MGH Pediatric ER Clinical Experience
The following are some clinical objectives for the students and staff nurse to use
as a guide for the observational clinical experience:
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To observe many different children in the ER and become familiar with the various
illnesses/treatments encountered.
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To observe provider discussions, treatment plans and teaching (as applicable) and
witness what the various providers contribute to this team approach.
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To observe one child/family in particular during the student’s observational stay and
explore the pertinent nursing diagnoses for the child and the family.
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To witness a care provider in a physical assessment of a child; strive to understand
why certain assessments are within normal limits or not (either during the experience
or afterwards during journal writing).
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To witness a procedure, admission or discharge whenever possible, as the day allows.
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To share the above experiences with their peers during clinical conference.
Within one week after the ER experience, the student is to submit a short (1-2pg) journal
addressing the above objectives as well as a summary of how this experience enhanced
individual learning.
If the ER has a low census the day of the observation, it may be possible to seek out
learning experiences elsewhere in the ER at the discretion of the RN;s. This has already
been discussed with the nurse manager and she was supportive of this alternative. When
there is a pediatric patient in the ER, the student should return to that area to continue the
pediatric experience.
Donna Hills