Working as a peds nurse pregnant?

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Okay so this may be long but I would love some insight on what you would do! Currently I work in a peds clinic. We tend to get some very aggressive kids who want to fight you. If we do anything from swabs to injections, for the safely of both the pt and nurses we go in pairs. 2 of our nurses are just now starting maternity leave. For the last 9 months me and one of them have worked the same schedule. So we had an agreement I held them all while she done whatever needed to be done. I left with bruises and kicks to the stomach many days! Another girl just found out she was pregnant! And I’m in the process of getting pregnant. We are down them two nurses on maternity leave plus one quit. And they ain’t hiring anyone right now. So for much of the day I’ll be alone. Would you do this? How would you handle it. It’s great pay, I love the kids I see regularly but I’m scared for when the time comes I’ll get my baby hurt!

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Are you seeing these kids for behavioral issues?

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3 hours ago, Wuzzie said:

Are you seeing these kids for behavioral issues?

No! It’s just the parents don’t help hold. We are a regular peds clinic doing immunization and sick visits.

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I have a great deal of experience in pediatric nursing and I honestly can tell you I never once went home with a bruise from being kicked by a child. There are ways to restrain them, even the feral ones, that will not damage their little psyches. One way is to sit the child chest to chest on their parent’s lap with their legs straddling the adult’s abdomen and their arms secured under the adult’s arms. Sorry, sometimes they need to man up and help. You can always use a sheet to secure those flying extremities or a papoose board depending on the situation. Of course I always explained what was going on in terms they could understand including behavioral expectations. In general I had no trouble even with toddlers.

https://www.google.com/search?q=parent+holding+child+chest+to+chest+for+shots&client=firefox-b-1&prmd=isvn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjnncGCy4_gAhUL_IMKHVI4BLMQ_AUoAXoECA0QAQ&biw=1024&bih=648#imgrc=f5mYpW-sf7P2IM

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I hate to be picky...but to use the word "fight" ...well of course you know they are just scared.

I will never forget (this was over 45 years ago) when I was a new mom, and not a nurse, taking my one year old daughter in for a vaccination at a Public Health Clinic. I sat in a chair, held my daughter, while the nurse tried to give the shot. Of course my daughter squirmed and kicked out, the nurse, with an annoyed tone of voice, told me not to let my daughter kick her! (As if she were doing it on purpose?)

Please print, re-read Wuzzie's post, and post the highlights of Wuzzies suggestions on your clinic walls or break room

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I'm not sure if I'd continue there but not at all being worried about my baby. Unless you have reason to suspect that you would be high risk, belly babies are resilient. Your body is designed to keep them safe. My only concern there would be TORCH infections if you are the only staff person.

Your staffing seems questionable- You're 3 people short? Are the ladies on leave returning? Will you always be alone on shifts that should have 2 for efficient flow and safe care? Are you MA's or RN's? Is there a manager or triage nurse who can help?

Also, what's with parents not holding or even trying? WHy is that the culture there? Why are kids reacting SO aggressively? Of course we make them very unhappy but this sounds extreme. Bruises on many days?

I'm glad the pay is good. It sounds like it should be!

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Maybe I should reword and say I wrote this when I wasn’t happy about work. When we give immunization. For tend to lay them on the bed. Have parents hold the hands and just be up by their face so they can see them. We like to give shots at the same time just cause it’s faster! So one will put the kids legs between theirs. It’s not really to aggressively hold them down! It’s just to keep their legs flat. We don’t put pressure or anything on the legs! We are abusing our kids lol. We love them! But as they get the shot they of course jump and are scared with can lead to a kick or two.

Most of them time it’s the kids getting swabbed. We tend to have the parent hold but they just ‘don’t hold well’ which just ends with kids kicking and screaming. I mean think about it. The kid is getting something stuck up it’s nose. It’s not gonna like it.

I mean it’s not like a circus and we aren’t getting kicked 24/7 but it does happen and I’m scared that one time it will be my stomach

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I don’t think anybody thought you were being abusive, in fact, people are often more horrified at the thought of restraining kids but it has to be done for their own safety. Even some nurses think the papoose board is a torture device but if it allows us to provide the necessary care without anybody getting hurt, including the child, then it’s an excellent tool. Honestly, I think having 3 strange adults grabbing my extremities would be much more traumatic. I have a specific approach when using it that has been very successful and both the patients and the parents seem to tolerate it.

As far as parents not holding well that’s when the chest to chest position comes in handy. If the child can’t find a purchase with their feet they can’t get their butt up, straddling their parent prevents twisting, and their arms are locked in place. When swabbing it’s much easier for the parent to secure the kiddo’s head to their chest with one arm and it’s much less brutal looking than when they are on the exam table. Although I have resorted to climbing on a cot and locking a kids head between my knees to get forehead sutures. ?

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Specializes in Ped ED, PICU, PEDS, M/S. SD.

Not sure why the doctor doesn't help when short staffed? I never left bruised or sore after working in the PEDS ER for many years, even with parents that refuse to restrain child. Often had to do many an IV, lab draw cath because I didn't have help I either asked the parent or doctor to help hold.

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Lol, slightly off-topic (inpatient), but I just thought of you guys at work a few days ago!

We were pulling an IJ on our post-op four-year-old. When you remove an IJ, the kid has to stay perfectly still since we're cutting sutures that are right next to the patient's face. Kids obviously don't love it, but it's usually pretty quick and painless, over in about 2-3 minutes.

On this unfortunate occasion, we got sutures and the line out, but the kid started bleeding profusely, so we had to hold heavy pressure on his neck; that of course caused him to start freaking out even more, which raised his blood pressure by (literally) 60+ points, so then he was bleeding even more. It was a total nightmare--blood all over the sheets, hysterical kid, mom in his face screaming, "Stop crying you baby." My poor charge nurse got kicked pretty enthusiastically in the boobs until we finally got some IV morphine to settle him out. Hell hath no fury like a raging four-year-old.

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