The field of pediatrics ensures that maximum care is provided to adolescents, children, and infants. Through vast knowledge and experience, the pediatrician can diagnose and provide treatment for various childhood illnesses. The importance of self-examining on pediatrics experiences cannot be underestimated since it allows for a foundation for working on the weaknesses and upholding the strengths.
Experience
Pediatrics has an enriching clinical experience. The most exciting part is that one provides care and comfort to the children and has an opportunity to work with the family from the moment of childbirth to their teenage years. A primary concern is finding young children agonizing in pain, which arouses some emotions about providing care (Berkowitz, 2021). Some of my strengths include being considerate and merciful, which facilitates handling the children carefully, reducing chances of exacerbating their pain. When accessing the patient’s pain, I evaluate the patients’ behavioral and physiologic reactions, which is a core aspect of my practice.
Nevertheless, I have a weakness when dealing with pediatric patients. I am temperamental, which implies I should undertake an emotional adjustment to improve care. I regularly rely solely on behavioral reactions, even in children above four years of age who can adequately describe their pain levels. Such factors impact my Practicum experience such that I offer top-quality care to younger children. Providing non-standard care to patients of older groups is thereby a limitation. Such aspects indicate the area that I should improve on.
Family Roles and their Impact
The term family refers to a social group composed of parents and the children who live together as a unit. Family roles impact the assessment of children or families since most of them have to attend to their jobs and squeeze some time to bring their patients to the facility (Schor & Bergman, 2021). This implies that either one of the parents or both has to acquire some leave or come to the facility early in the morning, if not late in the evening. Such considerations pose a challenge while dealing with families. Therefore, I have to exercise patience and flexibility to counter the patient’s irregular schedules and unexpected delays. The role of a family to provide security to the child also implies that being extra vigilant strengthens the relationship with the patient’s parents. With founded trust, dealing with parents against vaccinating their children is more manageable since I organize weekly sessions to educate them on the essence of vaccination.
Influence of Culture
Culture influences assessment. The parents may have different beliefs concerning the origin of a particular disease in their child, especially congenital anomalies associated with a curse. Besides, others perceive seeking health and childcare from a practitioner as an expensive journey coupled with false immunization ideologies. I might also find myself with contradictory cultural beliefs on how a child is being raised and associate it with the presence of a disease. However, I exercise maximum cultural diversity and access the patient based on medical experience rather than those beliefs. As a result, culturally competent care is essential.
Theory
In 2001, Kolcaba pioneered a theory that guides practice with patients. The comfort theory identifies patients as families, individuals, communities, or institutions that require medical care (TK & Chandran, 2017). Such guidance enables to provide maximum respect to the child and their families in the various health care settings such as pre- and post-operative areas, community centers, specialty clinics, and ambulatory care centers. In line with the theory, I put maximum effort to ensure that children and their families are comfortably experiencing full support. As a result, the theory guides practice.
Undoubtedly, the experience in pediatrics is enlightening. My considerate nature is a strength that enables care without exacerbating the patient’s pain. However, I should improve on dealing with children above four years of age to avoid solely examining their pain through behavioral and physiologic reactions. To guide the pediatric practice, I will always apply Colcaba’s comfort theory to provide care that covers the child patient and the family.
References
Berkowitz, C. D. (2021). undefined. Advances in Pediatrics, 68, i. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0065-3101(21)00019-0
Schor, E. L., & Bergman, D. (2021). Pediatric preventive care: Population health and individualized care. Pediatrics, 148(3), e2020049877. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2020-049877
TK, A., & Chandran, S. (2017). undefined. Application of Nursing Theories, 157-157. https://doi.org/10.5005/jp/books/13072_19