Monday, January 11, 2010

A Forum for Educating Families

I love children, and I love being a nurse. There are many reasons why I love my job, but one thing that most people don't realize about pediatric nurses is that their job is to take care of not only children but also the whole family. When a child is sick, it is a crisis, and in that moment I love knowing that people are counting on me and that I have the expertise to help. There is nothing more rewarding than having parents say, "Thank you for taking care of my baby!"

As a nurse, however, it is not just our knowledge of what to do in a crisis that is important. The best thing we can do as medical professionals is educate parents on how to keep their children healthy and, hopefully, prevent illnesses or accidents from happening in the first place.

Our children don't come with an owner's manual, and when it comes down to it, most of us are pretty clueless when it comes to their health. That's why I wanted to start this blog. I wanted a place where parents could find simple explanations to important health issues and where they could ask and receive answers to their questions. Questions like, "My child has a temperature, should I take him to the doctor?" or "My child isn't crawling yet, should I be concerned?" or "How do I know if my child is eating enough?" or “What’s all this news about the swine flu and how can I protect my family?”

I will be posting on this site several times a week, addressing a wide range of issues including questions from followers. So don’t be shy, send any of your health questions to healthyhappychildren@gmail.com. All of the information provided is in alignment with the standards set forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

While I love my job in the ICU, my hope is that through this blog I will be able to help parents everywhere gain the knowledge and confidence needed to properly care for their children and keep them healthy and happy!

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