S.S. Finds Her Life’s Purpose as a Pediatric Nurse

S.S. started working at Care Options for Kids in late 2018. Soon after, she was assigned to look after pediatric patient, R.E.

“I’ve always loved taking care of children, and caring for R.E. always makes my day. Every time I go to her house to start my shift, she’s all smiles. I enjoy it so much.”

A typical day starts with changing R.E., weighing her, then taking her to the kitchen to make her breakfast. “I sit her on her high chair and she watches me as I make her eggs. I like talking to her while I’m cooking, and she replies with cute sounds and lots of smiles. I then sit down and have breakfast with her, to model how to eat. Although she has a J-Tube, she sometimes eats meals, so it’s nice for her to see how it’s done. She likes watching her parents eat during dinner, so I do it with her during breakfast.

After breakfast, R.E. loves to go out to the park. S.S walks her there every day. Interacting with nature and greeting others gives R.E the experience she needs to grow into a happy and healthy child. S.S especially enjoys seeing her genuine delight when she sees a cat or a dog.

S.S beams when she explains just how much R.E enjoys being outside. “She loves looking at everything: pointing out the trees and birds, which makes her really happy. It’s also a perfect example of mindfulness. Staying present and being in the moment. [These] are integral moments of being a nurse.”

After lunch, R.E takes a nap and is off to the park again. Once S.S sees her mom’s car pulling into the driveway, they come home. While R.E and her mom spend time together, S.S gets her bath and medications ready.

S.S. has worked in the healthcare industry for over a decade; eleven years as an LPN and a year as an RN. She pursued pediatric home healthcare because it allows parents to go to work and run their errands with the knowledge that a caring person will stay home and look after their child.

Prior to joining Care Options for Kids, S.S. worked with chronically ill children. She then transitioned into hospice, caring for kids, infants, and newborns. She now enjoys working at Care Options for Kids, where she finds the staff to be supportive and where she has been able to find flexibility with her schedule.

She’s found that while some people think her career choice may be difficult, she feels like it is where she belongs.

“We don’t know when we’re going to take our last breath, and I want to know that I always do the best that I can while I’m still alive. I like to pay attention to every detail and to do things with love.”