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Does one absolutely need to be good under pressure and stress to be a pediatric nurse? If so, is it possible to improve how you handle pressure?

I am absolutely in love with working with children, as I have a part time job after school at an elementary school. I know that this is what I should do with my life. But, I have always been set on nursing and I am also totally in love with that. Pediatric nursing seems like the absolute perfect job for me and I feel so much excitement for this career. But, I am not very good under stressful situations and I can't handle gross things all that well. Should I consider another career path? Or is it possible for me to improve both of these obstacles?

nursing medicine nurse career-counseling healthcare registered-nurses pediatrics nurse-practitioner pediatric-nursing
Thank you comment icon I may not be a nurse, but for the past 8 months, I've been frequently visiting the hospital with my husband, who experienced a medical emergency in September. His nurses might not have been specialized in pediatrics, but they all shared a genuine passion for helping others. I believe that empathy is something you either have or you don't. Once you have that foundation, everything else can be learned. I must say, we'll never forget the incredible nurses who cared for my husband. They truly were amazing. Marisa Potter
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Samara’s Answer

Really, the primary drive for healthcare workers before they finish (or even start!) their training is the intense desire to help others. If you ask any nursing student, pre-med student, PT/OT/ST student, they will all basically tell you the same thing--the desire to help is what brought them to healthcare. Everything else can be taught!
I will be honest with you--when I started, I had an intense sympathetic gag reflex. What that means is that if I saw someone else gagging or throwing up, it would make *me* want to gag and throw up! Needless to say, I had some great mentors who showed me how to control these feelings. I even remember a nursing student who came through when I was a Pediatric Resident--this very nice young man wanted to work with kids, but had never held a baby before. So, we sat him down in the middle of the newborn nursery and had him hold and feed a baby for the first time!
As for the stressful situations, I'm sure you are thinking of codes or rapid responses--the things on TV that show emergencies and the nurses and doctors working at high speed to try and save someone's life. I can guarantee you that no one is born "good" in those stressful situations--they make everyone freeze up or want to run away or do something else equally unhelpful. This is a situation that you need training to manage. Training that your nursing program will give you! My nurses, my physician colleagues, and I have to re-certify in life-saving techniques every 2 years. The education is continuous!
So rest assured that by the time your patients are turning to you in their most stressful moments, you will be well-trained and part of a team that will be taking care of them. The most important first step is that YOU want to be there to do this job. Everything else will be learned.
Thank you comment icon Thank you very much for your clarifying advice! Fareeha
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Jonathan’s Answer

As a paramedic with experience in adult and pediatric emergency departments, as well as a nursing graduate, I can assure you that the intense pressure from adrenaline rushes lessens over time. It's similar to becoming an adrenaline enthusiast – you gradually develop a tolerance. Your experienced colleagues will help keep you grounded during these moments. As for encountering unpleasant sights, smells, and textures, you'll grow more accustomed to them as well. However, if these situations cause you to faint, remember that you don't want to become a patient while trying to assist others. One way to practice managing adrenaline surges is by engaging in activities that increase your heart rate, like running. Then, try reviewing emergency procedures to get used to maintaining a clear head when your heart is racing. I hope this response is helpful to you in some way!
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Dorothea’s Answer

J Huff gave you a great answer about learning how to manage stress. Because the answer is yes, if you can’t manage stress/pressure very well then you won’t last long as a pediatric nurse. Working with sick children is completely different than working with healthy children. As a pediatric nurse you not only have your patients to work with but you’ve got their parents as well. Most times working with the parents is much more stressful than working with the children. But if you’re confident that you know what you’re doing and you can explain things in a way that makes sense to the parents, then a lot of unnecessary stress can be avoided.
You mentioned that you don’t handle gross things very well. As a nurse it’s impossible to avoid gross things. But I will tell you, nursing school helped me overcome my dislike of gross things. When you understand how the human body works, why the gross things are there, and how to deal with them it makes a big difference in what you can tolerate. That being said, every nurse has something that they can’t deal with. For me it’s surgery. I cannot watch any kind of surgery or intervention under anesthesia. It makes me feel faint and I have to get out of the room. So I work in an area of nursing that I don’t have to deal with surgery or anesthesia, and I love being a nurse! So, I’ve used a lot of words to tell you this one thing: find what you’re good at and enjoy doing, and pursue that as a career path. The field of nursing is huge! Nurses have a lot of choices in what aspect of nursing they want to do. If you try something and find that it’s not a good fit for you, there’s always something else to try.
Thank you comment icon Thank you so much! I really appreciate your advice. Fareeha
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J’s Answer

What a great career goal! The answer to your question about improving how to handle pressure. Yes, you can improve on this. The first thing is recognizing that you need to improve. I commend you on that. The second thing is to not shy away from working with a counselor or life coach to help you learn stress management skills. If you are in high school speak to a parent or guardian about speaking to a trained person. Perhaps, your parent or guardian has some tips that could be helpful. Also, colleges and universities have health and wellness programs and counseling centers where students can learn how to manage stress and their reactions to pressure.
Thank you comment icon Thank you so much for your advice! This was really helpful. Fareeha
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