The First Chronically Sick Child

Twenty-one years ago, my parents received the devastating news that my lungs were not developing properly and as a result my mom had an induced labor. I was born as a premature baby, weighing only 3 lbs. and was placed in the care of neonatal nurses in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for 18 days. While my mom came to visit me, she would notice how well the nurses would care for me. Though their jobs were tough, the nurses would often carry me while I was crying and would often talk me to sleep, sometimes singing lullabies.

My personal experience gives me emotional strength and purpose to serve the vulnerable sections of society through pediatric health care. Growing up in a remote town in

My work day began the night before my shift started, as I received an email from my supervisor and was pleased to see my favorite patients on my list. Anna was scheduled first on my itinerary. She had become a quadriplegic after a serious fall down a flight of steps. Next was Mr. William, who was dying of a brain tumor. This man had the best attitude towards life, and always kept me laughing. My last patient of the day was Mrs. Patsy. She was very dear to my heart, and I had grown very close to the family, because I had been seeing her for over six months. Every time I walked into Mrs. Patsy house, she wanted an update and recent pictures of my children. It is unusual to have everyone agree on the scheduled time, but this warm summer evening was the exception. Tomorrow’s schedule was looking great and I was ready to get some rest.

UCM: CPSW met with Mr. Mauer for supervision at Brookdale and the visit went well so far. Mom and dad played with their son. Ms. Mauer changed Kaison's diaper and feed him during the meeting. Kaison seemed little tired today. Mr. Stark joined us today and he mentioned that he was in jail for two days and his case was dropped because it was wrong allegation from a friend. Ms. Mauer, Mr. Stark will be meeting their county nurse today after supervsion visit is done. Kaison is doing well and he had no fever and no coughing during the visit. The foster provider stated that since he got the shot for croup to help him breath better he has been doing well. No fever and no coughing so far according the foster provider. Also during the visit he has

In A Foster Child of the Opioid Epidemic, written by Lisa Marie Basile, we read about her difficult childhood and upbringing. At the beginning of the story, Basile is facing her first day at her second foster home, after being separated from her 10 year old brother. Taken away from not only her brother but her parents too, who were opioid users, Basile is challenged with new life in the foster care system. Basile, throughout the story, focuses on how her life is affected and how growing up with different people in her life has impacted her. As Basile gets older, she recognizes how grateful she is for the compassion showed to her from the strangers who entered into her life, such as her teachers and her different foster parents and argues that

The Dreams and the Dilemmas is a unique video that highlights the real life work and accomplishments of nurses, physicians, and social workers performing extraordinary acts of caring and humanity towards the couples and their premature twin sons. After watching this video, I released the importance of teamwork and good communication in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to the family. The physicians gave the couples options to choose from, even though they knew Travis was not going to make it with any of the opinions giving. And when the couples chose not to take off the life support, the physician respected that decision. He said in the video, “we will continue to do everything we doing to Travis”. They made

Pearson fixates her memoir on several different instances of medical mishaps that have happened in her career. For instance, she talks about the tragic death of her patient Mr. Rose. This patient provides Dr. Pearson with a life lesson that it is important to cherish the things you have then the things you wish you had. In this case, Dr. Pearson regrets cherishing the remaining time she had with Mr. Rose before he passes away. Another instance she learns a life lesson would be with her patient Elias, a young boy diagnosed with brain cancer. Even though Elias was slowly dying, his parents continued surgical procedures and heavily depended on the hospital staff to create a miracle. Dr. Pearson knew that Elias would not be able to recover, but she continued to assist through the surgeries as her “hands were tied”. Nevertheless, Dr. Pearson reflects that she could have put down her surgical tools and said no; instead, she participated in the surgeries. Later, Dr. Pearson realizes that her role and her identity as a doctor is to help her patients with their problems and to try to solve them as much as she can in a humane and respectable

I arrived to work well rested and ready to start the day. I had just returned after a two week long vacation. Because of the time off, I arrived to 7 East to find that the assortment of patients was not familiar at all. As I began getting reports on my patients, one in particular I started to feel a little anxious and stressed. At first glance I could tell I would be busy for the next twelve hours. Lynda was a 45 year old woman that was admitted almost a week ago after having an emergent tracheostomy placed. Lynda was newly diagnosed with laryngeal cancer with already having several other diagnoses including: seizure disorders, mild mental retardation, behavioral issues, and was legally

This story breaks my heart because this child is near and dear to my heart. I have taken care of this child since the day that he was born. This child was born with a congenital heart defect that left him needing a new heart. He received his heart transplant about a year ago and since then, he has been re-hospitalized several times due to his blood work being off when coming into the clinic for check-ups and not gaining weight.

Most of us take breathing for granted but for Skylar every breath was a miracle. Skylar has had Cystic Fibrosis since the age of three. Cystic Fibrosis is a degenerative disease affecting the lungs and digestive system. However, for Skylar her diagnosis was targeted mainly at her lungs. Every breath felt like tight hands gripping as hard as possible causing extreme pain. Every breath coming in and out of her was a struggle. Wife and mother of 2 Skylar is not giving up living her life to the fullest every chance she gets. Unfortunately her lungs are not getting any better in fact, they are getting worse. Her life expectancy is getting lower and lower every waking day. With a courageous, patient heart Sylar and her family decide to apply for

The young person this case study is about is a young boy named Tom; he is one years old and is currently in foster care due to his grandparents having concerns about his mother’s ability to care for him.

She was a single mother of three children all under the age of ten, two of who had cystic fibrosis. Sarah was referred to us by Dr.Palfrey after she was laid off. It was evident she didn’t know where to start and at times looked as though she wanted to give up. But as soon as Dr.Palfrey would smile at her and tell her it would all be okay she had an instant sense of confidence. Over the next six months I worked with Sarah and was able to not only find her employment but also to find her free childcare. During my time with Sarah I saw the impact Dr.Palfrey made on her life. I saw him realize Sarah’s determination to improve her life but not know how to ask for help, I saw him care for more than just how quickly he could move on to the next patient but to make sure he fulfilled his role as a

Stoddard made the best of the situation and is constantly working to make his son proud. It also amazed me how much one person can do in just 4 years. When one sets his mind to something, possibilities are endless. He also showed me the importance of the role of a child life specialist. All of his donations were toys and distraction tools child life specialists can use and hand out while a child is in the hospital. Stoddard wants each child’s visit to the hospital to be a positive as possible. A child life specialist plays a huge role in how a child perceives the hospital setting. Many children are scared of not only the procedures, but they are also scared of doctors, nurses, and various medical staff. The child life specialist is available to the child as a person who has no affiliation to the medical procedure. They are there just as a reassurance to the child. They help the children understand the procedure and help the child stay calm in a scary situation. In addition to helping with the donation, I checked on a few patients as well. When I walked in the room, the parents told me their daughter would not look or talk to anyone who walked into the room because she was scared. I was able to explain that I was not a doctor or a nurse, but as another person who could keep her company or provide any toys. Although she did not want company or need anything at the time, she smiled. Although providing a friendly face is such a simple task, it can create a more positive perception of medical

The world renowned organization’s Iowa City branch has provided support to children and families dealing with severe medical conditions since 1985. During this time, they have relied primarily on donations and volunteers so they can provide programs that benefit families with children who are chronically ill and require

The purpose of this journal is to reflect on my experience and skills gained during my clinical placement at Ben Taub Hospital. On my first clinical day, I was excited and nervous at the same time. My first placement was in the PREOP/PACU area. I was assigned to help a patient who had been in the PACU area going on 2 days. Normally, once the patient comes from surgery they are only in the PACU area for a short period of time before they are discharged home or given a bed in another area of the hospital. This particular patient still had not received an assignment for a bed. The physicians would make their rounds to come check on him daily. The patient was a 28-year-old Hispanic male, non-English speaking, he had a hemicolectomy. He had a NG tube, urinary Foley catheter, and a wound vac. My preceptor had just clocked in and she needed to check on the patient’s vitals and notes from the previous nurse. Once she introduced me to the patient and explained while I was there, she then asked me to check his vitals. (Vital signs indicate the body’s ability to regulate body temperature, maintain blood flow, and oxygenate body tissues. Vital signs are important indicators of a client’s overall health status (Hogan, 2014). I froze for a quick second. I have practiced taking vitals numerous of times and I knew I could do it correctly. I started with the temperature first, when I was quickly corrected on a major mistake I had made by my preceptor. I HAD FORGOT TO WASH MY HANDS and PUT