Peds Clinical and Germs!

Tonight I had 2 patients in peds (4 months and 6 months old) that both had URIs. I fell in love with one of them and was holding him most of the night, he was cuddling on my shoulder, and he had a HORRIBLE, horrible cough and coughed in my face more than one time. A few times he almost threw up on me from coughing so bad. The nurse told me I'm probably going to get an URI now... GREAT . I told my mom this and she asked why we don't wear masks around these kids. I never thought about that. I have worked at a daycare and always loved kids, so even when they're sick I still hold them and get close to them. After I told the nurse I used to work at a daycare she said "oh you MIGHT be ok then". What do you think? What do you do with kids like this?

Before I started my peds rotation I used to think I'd catch everything from the kids, but I never got sick even once. It could be that you weren't affected by the URI because the infection was allergenic and not bacterial or viral. In peds, its easy to get so caught up in how cute the baby is that you sometimes forget about your gown, mask, and gloves. The thing to remember is that peds patients are no different from adult patients when it comes to universal safety precautions.

[RainDreamer, BSN, RN]

When we started our peds rotations at the beginning of this semester we were told the same thing..... that we WOULD get sick, especially if we don't have kids (I don't) and aren't around kids a lot. Luckily I didn't get sick, but a lot of my classmates did.

I'm not sure why the masks aren't worn. You probably could have asked to wear one if you wanted to. I know for the peds we're told to wear colorful scrubs (not just all plain white) because they get scared easily. The masks could scare them and that's why they're not worn all the time....?

[jenrninmi, MSN, RN]

Tonight I had 2 patients in peds (4 months and 6 months old) that both had URIs. I fell in love with one of them and was holding him most of the night, he was cuddling on my shoulder, and he had a HORRIBLE, horrible cough and coughed in my face more than one time. A few times he almost threw up on me from coughing so bad. The nurse told me I'm probably going to get an URI now... GREAT . I told my mom this and she asked why we don't wear masks around these kids. I never thought about that. I have worked at a daycare and always loved kids, so even when they're sick I still hold them and get close to them. After I told the nurse I used to work at a daycare she said "oh you MIGHT be ok then". What do you think? What do you do with kids like this?

I loved my peds rotation, my instructor knew this and always gave me the little babies as I loved to hold them. If I was being coughed on, I definately would have been wearing a mask though...

[jenrninmi, MSN, RN]

When we started our peds rotations at the beginning of this semester we were told the same thing..... that we WOULD get sick, especially if we don't have kids (I don't) and aren't around kids a lot. Luckily I didn't get sick, but a lot of my classmates did.

I'm not sure why the masks aren't worn. You probably could have asked to wear one if you wanted to. I know for the peds we're told to wear colorful scrubs (not just all plain white) because they get scared easily. The masks could scare them and that's why they're not worn all the time....?

Yes, I went out and bought a couple pairs of cute child-friendly scrubs. I don't know, I never got sick from any of my clinical rotations thus far.

[memphispanda, RN]

Remember too that your immune system is an adult system that is far better able to handle germs than those babies immune systems. Also, the respiratory system in kids is prone to problems because of the smaller size. There are many things that little ones have horrible problems from that for normal (not immune suppressed) adults are not a big deal at all.

[Jennerizer, ASN, RN]

I got sick the week after I started my peds rotation. It must happen often because in post-conference the first day, our instructor was telling us to take plenty of vitamin C and zinc in order to ward off the colds. The advice was a little too late for me.