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Rewards
When it all falls into place, it's very rewarding. When families contact me when their child's having symptoms and they want some advice about what to do, and they already have in their heads what's going on, what information they need to tell me, what they think they want to do about it. That sense that they've gotten it, they're empowered and they know what to do, and it's not so much me telling them what to do but them figuring it out and checking in, that I think is really a key reward for me. Shari Nethersole, MD, Pediatrician, Department of Medicine I think it's really good to see when kids can function better, when you get them into a physical activity that they enjoy, when their school attendance improves, when they're out of the emergency room and you get to see them when they're well. That's a really positive part of treating kids with asthma.Joanne Cox, MD, Medical Director Children's Hospital Primary Care Center, Associate Chief, Division of General Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Boston Seeing a kid go without an ER visit For me, one of the most rewarding experiences is seeing a child who was previously in the Emergency Room every other month go for a year without an ER visit. This usually is the result of a combination of efforts, including home visits, measures to reduce environmental triggers, coordination with the primary care provider and often a referral to an asthma specialist with follow-up phone calls or visits to see how it's all working.Susan Sommer, RNC, NP, Nurse Case Manager, Community Asthma Initiative Having a child with poorly-controlled asthma is incredibly stressful for any family, but especially for families without resources. It affects everyone in the family in terms of their quality of life. When we are able get the child's asthma under control, everyone's life improves and the family has much less stress, which is nice to see. Children and parents can sleep through the night, kids can go to school and play and run around and parents don't miss so much work or can go back to school.Susan Sommer, RNC, NP, Nurse Case Manager, Community Asthma Initiative Developing relationship with patients I think one of the most rewarding things about working with adolescents with asthma is that you can develop a relationship with them so that they will feel comfortable calling you if they have questions or concerns. Adolescents who meet you during a clinic visit get to know you, and will feel more comfortable thus they may contact you sooner to be evaluated when sick. Adolescents always feel more comfortable revealing information and asking questions if they are familiar with a nurse.Kathleen Waddicor, RN, BSN, Nurse, Adolescent Medicine When kids ring my doorbell at Halloween and recognize me by shouting “Hey, you're the asthma nurse!!” or when parents come up and smile and say “I know you from asthma camp. My child got so much out of the experience and now they're enrolled in a swim program and playing soccer. They're doing so much better!” When you receive that kind of feedback from parents— that you made a positive difference or helped them better help their kids— their “thank you” is the greatest reward I can receive. If I can help enhance the quality of their kids' lives so they're able to sleep through the night, not miss any school, and be able to play like every other kid and be happy, then I've accomplished something importantAmy Burack, RN, MA, AE-C, Community Asthma Programs Manager, Children's Hospital Boston Teaching appropriate disease management in a culturally and linguistically diverse community isn't always easy. It can be a tough road with many variables. There's a lot of incorrect information out there that people listen to, rather than seeking or heeding the advice of their health care providers. They get mixed messages. Our goal is to feather that all out and help parents establish a clear and understandable treatment path that is in the best interests of the child and his/her family. When you can get a family to attend an education session, though, and they leave telling you they've learned something valuable, to me that makes it all worthwhile. Amy Burack, RN, MA, AE-C, Community Asthma Programs Manager, Children's Hospital Boston |
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Copyright © 2007, Children's
Hospital Boston Department of Psychiatry. All Rights Reserved. The information on this website should not be taken as medical advice, which can only be given to you by your personal health care professional. Updated: June 5, 2007 |
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