Question for Maternal/Child Nurses

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Hello, everyone!

I'm an RN in a small hospital in the south which has a maternal/child service. I was hired for my long experience in OB nursing. I knew that there were pediatric patients cared for here, but during my interview & tour, was told that I "probably wouldn't be caring for them very often."

Now, our department head has sent out an email to our unit staff that "everyone will have to become comfortable with pediatric patients." When I first started working here, a little over a year ago, I was with an RN who'd been here for about 8 years. We did care for a few peds patients, during which time I learned the admission paperwork & how to "safe dose" meds. I hardly think this qualifies me as a pediatric RN!

We have NO pediatric nurse training program here, and I am trying to make an argument to have one implemented.

I would greatly appreciate responses from other maternal/child nurses who also care for peds and how training was handled at your facilities. Also, tips, sites, and resources for forming such a program will be wonderful!

Thanks so much for your time and response,

KC in FL

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Oh, dangerous territory. I would fight it tooth and nail UNLESS They have a realistic and comprehensive plan to train (and document that training) for you to care for pedi patients. This would be just as if you were oriented to a pedi unit......thorough training and time to learn "the ropes". Are they willing to do that? It would seem not from what you say.

Like said so often before, Pedis are NOT mini adults and a Despite what admin and management thinks "nurse is not a nurse is not a nurse". It fascinates me to think how they think we are just so interchangeable. Would they ask an OB doc to care for Pedi patients as a primary doctor???? I think not....

If they did to us, and did not plan to train us VERY thoroughly (like any orientation) I would refuse. If I had to, I would seek another job. It's about patient safety and for my own protection, too. I realize, being rural, your choices are very limited. I have been there, myself......but our Pedi's (few and far between) went to Med-surg, not OB. So I did not face this dilemma myself....

Just a thought: HOW do the PEDIATRICIANS feel about this??? Maybe you can get THEM to advocate on your side of thinking. Do THEY want pedi patients in the OB unit? All of our pedi's would have a COW. :uhoh3:

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Specializes in NICU.

I started out as a volunteer on a maternal /child health floor. The kids (not many at that time) had the first part of the unit, and OB was behind closed doors. The nurses rotated doing pedi care.

I carried on as a volunteer all through nursing school. Where do I work now? on a maternal child health unit.

I spent several years as a peds nurse, after working med surg. You do need a peds orientation to care for children. I spent a day at a childrens hospital with the IV team, to improve my pedi skills. The hospital paid for that. Also PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) is on the list of things to do. As someone else said, peds are not mini-adults. Even teenagers do well on a peds unit.

I changed jobs when the hospital threw the children in the pot with m/s, and said anyone could care for them.

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Oh, dangerous territory. I would fight it tooth and nail UNLESS They have a realistic and comprehensive plan to train (and document that training) for you to care for pedi patients. This would be just as if you were oriented to a pedi unit......thorough training and time to learn "the ropes". Are they willing to do that? It would seem not from what you say.

Like said so often before, Pedis are NOT mini adults and a Despite what admin and management thinks "nurse is not a nurse is not a nurse". It fascinates me to think how they think we are just so interchangeable. Would they ask an OB doc to care for Pedi patients as a primary doctor???? I think not....

If they did to us, and did not plan to train us VERY thoroughly (like any orientation) I would refuse. If I had to, I would seek another job. It's about patient safety and for my own protection, too. I realize, being rural, your choices are very limited. I have been there, myself......but our Pedi's (few and far between) went to Med-surg, not OB. So I did not face this dilemma myself....

Just a thought: HOW do the PEDIATRICIANS feel about this??? Maybe you can get THEM to advocate on your side of thinking. Do THEY want pedi patients in the OB unit? All of our pedi's would have a COW. :uhoh3:

I actually work in a small navy hospital on the Gulf Coast! Interestingly enough, one of the senior pediatricians here is someone I worked with almost 20 years ago when I was active in the army - at Ft. Lewis, WA! He knows it's important for us to be trained; so does our old department head who has just left us.

I am ordering a course about pediatric med-surg care which is also for CEU's. I talked to our unit educator about this and about collaborating on an actual peds orientation program - she is ready & willing. We just had a staff meeting today & I brought up the fact that none of us are peds nurses and we really need a lot more education.

Thank you so very much for your input!

KC in FL :)

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I started out as a volunteer on a maternal /child health floor. The kids (not many at that time) had the first part of the unit, and OB was behind closed doors. The nurses rotated doing pedi care.

I carried on as a volunteer all through nursing school. Where do I work now? on a maternal child health unit.

I spent several years as a peds nurse, after working med surg. You do need a peds orientation to care for children. I spent a day at a childrens hospital with the IV team, to improve my pedi skills. The hospital paid for that. Also PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) is on the list of things to do. As someone else said, peds are not mini-adults. Even teenagers do well on a peds unit.

I changed jobs when the hospital threw the children in the pot with m/s, and said anyone could care for them.

I have been doing L&D nursing since October 1985! Well, had a couple of breaks (short ones) doing med/surg & clinical coordinator for a research program. Anyway, I have been talking about this for months to supervisors, and refusing to take peds patients until I have an adequate orientation. I think they are seeing me as a slacker or trouble-maker. But I feel I must stand my ground on this. Peds is just as much a specialty as OB nursing; I didn't feel comfy in L&D for at least a year! And of course it took me more years to really feel that I was a truly good L&D RN.

I do so appreciate your comments!

KC in FL :)

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wow here in uk you can not care for children unless you have been trained in paeds (except in A&E) I am a paeds nurse and have never worked with a nurse who is not a RN(child). To be honest i would refuse to (no offense to others) but i would not feel 100% confident it what they do and im sure adult nurses would not feel confident if only paeds trained nurses were helping on adult wards. Smilingblueyes is right children are not mini adults. some paeds training is required and do say no unless you have been trained in paeds.

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