Many people want a career that feels rewarding. For those who look for the opportunity to help others, life as a pediatric medical assistant puts you daily into situations where your work makes a difference. This career, however, also presents unique day-to-day challenges. Here, Prism Career Institute considers the challenges of working with children and how to overcome them.
Age-Appropriate Communication
Part of a medical assistant’s role is gathering information from patients. You’ll be asking about topics such as symptoms, medical histories, and how long ago the problem first appeared. This information allows doctors to prepare ahead of time for appointments and focus on what’s most pertinent, helping them work more efficiently and effectively.
While adults can often communicate clearly about their symptoms, children often struggle. They may be embarrassed, confused, or shy, making it difficult to describe their discomfort clearly or coherently. You must be patient and reassuring in order to gain their trust.
In addition, children may not have the vocabulary to understand medical terminology. This makes it difficult to explain medical processes and procedures in the same way you would with an adult patient. Pediatric medical assistants must develop their ability to translate complex ideas. You’ll need to use age-appropriate language to help children understand how the doctor can help them.
Navigating Nervousness
Feeling sick can be stressful for anyone, especially when patients don’t know why. This can be even more distressing to children who may not have experienced serious illness before. In addition, children don’t have as much history with doctors. To a young patient, medical settings may feel unfamiliar, overwhelming, and full of strangers – only making them more nervous.
Most adult patients are able to remain collected when they enter the exam room. Children, however, may struggle. Young kids don’t share an adult’s understanding of how medical care can help them feel better. They also often lack an adult’s emotional control. Stressed children may lash out or cry. As a pediatric medical assistant, it’s your job to help them calm down for your pre-exam tasks and the doctor’s arrival. This duty requires sympathy and sensitivity for what, to your patient, is likely a scary situation.
Adapting to Differing Development
Children’s needs aren’t static, either. Their social and emotional needs develop rapidly as they grow, and the same child may present very different challenges from one appointment to the next. As an example, toddlers may experience separation anxiety when attending an appointment without their parents. School-age children, meanwhile, may be worried more about missing classes or playground time with friends. Their ability to manage stress will also change as they mature.
Pediatric medical assistants must be able to meet patients at their level. Rather than preparing a single successful strategy, you must be adaptable to a variety of different situations and interactions – whether it’s soothing kids for phlebotomy with calm language and comforting toys, or distracting them with talk of their favorite video game or TV show.
Coordinating Care With Parents
While the pre-appointment routine is focused on the child, the post-appointment is directed toward the parents. They are the ones responsible for making sure their child adheres to the doctor’s instructions.
Communicating with parents, however, may present its own challenges. Children aren’t the only ones stressed by a trip to a hospital. When their child gets sick or injured, parents may also react. There’s a good chance adult guardians will be worried, frightened, or even angry, with emotions often running higher than if they themselves were in the hospital. Additionally, parents may have strong opinions regarding their child’s care.
When confronted by upset parents, be sure to behave with both compassion and competence. You want to show them that you’re here to help while helping them feel confident in your facility’s care.
Workplace Stress
Kids and their families may not be the only ones who experience worry or stress. Medical assistants work hard in extremely busy, fast-paced environments. If employed in an emergency room or urgent care facility, the stress level may be even higher. You may also work with children who are seriously injured, chronically unwell, or even terminally ill. This can create a plethora of powerful emotions that may be hard to navigate while maintaining your professionalism.
When a medical assistant career starts to feel overwhelming, remember that your role is vitally important. You provide invaluable support not just for patients and parents, but also for the other professionals working alongside you. At the end of the day, you can take pride in having done all you can to help your facility provide the best care possible to the children who need it.
Become a Pediatric Medical Assistant
Working with children requires a special skill set, but also offers special rewards. If you think you have what it takes to thrive as a pediatric medical assistant, you can start learning today at Prism Career Institute. Our Medical Assistant program is available in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and in Cherry Hill and West Atlantic City, New Jersey. Contact us to learn more about how you can prepare for a rewarding career in as little as six months. Apply online to get started.