Yesterday was the end of my peds rotation…very bittersweet indeed. It was pretty anticlimactic – since we didn’t have a consistent clinical instructor throughout the experience, we didn’t really have anyone to say “goodbye” to. Most of the nurses didn’t even know it was our last day. But nonetheless, I was sad to walk out that door and to my car.
My last shift was on the infant-toddler unit and I still felt a little discombobulated about the care, but boy did I love those babies! I had a 7-month old who was discharged after undergoing evacuation of a subdural hematoma. She was a DOLL!! Every time I peeked over the rails of her crib, she greeted me with a brilliant smile. So easygoing and pleasant and adorable. Then there was the 5-month old who was receiving antifungal therapy after his central line was infected with some kind of yeast. He had the biggest blue eyes I have ever seen and he would just fixate on my face and give me a flirty little half-smile. No wonder many of the nurses on the unit are pregnant or have little ones – this floor is bound to give you baby fever! 
My third patient was 11 years old (overflow from the school-age unit) and had undergone open heart surgery to repair a problem with his aortic valve. He was also easygoing and his mom was wonderful.
All-in-all, a very satisfying conclusion to my pediatric clinical experience. I still don’t think hospital nursing is for me in the long-term, but being around kids really does brighten up my world. During my final eval, my clinical faculty coordinator said she thought I belonged in peds (which was very reassuring), and called me a “natural-born nurse”.
Regardless of what comes next, that is a very positive message to come away with.
One more week of exams and projects, and then we’re free for an entire month!
Posted by Teeny 
