Pediatric Rotation @ Children's Specialized in Mountainside

I had my first 2 days here. Have 2 left with a day also spent @ special daycare for handicapped and disabled in town. This facility is a long term care center for pediatric cases. My pt is a 4 yr old male. He is in a vegetative state and basically only responds to painful stimuli. I held it together very well for first 1/2 hour, then I had to excuse myself to go WEEP! OMG it was awful. I just kept thinking how sad and that that could be one of my children. My instructor was very kind and understanding and told me it was normal and acceptable. I got myself together and went back in and had no more issues. Apparently this child was born addicted to crack cocaine and was born preterm @ 31 weeks, and severly respiratory distressed. There was more than likely a congenital heart defect as well. He was hypoxic and had brain damage due to lack of blood and oxygen. He then got RDS (respiratory distress syndrome) and became very ill and got a brain infection (probably encephalitis). He was taken home on a vent and after a month or so, the family decided they could not care for him. His chart says possibly shaken baby syndrome expected, which is why DYFS stepped in. I believe they abandoned him. DYFS stepped in and he is now award of the state. He has no family come visit him. Parent visits ended April of 2006; that was the last documented visit. He cannot move, he seizes several times a day. His head is mis-shapen from the swelling from the brain infection. He cannot breathe on his own so he is mechanically vented through a tracheostomy. I suction his nose and mouth and also his tracheostomy. I bathed him, dressed him, got him in his braces and vest and got him in his wheelchair for the day. On Thursday I got to change his trach tube with assistance from the respiratory therapist. He as well as my instructor said I did a great job. Teacher said my hands didn't shake once. It was weird seeing the hole in his throat. It felt good to be able to do that successfully. He of course cannot breathe with it out or during suctioning or when it is quickly removed to get his shirts on, so I had to be quick and know what I was doing. Poor kiddo. He likes it when I hold his hand and I read him a book Thursday before I left. He can hear but is cortically blind. He can move his eyes but I was told he cannot see. He will squeeze my hand when I tell him. I felt him have several seizures while holding his hand as well. This poor sweet little angel. He is incontinent. He also has a Mickey PEG tube in his stomach for feedings. I haven't been able to do that yet, but will this week.

I can definitely work here and plan on grabbing an application on my last day next week. My teacher said I would be great here and should have no problems getting hired. She said she can sense the love I had for my pt. I am seriously considering it if it fits my schedule and financial needs. I enjoy all the skills and equipment used there. And these kids need people there who truly have compassion in their hearts and I felt it in me the minute I saw them. I want to help them. There are even a few Miracle Network Kids here. They have special visitors come always. Derek Jeter, movie stars, Disney Characters, etc. This place has huge press coverage and had been cited in tons of magazines for cerebral palsy, autism, spina bifida, etc. Here is a link to copy & paste for those interested. The girl on the website is in the room next to mine. She has been featured in several medical magazines.
http://www.childrens-specialized.org/WhatsNew.asp?id=496

Pediatric rotation @ St. Peters

I spent 5 days @ St. Peters University Hospital in the Peds unit. I had a good time. I took care of two sweet little kids. One was a 1 yr old male, who came in because he was having 1-2 minute seizures due to rapid spike in temperature due to an ear infection. While there, he was treated for ear infection, but seizure activity got worse. Before he was sent to PICU, I cared for him for 5 hours. I never actually witnessed a seizure, but he had chart documented seizures lasting up to 5 minutes, with tonic clonic activity. He lost consciousness and was not breathing. He was a sweetie pie. He was hooked to 24 hr EEG monitor with electrodes to his scalp. Also have two IV's. It was difficult seeing such a sweet little guy hooked up to all that. While I was at lunch, he has a seizure over 7 minutes long and was rushed to PICU. I didn't even get to say good-bye. I was upset. I hope he is okay. The doctor was leaning more towards Epilepsy now, due to fact that his temperature was being maintained at 99 for last 3 days. How sad. His mother was a wreck.

My second pt was an 8 month old baby girl who was in for a UTI. She had high fever, N&V, and wasn't eating, severely dehydrated. It is a DYFS case, open investigating. Mom is a known drug attic and is on Methadone. She acted very "off" and erratic the whole time she was there. Heavily tattooed and pierced. The staff didn't treat her very kindly, so I tried. She was actually very nice. She was very caring of the child and rocked her and sang to her even while I was in the room. I offered to hold child for a few so mom could get a break and she refused. Didn't want to leave her alone. She was a doll, so cute. I can totally see myself working this unit someday.

Drew @ School

Andrew & Lily being cute

Boys living the DREAM

All smiles

In my Maternity/OB rotation I got to observe a c-section. It was awesome seeing a child brought into the world. The surgery was amazing. It was first time seeing into a human body to that degree and I cannot wait for more opportunities.

NorthSTAR Air Medical Program

Sometime in May, A Flight Nurse from the above mentioned program came to my school to give a presentation on his job. He is an RN and works on a flight medic helicopter that flies to high trauma scenes to give medical attention. He came in and had a great slide show of some of the calls he's been on in his last 7 years. Mainly car accidents on our major highways, but several others, like fights, riots, etc where people were seriously injured and needed to be life flighted to the nearest trauma center. At the end, he invited any interested in a close up look at the helicopter to come to his hanger at a local small airport. I knew Brady and Andrew would be interested, so I took them on Mother's Day. We had a great time. I had a lot of questions and Tim answered all and many more from the kids and my friends kids. WE all got to get in the helicopter and touch and look at all the control. He explained all the medical equipment in the back as well, and even showed the kids how the camera intubator worked, and he put the kids on the screen. This is the machine they use to manually intubate and get a patent airway when the patient cannot breathe. They use a small lighted scope to enter the trachea in to the lungs. It was a great time. We got to the it land when it came in and also take off on a training mission before we left. They put on a great show for us and used the lights, did a low fly by at full speed and waved to us as they flew by. It was awesome. I will attach a few photos.