As I was rounding the corner from the adult area of the emergency department to the pediatric area I heard
a child screaming at the top of his lungs, “I DON’T WANT A SHOT”. I knew at that moment I was being summoned. I walked into the room and I saw a mother with her 5 year old son in a full headlock, while a new intern was trying to look in his ears. I made eye contact with the intern said “maybe I can help” then turned my attention to mom and son.
I smiled, sat on the end of the bed and said, “Hi there, I’m Kristen. I’m a child life specialist, which is a fancy way of saying I’m the emergency room kid helper. It’s my job to make sure you understand everything we need to do while you are at the hospital and to help you not be afraid. Let me tell you about what we need to do today to help you feel better”. Within a few minutes, the child was educated, placed in a comfort position, and was distracted by a magic wand. The intern was able to finish her exam, left with a smile, and jokingly asked me if I could follow her around for the rest of the day.
http://academiclifeinem.com/confessions-of-an-emergency-department-kid-helper/
h/t to Elizabeth Hudson for this link!
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