Parents in pediatrics: The good side

[oldbearprofessor]

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Okay, so any discussion of the pros and cons of pediatrics ALWAYS includes some statement like "I love the kids but hate dealing with parents" and it is certainly true that, at times, parents are not fun to deal with, to say the least. But, in the interest of fairness and to add a rare positive spin to SDN🙄, sometimes dealing with parents is a positive in pediatrics and there are plenty of parents in the NICU that I look forward to seeing each day.

So, lets talk about some of the best parents we see and what makes them a positive part of the pediatric experience. Only rule of this discussion is that I'm doing to delete (or at least ignore) any post that uses the letters MILF or any version of that idea....😛

Here are some parent types that I like in the NICU:

1. Parents who come for rounds each day (when they can, calling me or a team member in the PM for updates when they can't), listen to what is said and ask questions about what they don't understand.

2. Parents who understand that EVERYTHING used in the NICU for their baby was tested on someone. Therefore, allowing their baby to participate in clinical research to test new things (e.g. nutrition interventions, BPD management, etc), is something to consider even if we can't assure them that the research will benefit their baby.

3. Parents who say "thank you for taking care of my baby". Yes, believe it or not, lots of parents say this. They don't have to for me to know they appreciate what we do for them, but many of them do.

4. Parents who understand that sometimes things go wrong or things happen they don't like - they can't visit in the AM because of a surgery in the unit, their baby gets moved to a new bed spot, or even a medication is given incorrectly without harmful consequences.

5. Parents who bring cookies or candy sometimes!

 

[olemissbabydoc]

As a MS0 headed into pediatrics or neonatology, its comforting to hear good things about parents. Thanks, OBP 🙂

 

[oldbearprofessor]

As a MS0 headed into pediatrics or neonatology, its comforting to hear good things about parents. Thanks, OBP 🙂

I'm trying to go easy on this positive stuff. If this goes well, I might risk posting on SDN that I'm glad I decided to go into medicine, enjoy my job and don't really mind working 1 or 2 weekends/month and doing a couple of nights/month of in-house night call. I could even point out that my children know who I am (and vice-versa), I've been married for over 20 years and find medical students enjoyable to teach.

Nah, who'd believe me?

 

[DrJ2B]

As an MS-IV going into pediatrics and very likely a career in peds heme/onc, I have had so many great interactions with parents. When I did a rotation on the peds onc service, parents were so knowledgeable about their children and listened to what the team said. They were very upfront about their concerns, if there were any, but they did it such a respectful and concerned manner. They were so involved in the care of their children that they knew exactly when their children would come in for fever and neutropenia and how each chemo drug would affect them. It was a pleasure working on the team. In the peds ED, I have also had such great experiences and parents are so thankful. I think it is easy to get jaded in the field of pediatrics if you cannot see where the parents are coming from. If you just imagine being in their shoes, I think you would have a much better understanding of why they act they way they do sometimes. Don't get me wrong. I have had a few crazy parents along the way, but by far and beyond, I have mostly great experiences with parents, even those that were initially upset about something or seemed like they were going to fly off the handle.

 

[LeftVentricle]

1. Parents who ask questions and are genuinely interested in learning more about their child's medical condition.

This is helpful for several reasons. First and foremost, it gives me an idea of what parents' expectations for the care of their child are, and helps us devise a treatment plan that not only will benefit their child, but also a plan that everyone can be happy and satisfied with.

Additionally, as I have spent more time interacting with families, I have found that parents' questions have helped me to direct my ongoing study and learning of pediatrics. If one family asks a particular question, it stands to reason that other families I may meet in the future will have similar concerns; thus, it would be worthwhile for me to become more familiar with a given subject.

2. Parents who anticipate questions that they will be asked, and bring a complete list of their child's medications with them to the clinic, ER, etc.

One of the things that turned me off to adult medicine was the number of instances in which my patients had absolutely no idea what medications they were taking, or why they were taking them. My experience in pediatrics has been completely different. Most of the parents I've met have been nice enough to bring an updated list of their child's home medications, which saves me the trouble of having to track the list down. It's also nice because I will often go through the list with the parents, in order to be sure that their child isn't having any problems or difficulties with any particular medication.

Even better, I've found that parents ask excellent questions regarding medication side-effects, follow-up labs, etc. It makes our job so much easier, because these families understand the importance of monitoring certain meds, regular follow-up while on a particular medication, and most important, why their child needs medications in the first place.

3. Parents who say "thank you."

I'm in complete agreement with OBP about this. I have thoroughly enjoyed caring for my patients as a medical student, and imagine that I will enjoy my job even more as I move into residency in a few months. Seeing the smiles on the faces of my patients as they realize that they're getting better, and will be going home soon, is more than enough for me to know that I'm doing a good job. A thank you isn't necessary.

That said, I'm always touched by parents who take the time to thank us for our efforts. The bond between physician and patient/parent goes both ways, and it's always great to meet parents who make an effort to reach out to us, just as we try to reach out to them.

 

[olemissbabydoc]

I'm trying to go easy on this positive stuff. If this goes well, I might risk posting on SDN that I'm glad I decided to go into medicine, enjoy my job and don't really mind working 1 or 2 weekends/month and doing a couple of nights/month of in-house night call. I could even point out that my children know who I am (and vice-versa), I've been married for over 20 years and find medical students enjoyable to teach.

Nah, who'd believe me?

I love it! 🙂

 

[BigNavyPedsGuy]

Great thread OBP. I caught myself actually enjoying my job at 3 in the morning the other night . . . don't tell anyone.

One of the big benefits of working in the military is that most of my patients are the children of a Sailor or Marine. A lot of their parents are truly bonafied combat heros! They range fromm 19 year old privates to 40 something ship Captains. It's great to be able to look them square in the eye and tell them that we'll take of their child while they go put themselves in harm's way.

Although I have no desire to be a general pediatrician, I do love it when I actually have continuity with a continuity clinic patient and when I see the parents we catch up on things and we actually both look forward to the well baby check.