Today I thought I would write about a few little lessons I've learned in my first year as a pediatric nurse. It's a crazy world, and I love it all. I'm so grateful for all this year has taught me...
1) If a kid looks like he's going to puke, you have about .2 seconds to find something to catch it.
2) Left uncovered, those little boys will pee on you. Every time.
3) Always always always be honest with kids (and, I mean, you should be honest with adults too).
4) Tell the management at your apartment complex that you work nights, otherwise you'll wake up in the middle of the day to a strange man (read: maintenance guy working on the dishwasher) in your apartment.
5) Essentials for surviving 12-hour shifts: coffee, good shoes, coffee, a solid lunch, coffee, multi-color pen, coffee, chapstick, coffee.
6) Warm blankets may be the best part of being in the hospital.
7) Working 6 shifts (72+ hours) in a row does not bring out the best in me.
8) When the special blankie/stuffed animal is missing, it's nearly a medical emergency. Drop whatever you're doing to find that
stupid thing.
9) Laughter is really good medicine. Cliche, but true. So what if you make a fool of yourself every day?!
10) Essentials for sleeping during the day: black out curtains, eye mask, ear plugs, fan (for white noise), melatonin.
11) It's generally a good idea to get yourself eye-level with a child... they tend to respond better when they're not being talked down to.
12) Every kid is different. What works for one, probably won't for another.
13) Children have an amazing capacity to love. And they are tougher than we give them credit for.
14) When you work night shifts, you will probably have off-the-wall dreams. Don't worry... it's normal (or so they say).
15) I'm not above bribing kids with popsicles.
16) If a child is old enough to talk, they generally don't want you to call it a diaper. It's a pull up, for crying out loud... You only make that mistake once.
17) Sometimes a bandaid really does make everything better.
