Not only does the pediatric nurse care for the physical, psycho-social and cognitive needs of the pediatric patient, but also the needs of the parents. "It is really working as a team to meet the needs of the parents and provide expert care to the child," said Sandra Mott, Ph.D., RNC, associate professor of maternal child health at Boston College and president of the Society of Pediatric Nurses.
Dr. Mott shares valuable insight for new nurses interested in pursuing the pediatric
nursing specialty.
What do you enjoy most about pediatric nursing?
I am both a nurse and professor, so I have dual favorite aspects
of my job. As a nurse, my greatest challenges and rewards are working with
parents whose children are critically and/or chronically ill as a supportive presence. This means
sometimes offering anticipatory guidance or resources, but often means being there for
parents to talk to about their concerns, fears, dreams, disappointments, problems
and options.
It is important to be present, and to show interest and caring, which enables parents to self-solve
the difficulty. I also enjoy teaching opportunities with parents, answering
their questions and giving hints and advice about aspects of care, whether it's
healthy child care or special-needs child care.
As a professor, I take pleasure observing the growth of
undergraduate students as they progress from beginning courses when terminology
and thinking about the role of a nurse are challenging, to the
graduating seniors who have mastered skills, gained sensitivity and insight, and
who are excited about entering the profession as a nurse. I take pleasure in seeing their confidence in gaining the critical-thinking skills to make clinical decisions in the best interest of
the patient.
I also thoroughly enjoy working with doctoral students in their discovery of new knowledge, as well as their ability to further develop knowledge and theory through research as they find answers to difficult questions—information that, when disseminated, will improve the care for patients and their
families.
What can a new nurse in the pediatric specialty expect in
the first few months on the job?
The new nurse can expect a lot of on-the-job learning as
she/he transitions from student to professional. Some institutions have
six-month orientation programs with classes and precepted experiences that
provide a mentoring relationship. That is ideal.
The new nurse in pediatrics has all the same adjustments as a new nurse in any other specialty. The importance
of working in partnership with parents is an added component for the new
pediatric staff nurse and may be challenging, depending on how confident the
nurse is with her/his skills and knowledge.
What is the most challenging thing about being a new
pediatric nurse?
To care for assigned patients and provide for their physical,
psycho-social and cognitive needs, as well as the needs of their parents. This
always includes ongoing assessment and evaluation of status and any changes, and
it may include medications, treatments, teaching, nutrition, activity
encouragement, monitoring response to treatments and recovery trajectory. It is
really working as a team with the family to meet the needs of the family and
provide expert care to the child. Often the child is too young to verbalize
his/her needs and fears.
Intellectual curiosity is essential, as are patience,
good listening skills, critical thinking, diligence, organization, creativity, adaptability, and decision-making that synthesizes all
information available—both theoretical and personal from the patient and family.
What advice can you offer a new graduate looking for a job
in pediatric nursing?
Go for it, you will never be sorry. If you love working with children and families, it is the most rewarding job. If you
have no pediatric experience, it may be best to start on general medical or
surgical type unit before going into one of the sub-specialties.
For more information on the pediatric nursing specialty, visit
the Web site of the Society of Pediatric Nurses.
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