What's you'r favorite PICU moment? What keep's you coming back!?!??

Specialties PICU

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, Pediatrics.

PICU nurse here, I absolutely love my job and can't imagine doing anything else!

What's other PICU nurses favorite experience/moment? What was special about it?

Let's expand our ego's and remind ourselves why we are so awesome!

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Specializes in PICU, Sedation/Radiology, PACU.

When we discharge a patient who, according to their clinical condition, should have died, but instead is going home happy, healthy, and with a very grateful family. And when they come back to visit. That's why we do what we do.

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

Took care of a teenaged boy who had cardiac arrested at home, dad did CPR - long resuscitation. We had him on the cooling protocol, sedated, vented and all the rest. For a week, he lay there.

Had the weekend off - come back to find a kid in that room, playing video games and doing algebra homework. Thought it was another patient. Nope - same kid!

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, Pediatrics.

HA! That is legit. Made me smile, nothing I like more than coming back to work only to have my tubed kid out on the Peds floor!

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Specializes in PICU.

Getting floated. Seeing a kid three minths out from a trauma that I admitted. I remember thinking his first 2 nights, why are we doing this? Let him go.

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Specializes in PICU.
Getting floated. Seeing a kid three minths out from a trauma that I admitted. I remember thinking his first 2 nights why are we doing this? Let him go.[/quote']

Oops! Hit send too soon.

He blew me a kiss and wrote a hi on a white board. And his mom couldn't stop thanking me.

That made my year.

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It's always the little moments for me. When you can tell you've made a difference for someone. Certainly after a code or a hard fight to save someone. Or even a meaningful end of life case.

One that stands out was a baby I had for two straight weekends. He was super sick. On ECMO and CRRT. He was bleeding from everywhere and just looked miserable. We all thought he was going to die. I talked to him all night like I do all my pts, but he was intubated and paralyzed and sedated so not responsive to me at all. Anyway, a couple weeks passed and he recovered! I got to see him the day before he went to the floor. He was in a little hospital gown laying in the crib with no 02 or lines or anything! He looked at me, and gave me the biggest smile ever! I asked his mom if I could pick him up and when I did he laid his little head on my shoulder and just sort of melted into me. It was the sweetest thing. I 'know' he didn't have a clue who I was, but I felt like he recognized me and was like 'hey, thanks for taking care of me" It was priceless.

I love my job!

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