#AskOurNurses is an initiative where we invite nurses from various hospital departments to share more about the department, and what it is like to be a nurse in their respective departments.
We have Mr Andyreas Chin from KK Women's and Children Hospital to share about Paediatrics Nursing, and address some of the questions you have posted on our IG story. The following are the questions that our guest speaker have answered.
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Mr Andy: My name is Andyreas Chin, you can call me Andy. So currently I’m a CICU (Children Intensive Care Unit) staff nurse in KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital. Currently it is my first year working in KKH after I graduated from NYP (Nanyang Polytechnic).
Question: Describe paediatric nursing in 1 word.
Mr Andy: Roller coaster.
Question: What are the qualities needed in paediatric nursing?
Mr Andy: Compassion, resilience and empathy.
Question: What specialities are there in paediatric nursing?
Mr Andy: On our side at KKH, there are many specialities in paediatric nursing. Some commonly known ones include critical care, emergency medicine, neurology, neonatology, surgical (cardiac and orthopaedic).
Question: How do you juggle many things at once?
Mr Andy: That would be good time management and prioritising the more important task.
Question: What is the most challenging task as a paediatric nurse?
Mr Andy: I think it would be mental health, managing our mental health.
Question: On a scale of 1 - 10, how difficult is it to deal with the parents of paed patients?
Mr Andy: I would not say there is a rating. There would be good and bad days, so there is no definite rating to it. Ultimately, it is important for us to focus on the care for our patients and also manage the caregiver (i.e caregiver stress).
Question: What made you choose to join paediatric nursing?
Mr Andy: I think paediatric nursing interests me, because I really love children so much. I remembered during my high school, I loved human bioscience and I was also involved with the Christian community. I volunteered a lot in their activities and took charge of a group of children. I remembered attending a session where parents share their experiences and stories caring for their child who was hospitalised for various reasons. Those stories inspired me to pursue paediatric nursing, and it felt like it was the right profession for me. It combines both my love for nursing and children into one important role.
Question: How likely for male nurses to get into KKH/Paediatric nursing?
Mr Andy: I think male nurses are on the rise, and I believe more male paediatric nurses in the coming future.
Question: How can male nurses be able to contribute to paediatric nursing?
Mr Andy: We have an early mobilisation programme currently being practised in our CICU. It is a programme where we encourage patient to move and exercise on the bed, even if they are intubated with an abundance of lines (drips and/or central lines, intra-arterial (IA) lines) which can be quite challenging to mobilise when they are very sick. It is also where male nurses come in to help in this mobilisation for these patients, especially for patients who are much older or physically larger. In paediatric nursing as well, we care for adolescent male patients and they tend to be quite shy around female nurses, would feel more comfortable with male nurses handling their care.
Question: What is the most challenging task as a paediatric nurse?
Mr Andy: I will not say a task, but rather managing our mental health. When we have paediatric patients who are heavily sedated, and concerned parents requiring updates, it takes a toll on our nurses.
Question: How do you handle parents who can be challenging because they are very concerned about their child?
Mr Andy: The first thing I would do is to actively listen to their concerns, and I will find out what their care needs would be. Most of the time, these parents have their own habits or way of caring for their children, so I will try to replicate that for their child in best capabilities. I will also try and explain to the parents on all the procedures that I will be doing on their child. This can create a rapport between the parents and myself, and also give them the assurance that all these procedures are safe and meant well for their children. These are some of the important things that can help manage these parents.
Question: If I have clinical experience in the adult ICU, would it be difficult to switch over to paediatric nursing?
Mr Andy: Personally, I don't have any experience in the adult setting. Ever since I graduated from my polytechnic, CICU is my first posting. But what I have heard from my seniors, paediatrics are not considered as mini-adults. A lot of this misconception that children (teenagers) are considered as adults. The care for these bigger children are very much different from an adult. When it comes to ventilation, or any equipments for that matter, there are much more variations in term of their sizes compared to adult settings. So there would be a lot more learning to do in paediatric nursing, which can be quite challenging. Therefore, i cannot give a definite answer to whether it would be easy for nurses to switch from adult icu to paediatric icu.
Question: What is the most memorable case you had in CICU?
Mr Andy: It would be my first death case I ever encountered. Throughout my entire student life, in a different clinical setting, I never encountered any death cases. When I started working for the past year, it was my first death case and performed my first CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) on my patient, it quite traumatising for me but also a learning opportunity for me. Various interventions were made by the team doctors, including a cardiologist as it was a cardiac-related case, sadly, the child did not survive and eventually passed on. It felt so unreal. The day before as I was nursing him, he appeared fine. There were no signs of deterioration, or any indications that the patient was passing on. It felt so unreal and saddened. The moment the patient passed on, a lot of people, including the staff, cried.
Question: How would you unwind yourself after a shift?
Mr Andy: Hmm how do I relax? Firstly I would indulge in my own hobby when I am home. I would find some free time to play guitar, which is my way of relaxing. Another thing I would do is to exercise, as it makes me feel more relaxed. And it motivates me to push myself forward.
Question: Do you have any tips/advice for students who wish to join paediatric nursing?
Mr Andy: Just now I mentioned working in paediatric nursing can be quite challenging and traumatising, there is still a silver lining at the same time. When we care for these patients and see they get better and stronger progressively, and have more interactions with you, and also the appreciation shown from the parents, it speaks a lot and it made me feel rewarded from the job that I am doing. And when we think again from the moment they come into my department, and are able to see them discharged well, it really makes me feel so special to be part of their journey. It is a really rewarding and worthwhile department to be in.
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