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A Pediatric Nurse's Story: Saving Precious Little Lives Is My Job!! by Karen Lynn Vidra, The Texas Tornado
Monday, June 13, 2005
Rated "G" by the Author.
A pediatric nurse who works with children with special needs shares her story.
Today, I went to Cook's Children's Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas, on a special tour, and it was an eye-opening experience. I saw some tiny babies in the NICU, and I was amazed at all the things available to help not only the tiny babies, but to ALL children in need! This was where the basis of the following story came from. Enjoy!
I have often been told by people that they can't see what I get out of helping sick children, or children who are injured or even dying. But I enjoy helping them in their time of need, and when a child recovers or comes out of a crisis situation, and I see the smile come back on their face or see the sparkle return to their eyes, then I know what I am doing is worth it. Oh boy, is it EVER worth it!!
My name is Karine Elaine Woodworth, and I am a pediatric nurse. I have been a nurse for only about two years, but I have enjoyed my job very much, and I have enjoyed my interaction with children. The children I regularly deal with are children who have been injured through an accident of some kind, or else they have fallen ill with a serious illness or disease, and the prognosis for them is uncertain. Or I deal with children who have senselessly been abused by so called "loving, caring family members" (that is probably one of the most heartwrenching aspects of my job so far), or I also deal with children who were born with serious physical (or mental) anomalies that threaten their quality of life.
My job is to care for these patients, first and foremost, and make sure they are receiving the care that they so desperately need, and also to provide emotional support to these children's families. When a child becomes sick or injured, the entire family is immediately affected, and all your time and energy must be focused directly on the child if he or she is to have a chance to recover. But sometimes even all your best efforts prove to be futile, and the child still ends up dying. That is always heartbreaking, but as a nurse, I have had to deal with death on a fairly regular basis, and I have had to accept their death and move on to the next patient. Death is a part of life as is life itself, and I have had to learn to distance myself from that child before I become too emotionally attached to him or her. It may be cruel, but to me, that is the best course of action. That way, when a child DOES become worse or dies, then their death won't hit me nearly as hard as it would have had I become close to this particular child.
I have dealt with children of all walks of life, all social classes, all races and ethnic classes, from teeny-tiny little premature babies who barely weigh more than a can of soda pop to adults in their 20's, 30's, and 40's who still come to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital for ongoing treatment, and I have dealt with children who were as sweet as honey to children who have been nothing short of holy terrors. Yet despite all these differences, they all had a need, and that was to be treated as soon as possible, and as efficiently as possible.
Even with all the drawbacks and stressors of the job, I still have enjoyed interacting with the children and rejoicing in their victories and crying at their defeats, and I also have come to trust some of them as though they were my very own children. I see my children in each face I see at work, and I know I would want a nurse like myself caring for MY children if that time ever came. I would see to it that my children got the best care around, and I wouldn't care about the monetary cost, as long as my child had a chance at a near-normal recovery and then a near-normal life.
I have befriended a good number of kids, and their families still keep in regular, close contact with me, even after a year and a half! Some of the stories behind my little pediatric Miracles are absolutely heartbreaking while others are absolutely miraculous! I have seen kids who were at death's door recover fully, without incident, and I have seen other kids do well, but then they become sick, and it takes all of our medical knowhow to try to save their lives before it is too late. Sometimes we DO lose a child, and of course, we cry and grieve, but then we go on and try to learn from that experience and apply it to someone else, in the hopes of preventing another death or life-altering injury.
I only hope that the children are as blessed as I have been in knowing them! They have enriched my life to the fullest, and I am glad that I was there to make a difference in a scary time in their lives when it mattered the most!
The death of a child is particularily hard on medical people, nurses especially because they are the primary caregivers. The burn-out rate is high and you very seldom see an older nurse working in a children's hospital. I noticed when my grandaughter had a nasty kidney infection and was hospitalized for a week, that the median age of the nurses was twenty-something.
Walt
Reviewed by Tracey L. O' Very
6/13/2005
Karen, This is a very emotional story and really touches base with a real life situation I had. My (step) granddaughter, born one day after my birthday, was a still born that they miraculously brought back to life. The touch and go the endless hours went on for hours and days and days a few weeks actually. I redid my kitchen cabinets keeping busy while waiting news each hour each day. My husband went to Provo where she was a took a picture of this tiny baby girl It was so sad to see all those tubes and needles in her everywhere, but today she is fine a normal little 7 1/2 year old girl happy and healthy. Her mother and step dad live in Germany last I heard. She's been to Alaska and all over the west here. It's nice to have people like these nurses who care and can give of themselves like they do. I myself, I had to walk into one of these ICU/special care areas for babies, delivering flowers once and it really totally ripped me apart. So I truly admire and respect and Thank people like this nurse here for having the strength and love to be there for these special little gifts to this world. When her mother and I would be talking on the phione and Teresa would cry, I'd cry, that was a cry, that almost never was. It was the happiest sound I've ever heard!! Thanks Karen xoox Tracey
I have often been told by people that they can't see what I get out of helping sick children, or children who are injured or even dying. But I enjoy helping them in their time of need, and when a child recovers or comes out of a crisis situation, and I see the smile come back on their face or see the sparkle return to their eyes, then I know what I am doing is worth it. Oh boy, is it EVER worth it!!
