Pediatric Sedation Nurse??

[brittnaayyy]

I applied and have an interview for a pediatric sedation nurse new grad position. I definitely want to work in pediatrics so I'm excited for the opportunity but I can't say I'm in complete understanding of the job role. So can someone explain a little more about what they do? I know they help put children to sleep for MRIs and such but what else do they do?

Also after working here for a while would I be able to make the switch to pediatric emergency one day?

Thanks for any comments or advice!

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

Oh wow- huge red flag that they would interview a new grad for this position. SO MUCH can go wrong during sedation. In my clinical job, the sedation nurse for peds was an NP with decades of experience.

[brittnaayyy]

Maybe I'm mixing up sedation and radiology nursing?

[llg, PhD, RN]

I work for a children's hospital that has a sedation unit. It has about 10 beds and is a busy place. Kids come in for tests/procedures and need prepped ... sedated for the procedure ... and then recovered after the procedure. After the recovery period (and getting whatever discharge teaching they need), they go home. So the nurses in that unit take them from the time they check in until the time they go home.

[brittnaayyy]

Would you say transition to another type of unit in the future is possible?

[DowntheRiver]

Any Radiology nurse that I've seen in this position has never been a new grad; in fact, most have had at least 10+ years experience. My current Radiology has been a nurse for 19 years and is also the RRT nurse. I don't know if I'd really suggest this position for a new grad.

[brittnaayyy]

Interesting. I have a shadow day Monday. It's specifically made for new graduates and we spend 6 months learning in the MRI area to learn.

[guest940422]

I can't imagine why you would want to leave MRI sedation for ER, the kid is asleep, you are part of a team caring for one patient instead of an individual caring for many, you have a schedule instead of a dumping ground, you get sick less because you likely already know if your patient is infectious and their germy visitors are no where around, the hours are great, you get to do advanced nursing so you won't be bored, but you won't be in **** storms coding 4 kids in the same hall, and oh by the way the parents have to wait outside!!!! Girl you had better retire on this unit!

When I did transport for the PICU I took kids to MRI, the situation was a bit different because they already had artificial airways and were sedated and paralysed and I was in charge of monitoring the patient. Sometimes they had me take step down patients that were not intubated and I did the sedation, you go through a very rigorous training process to be deemed safe to do sedation. Vitals and assessments are q5 min you need to know the dose/kg/min range of everything your giving monitor for respiratory distress or loss of airway. You'll need to know the reversal agents to every drug your giving along with those doses and half lives. If its possible i never went down without 2 IVs.

If a child is getting anesthesia the anesthesiologist is there and typically even for sedation cases they are available nearby in the event the patient needs to be intubated.

distraction goes a long way in pediatrics, learn to swaddle really tight, some hospitals have MRI compatible headphones or earplugs, my hospital would even play a movie inside the tube, the less they move voluntarily the less you have to medicate them and the safer it goes

And yes if you just really have your heart set on er any hospital will let you transfer after a mandated amount of time given you are in good standing with your current department.... but ER is like waiting tables with drugs... especially pedi ER timmys ear infection is always more important than suzie's broken femur