Hi I'm Ria!
Ria
What made you want to be a children's nurse?
Firstly, I always loved working within the healthcare profession and enjoyed making a difference in people’s lives and from this, I learned that nursing was for me! When thinking about what field of nursing I wanted to go into I chose child nursing as I loved working with children from all life stages and alongside their families. I wanted to make a difference in the child’s and families' experience in one of their most worrying times whilst being in hospital and make it as much of a positive experience as possible.
Why did you choose children's nursing?
I chose children’s nursing because I wanted to make a difference for a child or young person in their life and I wanted to embrace the family-centred approach that is involved. I loved the thought of caring for individuals from newborn to teenagers and wanted to learn more about how children have very specific health needs and how a child develops through their life stages. I also chose nursing to combine my passion for child services, medicine and health promotion into one important role.
What do you love most about being a children's nurse?
I love being able to make a difference in any experience the child and family faces. I enjoy learning and gaining new knowledge on how they need to be nursed in a compassionate way throughout their life stages. I enjoy the many types of individuals I care for, how learning to communicate differently and incorporating play into the treatment they are receiving to make it as positive as I can. Most of all I enjoy being a part of an individual’s care and celebrating their recovery and progress. Being able to see the look on a child’s face when they start to feel better is a highlight of child nursing.
What advice would you give those looking to study children's nursing?
Enjoy every minute you can! You will learn so much throughout your studies in child nursing through the lectures and when on placement with the opportunities presented to you. Remember to find your own personal way to keep motivated and stay on top of everything but most importantly have fun.
Through hard work comes success and accomplishment!