In order to reduce my work stress while in school, I've changed jobs. I've left med/surg to do pedi pdn. Now I have a different kind of stress.
My case is a toddler who "used to have seizures". Thanks to meds, he hasn't had one in a long time but of course still could because of the condition he has. I am with him all day during which I give one med one time, assess him, and get VS once. The rest of the day he is an active, happy toddler playing and watching movies. He does have some developmental delays so to pass the time I have been trying to teach him things to bring him up to speed with other kids his age; he lost some ground when he was having frequent seizures.
There is a family member home with us during the day; not a parent but someone who provides a lot of the care when I am not there. When I am there, this person leaves everything up to me from potty training to discipline but this person follows me and the child around talking, talking, talking so that it interferes with us working on the things I think I could teach the child. I hate to ask this person to give us some space because I don't know if teaching colors, shapes, letters, how to form sentences, etc. is even what I am supposed to be doing. It's just something I started doing rather than sitting on the couch waiting for a seizure that may not come.
Anybody have any advice on what to do with a case like this? I know for a fact the other nurses on this case get so bored and aggravated by the person in the home that they pack the child up and take him home with them to spend the day. They do have the mother's permission but this is against agency policy and pretty stupid if you ask me. I am less than 2 years away from getting my BSN and I will not be jepordizing my license by driving this child around just to get away from the aggravation of the relative sharing way too much information regarding things that go on in the family. Each one of us has signed a document with our agency stating we will not transport a patient in our private vehicle so you know the agency isn't going to cover if there is an accident. So this isn't a viable alternative to me.
Also, the relative puts the toddler in the swimming pool while I am there. She suggests I bring a swimsuit and join the toddler but I am very uncomfortable with that situation. Swimming while on duty? It just seems like a foreign concept to me. But if the toddler gets into distress in the pool and I wasn't in the pool, am I in more trouble than if I were in the pool?
I guess this is so different from anything I've ever done I'm just not sure how to handle it. What would you be doing with your hours while you were there? Basically, except for the potential that is there, I am with a healthy child. But because of the "condition" the child has, the relative thinks the nurses are there to do everything. What kind of boundaries would you want to draw and how would you go about it? Looking for advice from folks more experienced than me working outside of hospital walls. Thanks!! And sorry for the length!!
