NurseWeek News

Healthy Future
Nurses who work with children are helping to build a stronger nation

By Barbara Brown, Ed.D., RN, FAAN
September 18, 2003

Caring for sick children is a difficult and stressful part of nursing. As a young student nurse, on pediatric clinical experience, I could not sleep at night for worry about my patients. I recall holding a 13-year-old suffering from glomerulonephritis, as she died in my arms. One girl, Susan, was admitted with a ruptured appendix and a boardlike abdomen. She was near death so many times during her first week of hospitalization, and I was her nurse. I called the pediatric ward to check on her when I was off duty. I could not leave the nurse's residence at my school for fear she would need me. I decided then that I could not be a pediatric nurse.

Several years later, after having six children of my own and doing lots of pediatrics nursing (four cases of mumps at one time, a household of chickenpox and so much more nursing of children of my own), the memory of Susan still was with me. As I went to different schools and future nurses' clubs, encouraging young people to be nurses, a young lady looked at me intently. I asked her why she wanted to be a nurse and she said she was near death as a child, hospitalized with a ruptured appendix and a student nurse was always there for her. I asked if her name was Susan and she said, "Yes." I said, "I was your nurse."

I don't know if she ever became a nurse, but I do know that whatever we do as nurses with our patients, whether they are children or adults, our caring affects them in untold ways. So many times, as we work so hard trying to meet the many needs of others, we fail to realize the depth of influence we have on others. We can influence care of children in the political arena as the next presidential campaign is under way. A "Medikids" program is being suggested that would provide coverage for children and others younger than 25. Poor families would pay nothing for health coverage. Our children are the future of our country and nurses can have a great influence on the health care of underserved children.

I recently taught in South Africa and saw such poverty and impossible living conditions surrounding Johannesburg and Pretoria. I was privileged to visit Soweto, where anti-apartheid demonstrations by students resulted in the useless loss of young lives. Today, the "shack schools" among the Xhosa tribes are attempting to provide a better future for their children.

We are such a privileged nation. Even though we have much need for improvement in child health programs, we are building a stronger country with better care for our children. Nurses who specialize in the care of children-whether as a pediatric nurse practitioner, a school nurse, a public health nurse, or in pediatric oncology, critical care and acute care-are special in helping to build a healthier nation.

Discuss this and other topics with your colleagues at www.nurseweek.com/rnvillage