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Pediatric Nurse: How I Do What I Do


When I tell people I'm a pediatric nurse, the most common response almost always goes something like this: "Oh bless your heart, I could never do that! How do you do that? Seeing all those sick kids all day?" 

Depending on who I'm talking to, I'll either say something along the lines of "It's easier than you think; I love my job" or I'll go into detail about how I do what I do

You see, two years ago, I would have had the same reaction. I loved kids and I loved nursing, but I never thought I would be a pediatric nurse. I thought it would be too sad, too hard, and overall just something I wouldn't get into. 

Then in October 2012 I was in a patient's room at Children's Hospital Colorado (where I now work) during my pediatric clinical rotation when the Lord clearly spoke to my heart and said: 

"Sarah, tragic things will happen to these children regardless of whether or not you're a pediatric nurse. They will get sick, they will get in tragic accidents, and yes, some of them will die. If you are a pediatric nurse, however, you will be able to help these kids and their families in a time that they need it the most." 

From that moment on, my entire view towards pediatric nursing shifted. This moment dramatically impacted the way I view pediatric nursing, and is the #1 reason of why I am able to do what I do. 

I LOVE working with kids. 
This may be a given, but really, I love being with kids every single day. It's hard when they cry, and hard when they're mad at you, but kids are also the most forgiving human beings on this planet. The beauty of a child is that you'll walk in the door and receive a terrible stink eye, and then ten minutes later they'll invite you to color with them. And you tell me... in what other job would you be able to feel a child's belly and ask if there's monkeys living inside? 

I get to work with two generations at once 
There is the patient who is a child- my cares, the medicine, the assessments are all centered around them. But then there are often parents and legal guardians who are involved in the care. Many people think that this can be an annoyance- while dealing with tough family situations is often the hardest part of my job, dealing with great parents is often one of the best parts of my job.

I love being able to care for a child (one generation), and teach and equip the parents to then care for their child when they go home (a second generation). Parents are often eager to learn, and empowering them with the knowledge and skills they need to take care of their child at home is one of the aspects of my job that gives me the most satisfaction. 

And lets be honest, as someone who doesn't have my own kids (yet), I've learned a lot from watching the parents I come into contact with- both what I want to do as a parent and what I don't want to do. 

I work in hospital that's fun
The walls at my hospital are pink, yellow, green- you name it. There's paintings, paper cut-outs, and seasonal decorations on almost every wall.The floors have cool designs and everywhere you look there's something with a bright color. Crayons sit at the nurses station, and Frozen characters are found on every little girl's room number. My hospital is the farthest thing from sterile and cold, and for that, I am thankful

Employees are happy
Between the bright walls and (sometimes) smiling kids, I have found most of the people who work at my hospital quite cheerful. Sometimes it's hard, but I think working around kids means you either need (or get) an extra dose of smiles and happiness. That's good for my soul, and good for the patients' healing. 

Those are my 5 reasons of why I'm able to do what I do. Now that I've told you my reasons, do you think you could do it? Has your view of pediatric nursing changed at all? 

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12 comments :

  1. Thanks for doing what you do. My 2 year old nephew passed away this year, but we were SO thankful for all the PICU nurses who supported us and helped him!

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  2. Ahhh I'm sorry about your nephew :-( one thing I can't imagine and don't even pretend to is what it's like to be on the parent side of my job- I'm sure it's harder than I'll ever know. I'm glad the PICU nurses were a support to you and your family <3

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  3. This is really interesting to read. I'm glad you love your job so much, and I do think about nursing a little differently now! It's awesome you heard God speaking to you like that.

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  4. Thanks girl! I pray daily that I'm an encouragement and I know God does more through me than I could ever do on my own :-)

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  5. I'm glad you think of it a little differently! And those God moments are definitely awesome; I can't say mine are super often but they are life changers when they do happen! :-)

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  6. Sounds like such an interesting job! My son was in our local children's hospital last year for surgery, and the staff was marvelous. It takes a special person to work with children!

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  7. I'm glad there are people like you in the world. I have had a child in hospital and so appreciated the care they received.

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  8. This was so good to read! I work in healthcare as well sometimes in pediatrics, yes it can be sad but at the same time you are given a huge opportunity to be a ray of sunshine during the patients suffering. No we can't always make there problems go away but we can make them feel better emotionally and physically during their illness! It's a beautiful thing! Thanks so much for sharing! I popped over from Beka's blog:)!

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  9. Jolita I'm so glad your child has gotten good care :)

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  10. Yes Rachel exactly! Sometimes doing all you can for them in that moment even without fixing their problem is what matters most. What avenue of healthcare are you in? Thanks for stopping by!! :-)

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  11. this was really awesome to read! my sister-in-law is a pediatric nurse, and my husband is a doctor. I sometimes struggle to still see how they enjoy their work, but I'm seeing it more and more. I think becoming a mom will *totally* increase my appreciation for what you do, too! keep working hard + enjoying it!

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  12. People like you are so very needed! My husband worked in a burn unit, so he had pediatric patients often--it's a tough job on the emotions, but it needs to be done, and done well!

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