you have such a positive attitude and view about kids and you'll make a great peds nurse, but as a parent to to a 2 year old with a Congenital Heart Defect who has had 2 open heart surgeries and a pacemaker......I have to warn you......in a matter of a few seconds kids can go from being sweet little angels to kicking, screaming, wild little things.....lol. Everytime my daughter goes to get an echo done she acts like they are trying to kill her or something and screams and kicks......

As far as the parents go, some people are just ignorant......and no matter how great of a nurse you are or what you do some people just always want to point the finger at someone and blame someone instead realizing that they have a very sick child and everyone is trying to the best they can. I am not one of these parents, but from my time spent in the PICU with my daughter I've seen many parents like this.......and I think it is so stupid, 'cause it seems like all they do is make the nurses and doctors upset........and who wants a doctor or nurse to be that upset while taking care of their sick child??? I certainly don't!!!! Although, I will say that I also have seen some nurses on the floor, not the PICU, that seem like they really do not care, which I don't understand at all. If they don't have a genuine interest for children, then why are they working with them?

~Michelle

Specializes in LTC/Behavioral/ Hospice.

A long time ago I thought I wanted to be a peds nurse. Now I know that it definitely is not for me. I had to give a very sick 4 year old a shot the other day. It took 3 of us to get the job done while the poor little girl screamed her head off. I left the room shaking afterwards. I've never done that with adults. It takes a special person to work with kids. The best of luck to you!

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