May 6th-12th is nurses week this year. Nursing is the profession that we, as child life specialists, work with the most in the hospital setting. They are our main collaborators for procedures and can tell us the basics of room dynamics before we even step foot at the bedside. Nurses can be one of our most valuable assets when we create relationships with them. Personally, I consider the nurses in my unit to be my TEAM, which is different than my department. My team is there for every high and every low, they know exactly if I am having a good day or a bad one. My team asks me to help kids and to teach them before they have to do something difficult. My team makes a difference for kids and their families everyday. My unit wouldn't be what it is without them, and neither would I.
From nurses I have gained confidence in my skills as a child life specialist. From nurses I have learned things about procedures that I never knew before. From nurses I have learned to give myself grace when things don't go according to plan.
Child life work cannot be done if you don't have a good relationship with the nursing staff of a unit. They are the heartbeat of the unit and are often the ones to call out and ask for help with a particular patient or procedure. Teamwork with nurses really does make the dream work in healthcare. The following is some of what I have learned working closely with my nurses for the past three years...
Never doubt your skill, you are a worthy member of the team
Use your heart and your brain at work, but let your heart lead
Remember, a little laughter goes a long way to fix a bad day or situation
Sometimes things don't go as planned, thats okay. Keep moving forward
Everything is better when you work together
Shout out to the partners in crime we need the most. Nurses, you are out there doing it every day and child life is so lucky to work alongside you. Thank you for all you do!
-K
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