The photo above depicts an artwork piece in the office. Many kids like to find the hidden creatures in the pictures while they walk to their room.
Babies galore seems to be a common thing at Carolina Kids Pediatrics. Most children come for a visit during the first few days of their life, at 2-3 weeks old, then around 4 or 6 months, then a year, 18 months and 24 months. Thus, a lot of young children pass through since they need more wellness visits. I also met a number of four year olds with bellyaches, coughs, fevers, and rashes. Some of today’s illnesses included ear infections, persistent bumps, and back pain.
Despite learning the ropes, i am still surprised and sad to hear kids wailing in the room next to me. Dr. Willey does an amazing job calming down her patients when they’re being treated. However, I’ve learned that preventing a toddler or newborn from crying can be an impossible task. The battle continues when the patients receive shots. Nonetheless, Dr. Willey’s calm nature proves effective in establishing a safe environment for the kids.
Dr. Willey uses a wide variety of techniques to calm her patients. Before interacting with any newborn, she strokes their head and establishes a calm, comfortable setting. For 18 month old patients, she typically hands them a cup within a cup to distract their hands. For the quieter patients, she simply gives them a light bounce in her arms before listening to their heart and lungs. For older kids, she begins by asking them about school and what they like. Therefore, she uses both physical and emotional connections to calm her patients before beginning her examination. I can tell she is comfortable with her patients. She remembers all of their information even if she hasn’t seen a patient in over a year.
Overall, today was wonderful. Dr. Willey inspires me with her calm, nurturing approach to medicine. She told me today that her residency program promoted a wholistic approach to medicine, meaning they should focus on the patient as a whole person with physical and emotional needs. I see this in each of her visits as she takes the time to understand each patient beyond their medical needs. I can’t wait to learn more about pediatrics from such a caring, knowledgable doctor!
Fun Facts:
– Swimmers ear comes during the summer as the water gets hot and bacteria begins to ‘fester’.
– Babies first see bright, bold colors. They cannot see pastel colors until later in life.
– At four months old, it is difficult for babies to sweat. This puts them at risk for overheating.
– Sometimes drooling can be due to a sore throat rather than incoming teeth.
– Arms can become sore with a cold as lymph nodes become swollen.
– Nitrates in your urine can indicate infections and bacteria.
– Line 5 is never used on the phone system in the office. I don’t know why.