Honoring the Work of Pediatric Nurses

Children who are victims of trauma are some of my favorite and most memorable patients. I work as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at a children's hospital in Winston-Salem, N.C., as part of the team caring for pediatric trauma patients. I love taking care of kids because they do not complain, they are brave, and they do everything within their abilities to resume playing. Yes, kids with injuries can be whiny and irritable and scared, however they are easily distracted most of the time from their immediate circumstances. They have resilient spirits.

Imagine this: a 6-year-old boy with full thickness (third degree) leg burns singing silly songs during a painful dressing change, or a 10-year-old girl with a severe brain injury and multiple fractures, smiling like a sunbeam at a Border Collie therapy dog. Determination and perseverance are very evident in most of our patients. There are moments of joy and heartbreak every day.  I am blessed to be so rewarded by the small steps that the children take toward recovery from their injuries.

The role of a pediatric nurse practitioner is to view the whole child and his or her physical, psychological, and spiritual needs within the family and community. We try to anticipate the journey for an injured child and ensure that physical therapy, occupational therapy, counseling, play, family bonding and rehabilitation services are started in the hospital and continued after they leave us. We advocate for excellent pain control and superlative care. We teach patients and their families about their injuries and about the specific care they will need to learn, such as cast care, spine care, or wound care.

People often comment that it must be sad or difficult to be a nurse that works with children.  I like to reply that it is the best job in the world. When I am discouraged by the horrific injuries that some of our patients suffer, I pour my energy into promoting injury prevention for children. I wish more people in our society could see the importance of kids in car seats, wearing seat belts, and wearing helmets.  I would like to see the end of children riding on lawn mowers and ATVs. The public does not realize how life threatening, life-changing and devastating that the injuries caused by these large motorized vehicles can be. I am committed to any and all efforts to improve the care that we provide for pediatric trauma patients.

- Debbi Thomson, Co-Chair of the Trauma Special Interest Group of the American Pediatric Surgical Nurses Association