I am a now retired nurse who worked for forty years as a pediatric nurse.
The first job I had fresh out of nursing school was working at our city's Children's Hospital I for year in the ER. I LOVED working with the kids, but after marrying one of the pediatric interns, he asked me to move to another hospital for the duration of his residency, so I switched jobs and worked in an adult ICU for two years. I should have known our marriage would flounder an it did. Although he was still at Children's, I made the decision to apply for a new nursing job back at the Hospital. I was hired by the head doctor of Hematology/Oncology to pilot an expanded role for a nurse in Hematology/Oncology under a grant the doctor wrote. Being young and eager I was willing to please, so when he told me to wear a white coat (he believed it would give me more"credibility" in my new job..so I agreed, and never looked back!He was my new "boss" and I thrived under his tutelage!
The job was ALL mine to make a success, and I LOVED the challenge almost as much as he appreciated all I brought to the table in his department. No doctor ever made me feel so capable.
Although I had only minimal knowledge of childhood cancer I was quite nervous and unsure about my new job responsibilities, so that first year I did a lot of reading on childhood cancer and its treatments (radiation, chemo, and eventually years later, bone marrow transplants). I also sat in on he nurse's change of shift reports and then rounded with the doctors on our unit. During the reports and rounds rounds on my unit, I paid the most attention to all new patients who had come in over the night or weekend with a new cancer diagnosis. I also noted those kids whose traditional chemo and XRT treatments were failing and the docs were planning to start new treatments with an experimental drug.Talking with and educating kids with cancer and their families was always my priority every day. After bone marrow transplants emerged as a new cancer treatment option for kids who failed chemotherapy, our hospital wasn't yet set up for that, but it was still offered to children who had failed traditional therapies to go to another hospital for a transplant. Our first eligible transplant patient was an eight year old boy with Leukemia. The doctors had arranged for him to go to Mayo Clinic for his transplant. They asked me to accompany him and his parents on the flight to Mayo. The hospital paid for my round trip ticket and I was so excited when my charge was safely settled in at Mayo Clinic and I headed home, praying this new therapy would offer fresh hope for childhood cancer victims who had failed traditional chemotherapy . AND IT DID! Eventually our hospital set up our own transplant rooms. Because I am a universal donor with O-neg blood type, I signed up with the Red Cross to become a direct blood donor for our critically ill patients who needed a donation of whole blood, or just phoresis of my white blood cells, platelets or whole blood. I also signed up to become a bone marrow donor, but was never summoned.
I stayed in my Heme/Onc job for 14 years and absolutely LOVED working with all the kids and their families. However, after finding myself divorced with four kids and having a long commute, I made the tough decision to leave the hospital. I accepted a job with our local school district as a school nurse. I instantly LOVED that job and especially ALL the extra time I now had (especially in the summers) as a single mom and enjoy summer vacations with my kids!! The commute to my new job was now a mere five minute drive to one of the schools instead of the 45minute -hour drive I used to make each way in rush hour traffic. The best part was, I LOVED having the summers off to do fun things with my kids!!
The nicest thing about pediatric nursing is there are MANY varied nursing opportunities available to work with kids in doctor's offices, schools , hospitals, public health departments and even special needs institutions for kids. And, to answer your own question.....if you choose a nursing job that doesn't "feel right" to you for whatever reasons, there are many, many other pediatric nursing opportunities out there.....Hopefully you'll find your niche!!! BEST OF LUCK TO YOU!!! You've chosen a GREAT career in nursing!!
