kidzrn08

We also leave our PIV's in as long as they're good! We change the dressing and arm boards PRN but guard them with out life!!

Within the facility that I work, our PICU is the only pediatric heart center in the state and the cardiologist are the only congenital specialists in town. Therefore out PICU sometimes has 40 year old congenital heart patients because the cards MD's dont want them on the adult side. They claim those nurses do not know hot to care for these defects and have bad outcomes. On my unit (peds med/surg/onc) we phase out our older kiddos at about 19ish depending on the patient. Some of our CF kids that we have had for years we let stay until the "teen" goes out of their age...we also continue to treat our cancer kiddos if they're a new diagnosis close to their 18th birthday but these are by vote of the staff. Everyone else gets phased into the adult world. I think it's the right thing to do but sad that I know for a fact some of our DD kiddos that were frequent bowel obstructions and such have passed on the adult side due to what I would describe as neglect. While they should get the same care a peds nurse would provide, I think we are a different breed of nurses and our standards direct that.

The only nursing I have EVER done (besides clinicals in school) is Pediatrics. Sometimes it takes all I have to make it through my day without tears and some days there are tears but that's ok. People expect you to be upset when their child is sick. It shows them that you CARE about their child and that they are special to you. As the person above me posted...children want to get better, they want to run and play and be silly...this is what I go to work to see. I want to see my little 4 year old running up and down the halls thanking all the nurses because we finally let him have sips of clears...even if we didn't take the NG tube out. An appreciation for making them feel better that you will rarely see from an adult. If I have made the difference in the life of just 1 child in my entire career, I have done my job and that keeps me coming back for more.

I took the CPN exam after about 1.5 years of peds as a NAP and 3 years of peds as an RN...the test is HARD, I wont even lie. If you don't know your stuff, your not going to pass the 1st time. I would compare it to the NCLEX in the way the questions are written and the answers you are given. Study, ensure you feel comfortable with all of the common diseases process of children and hope! I had questions about home health, tons of meds, diseases like kawasaki, congenital heart anomalies, failure to thrive, juvenile diabetes etc.

did you get en email for an online quad before they told you that you were accpeted?? or is that to everyone?

Sunrise peds used to hire a lot of Naps we're not anymore. No budget for it. The peds ER is still hiring them tho, just have to check frequently. And it is a PAID position but is VSP

I graduated from CSN in 07 from the fulltime program...I did mental health in the summer and i think it's nice to get it done and over with. It's also nice to have extra time to study for 115! I would do it again in a heartbeat.

an LP would test CSF fo glucose...