Is your child handled the right way?

Recently, a mother of nine children expressed to me her dissatisfaction with the way nurses are treating her children.

Susan wrote to me saying, “I took my son to see his paediatrician who decided to give him an injection. The nurse had a difficult time injecting him and had to prick him several times.

“My child started screaming which got the nurse annoyed. Having been pricked before, I know how painful it can be. Before she pricked him, the nurse lied to my child that it was not going to hurt.

She told him it was very silly for a big baby like him to cry.” Susan adds that when the nurse saw that her comments had offended her, she rolled her eyes as if to say her son’s crying was being caused by a pampering mother like her.

Not all nurses are like that one, but there have been many others like her. The doctors, in general, have been much more sensitive and treat my children respectfully. Other parents have written to me expressing similar concerns.

Shirley wrote, “I was petrified about going to see the doctor as a child and even as an adult. As a child I once had my mouth slapped by a nurse for crying when she was trying to give me an injection.

It is a wonder how I ended up married to a doctor. When I was having my first baby, the nurse told me to shut up when I was in labour.

“What I have learned is to be very firm with the nurses who are dealing with my child. If I do not like how a nurse is treating my child I tell her that she must treat my child more respectfully.

 If the nurse’s behaviour continues to be inappropriate, I see the doctor immediately to get things sorted. Nurses have not liked it when I have asked what medicine is in the syringe they are about to give my child.

One nurse asked me if I was there to learn about medicine or to get my daughter treated.” Not all nurses need quite as much training about how to communicate with children and their mothers.

Maria wrote, “The people at the clinic where I take my daughter are very sweet. I remember one nurse who put a cannula on my child. She called it a watch and she then put the bandages on and called them flowers.

My girl was so excited that she went around showing everyone her ‘new watch’ and flowers.” Whether we are nurses or parents, there are ways to calm down children who are fearful about what happens at the clinic.

Children should be told that injections are going to hurt, but that the pain will not last for long once it is done. It is advisable to give the child some distractions like a small soft toy, some bubbles, or a lollypop before the injection is given. They may not cry as much and they are easily consoled.