MacKenzie L
Simpson
April 2023
MacKenzie L
Simpson
Charleston Southern University
Charleston
,
SC
United States

 

 

 

She spent the next four hours sitting on the mat on the floor with him, letting him teach her all about the different dinosaur species, dinosaur toys in the room, and dinosaurs in the movie he was watching.
Mackenzie was assigned a school-aged patient on her first pediatric clinical day. Though she had some minor hesitation, she jumped right in to provide exceptional developmental-focused care to a child obsessed with dinosaurs. After she completed her patient assessment and vital signs, she spent the next four hours sitting on the mat on the floor with him, letting him teach her all about the different dinosaur species, dinosaur toys in the room, and dinosaurs in the movie he was watching. The child was on contact precautions so she stayed in appropriate PPE for the entire day, just so he got all the attention he could. She was patient and kind, giving him the chance to feel empowered that he could teach a "college student" and "nurse" about his passion. When it was time to give him a subcutaneous injection, he showed immediate nerves despite the rapport that she'd built. So she offered him grace and options, such as where she should give the injection, and how would he like her to count before giving it. She performed flawless technique on a very nervous patient; so much so that the child told her afterward "Wow, it didn't hurt" and "Nobody else holds my arm like that, and that's probably why it didn't hurt". He grew trust with the staff that day because of her calm and caring demeanor. They continued to play for the rest of the day, which also gave his mom a break of her own.