When my son was two months old he had a fever of 103 and we could not seem to get it down. We took him to the pediatric emergency room and he ended up being admitted into hospital for three days. The whole ordeal was traumatizing as the parents but having my baby in the hands of qualified pediatric nurses and doctors made it so much easier for me. They got the fever down and he went back to his happy self. Taking your little one to emergency care can be a scary endeavor. It usually means that there is something wrong with them that we are not able to fix and sometimes don’t even know what the problem is. However, taking them to a pediatric emergency room can alleviate a lot of that stress. Pediatric emergency rooms are medical clinics just like a regular emergency room but they offer child specific treatment. They understand that children need a different kind of care than adults. Let’s look at some of the other benefits of a pediatric emergency room.
Wait Time
A regular emergency room can take hours to be seen. There are so many different types of cases that show up and if something is more life threatening than your situation, they will be bumped to the front of the line. However, on the pediatric side of the emergency room, every child is treated as critical and seen to within about 15 minutes. This could be because there are generally less patients on the pediatric side than the adult side but it is also because children have a lower tolerance to pain and sickness than adults to and need relief almost immediately. An added bonus to the short wait times, is that the parents don’t have to sit on pins and needles for very long, waiting to find out what is wrong with their little child. Just knowing that they are going to be seen to very soon makes it much easier for a parent to deal with. No one like to see their child suffering and a long wait time would probably make most parents very defensive and upset.
Trained Nurses and Doctors
Every nurses and doctor that works the pediatric emergency room is trained to work with children. This is where they wanted to specialize and although it does happen that a regular nurse or doctor may be floated when they are under staffed, for the most part, they are all specifically trained as pediatric medical professionals. This means that they understand if a child is wriggling a lot or resisting medication and have techniques and ways to deal with it so that the child can still receive the relief that they need. They also are trained to deal with flustered parents as many parents get stressed and aren’t very helpful. You’ll be surprised and refreshed by their calm demeanor and friendly conversation as they check over your child. They understand that if they appear concerned, a parents could take that in to over drive so they are careful not to show concern until a diagnosis has been made by the doctor.
Kid Friendly Atmosphere
Pictures on the walls, toys and lots of colors are not the only things featured in a pediatric emergency room. They can also provide snacks and juice for the children and parents when necessary and will usually offer it if the family will be needing to stay for a few hours. Many times, especially with babies, they will not admit the patient but will want him or her to stay in the ER, under careful watch of the nurses and doctors for a few hours. The medical teams never have a problem if a parents lays on the hospital bed with the child to help them sleep, if necessary. They are very accommodating to whatever the child and parents need or want.
Don’t be afraid if you need to take your child in. Rather than opt for an urgent care because of shorter wait times, take your baby to a pediatric emergency room so you can receive specialized care that is specific to your needs and the needs of your child.
