Loving Primary Care

"Doo-doo-doo-doo, Doo-doo-doo-doo" (hopefully you're hearing the scary music in your head and not picture tons of poop....though that would not be too far off for this blog!!)

It must be Halloween time....freaky things are happening!!!!

I, passionate PICU nurse, lover of all things acute, fast-paced, adrenaline rushed etc. am LOVING primary care clinicals!!!!

I know, I know, my advisor would kill me!!! BUT- as I'm learning more and more, and getting better and better and diagnosing and treating independently, I love interacting with healthy kids for check-ups and sick kids that don't require breathing tubes and tons of IV drips just to stay alive!!

That being said, primary care does have some downsides. Case in point: the 9 year old that I saw today for "sore throat". He let me look into the his throat with my light, but ABSOLUTELY would NOT let me swab him for a rapid strep (which I pretty much could diagnose without the swab b/c he had a very erythmetous (red) throat with pustules, and petechaie on the roof of his mouth!). I literally had to hold him down on the table and have parents hold his head and limbs!!

Except parents are never good "holders" because they can't stand the sight of their poor little one being strapped to a table and screaming bloody murder.

Enter the 6' giant of a preceptor that I have (woman....VERY tall woman!!!) I told her I needed help....and it literally took her LAYING on top of him, prying his mouth open with 2 tongue depressors, mom holding his head, and me swabbing!! Seriously??? The kid is probably traumatized for life now....It's just a cotton tip!!!!

But then there was the 18 month check-up who's 4 year old brother was accompanying him. Every question I asked the dad (ie: how is he eating? how is he sleeping? pooping and peeing ok? etc.) the brother would answer!! He said things like, "Oh he is a wonderful baby!" and "hee hee hee... he poops every day...a lot...and it stinks!"

And then, when I had the dad sign consent for the 3 immunizations, the brother said "Oh that's NO good...he's not gonna like that!!!" But later he said, "Well, I'll sing him songs when he gets the shots and then I'll give him an icepack."

Super sweet!!

So there ya have it folks!!! After a day of sumo wrestling one 9 year old, having a great conversation with a 4 year old, and many exciting things in between, this PICU nurse loves the adventure that is also known as Primary Care!!