Becoming a Pediatric Nurse Essay

There are various definitions of nursing as a profession: first of all this is a kind of assistance for persons, their families, aimed at reaching and maintaining the best state of health. Nowadays, some researchers define nursing as “a science and an art that focuses on promoting quality of life as defined by persons and families, throughout their life experiences from birth to care at the end of life (Barnsteiner, 2).

The main goal of nursing community is unified in the whole world: this is to train and to provide the specialists, corresponding to norms and standards of ethics and competence. In different countries of the world the education for nurses varies a lot, but as the basis, it always includes perfect study of nursing theory and practice and development of the needed clinical skills. Most of the countries issue special laws for controlling the nursing practice and a person is able to enter this profession only according to national or state regulations.

When comparing nursing to medicine, it is not enough to consider only practical sides; there is also an emotional side of each of the two fields. It is hard to imagine a surgeon, who shows his emotions, like sympathy for example towards his patient when he is performing a serious operation, he should remain calm and emotionless. At the same time, it is evident, that emotional bond, more confidential relations usually build between a patient and a nurse. That is why it is so important, that a nurse is able to not only provide assistance in taking pills or changing the bed-clothes for the patient, but also do her best and be a kind of moral support for him.

The basis of pediatric nursing is the same, but still there is a number of factors and peculiarities that differentiate it from other types of nursing. First of all pediatric nursing includes for example looking after a newborn baby and taking care of a teenager, who was injured. The main circle of duties of a pediatric nurse includes “comprehensive care to children, adolescents, and their families in various settings. Responds to the physical and psychosocial aspects of health and illness, concern for health promotion and disease prevention, management of physical and mental disabilities, and response to acute and chronic illness.” (Cone, 13).

It is not possible to consider children the same kind of patients as adults, as the bodies and minds of children can operate differently from those of grown ups. It is vitally important always to take into consideration the influence of the illness or injury upon the development process of the child, as they are still growing and experiencing changes in their bodies and systems. Speaking about moral side, it is necessary to mention, that children and adolescents can be more afraid of what is going on and of the unknown surrounding and misunderstandings or indifference, they could encounter with nurses, would only worsen the situation. Children might have a lot of simple questions, might need thorough explanations about the procedures they have to come through, and certainly constant support from the side of the nurses in order to avoid depressions and restraint. Nurses will usually have to do not only with children, but with their parents or other older members of the family as well, as they are also in a way involved into the process of caring of the patient. “One of the most striking features of pediatric nursing is how often they share their nursing skills with others: the child’s parents or whoever would normally look after them at home” (Barnsteiner, 25).

Pediatric nurses should be able to support the ability of the family child carers to provide the best care later. Illness of injury of a child is for sure connected to a lot of emotions from the side of his parents, often they feel guilty, helpless, powerless of even in panic. In this situation one of the major roles for renewal of the normal calm atmosphere falls on nurses’ shoulders. Thus, it can be concluded, that pediatric nurses should possess deep knowledge about children development, physiological differences between adults and children, realize the importance of family intervention, be able to develop partnership relations with older family members, at the same providing a traumatic care for small patients and minimizing their psychological and physical affliction (Holt, 111).

It is evident, that the work of pediatric nurse is challenging and beneficial at the same time. One of the major disadvantages is the possibility of stressful situations, created by the family members and the realization, that the patient is not even an adult and already has to suffer from pain or illness.

Providing love, care and sustaining the child’s hopes for better are integral parts of the job, as children need it much more than adult patients, this is vitally important for them. On the other side, nurses can be proud and satisfied if they see, that they were able to give out care and support to such a little person and they receive the positive and grateful feedback from children ”“ this will for sure stand for the main benefit of the profession.