DinasaurRN

Thank you for that pearl! It makes so much sense but sometimes I get nervous to be extremely honest because I don't want to scare them. It's good to hear confirmation from an experienced RN that it really is important for me to get over my fear of scaring them with too much information. And thank you so much for telling me there is a whole section dedicated to peds! I am new to this site and I have a lot of reading to do now ?

I officially became an RN last week (YAY!) and start my career in pediatrics next month. I can learn about diseases and medications from books, but I would really love to hear any ideas for providing excellent care to peds patients to make them less scared. I love watching peds nurses because everyone is so inventive in their atraumatic care. For example, placing a fake IV in the kid's teddy bear actually makes them less scared of their own IV! Anyone have any pediatric wisdom to share?

I was diagnosed with RA when I was 13. I am now 21 and recently earned my BSN and RN. Working with RA is challenging, but it is doable if you are passionate about your work, and I think it does have some benefits too! My biggest issues with RA and FT nursing are knee and hip pain from standing and walking and tremors/shakiness that make it challenging to do some fine motor tasks. I just adjust my practice to accommodate these problems. I change shoes 6 hours into the shift which is an AMAZING trick. I try not to work more than 2-3 days in a row. I sit whenever I can. Even though I wish I could chart in the room like a good nurse, I choose to go to my station so I can sit. I like compression socks and invest in good shoes like the Danskos XP. As for shakiness I have learned ways to stabilize my hands and arms while I draw up meds, and I work at a hospital where there is a specialized IV team so I don't have to mess around with the really precise things. The advantage of being a nurse with RA is the empathy you have for the struggles your patients are dealing with. You know what it's like to have to deal with something for your whole life. You understand the cost of medications and medical treatment. You know the fear, frustration, and pain. I think dealing with illness myself helps me support my patients better and I hope you will find a silver lining as well!