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Nursing specialist Münsterkötter: “You need a lot of sensitivity to care for children.”

Photo:

Anna Schäper

Starting your working life is exciting, exhausting – and often completely different than planned.

In the series “My First Year in the Job,” young professionals talk about how they experienced this time.

This time: Sina Münsterkötter, 23, completed training as a general nursing specialist after graduating from high school and now works in the children's intensive care and early childhood rehabilitation ward of a Münster clinic.

»My big sister is my role model.

She works as a health and nursing nurse and has always told me how much joy it is to look after sick people and then see them leave the ward healthy.

So I decided to follow the same path and did internships in children's wards while I was at school.

I couldn't imagine studying medicine; I wanted to work directly with children.

There is no longer a pure training to become a pediatric nurse, but only a general nursing training that also imparts knowledge about geriatric care, for example.

I could have started the old training straight after my Abitur in 2020, but I was advised to wait another six months for the new one.

This is recognized throughout the EU.

Today I regret not choosing the old path.

In nursing school, despite my specialization in pediatrics, we treated a lot of adult cases.

And in the second year of my apprenticeship I mostly had practical assignments in a nursing home.

That was exciting, but it doesn't do much for me in my current job.

When I started in the pediatric intensive care unit in May 2023, I felt overwhelmed.

I knew nothing or not enough about many childhood illnesses.

For example, there are babies who are born with a heart defect.

I first had to read about what was important for them in their care.

I also found seemingly small things difficult, such as preparing infusions.

I just didn't have a routine for it.

Caring for children requires a lot of sensitivity.

The little ones cannot yet say where they have pain or how severe it is.

In addition, the range of patients is enormous.

I behave completely differently towards a teenager than I do towards a small child.

One of them can take medication himself, but I still have to change the other's diaper.

You also have to always keep an eye on your parents.

I'm so focused on caring for the child that I often find it difficult to calm her down too.

My employer is aware of the challenges that arise from the newly designed training system.

We therefore have an eight-week induction phase in which you work alongside experienced colleagues.

Back then, my team always made me feel like it was okay to ask any seemingly stupid question.

For example, at the beginning I was worried that I would mix antibiotics correctly and convert the dose to suit the child; it differs depending on weight and age.

However, this induction is not enough either; it is often extended and we beginners are given so-called practical instruction days in which we are again provided with experienced colleagues.

I often sit at my desk at home after my shift and learn about clinical pictures.

Children often come to us after accidents - with complicated fractures, traumatic brain injuries and neurological impairments.

There are three shifts, early from 6am to 2pm, late from 12.45pm to 9pm and night from 8.15pm to 6.30am.

I like the early shift.

First, I discuss with my colleagues how the night was, see if there are any speech therapy, physical or occupational therapy appointments for the children, and then plan my day.

I am responsible for personal hygiene and administering medication and also do rounds with the doctors.

I have to log my work.

I record when I have given medication, how well the children can move, what they have eaten and what their general condition is.

We get bonuses for the night shifts, which is financially worthwhile.

On average, I earn around 2,500 euros net per month; in the last year of my training it was 1,100 euros net.

It is not a given that colleagues can take a lot of time for new people like me.

Many children's wards are short staffed and there is an enormous shortage of skilled workers.

Our clinic also has to keep closing beds.

This is what it is called when there are not enough nursing staff and no more children can be taken in.

My most difficult moment so far was the death of a child.

The parents were there, it was terrible to watch.

It helped me a lot to talk about it with the team.

In a debriefing, the doctors assured us that we had done nothing wrong.

What I love about my job is this togetherness and the friendly staff.

I could never work in a job where I sit alone at a desk.

In the first few months of work, I always struggled with shift work.

I work when friends are free and meet up.

It's also physically demanding when your biorhythm is constantly changing.

To compensate, I do a lot of sport, or I consciously do nothing at all.

Then I just lie on the sofa and read or watch TV.

When I tell people about my job, almost everyone reacts like this: 'Respect, that's really tiring.' I shrug my shoulders and answer: 'Some people can't do it and some people can,' and grin.

I know I’m doing a lot of good and that motivates me.«

How do you become a nurse?

AreaThe trainingopen

In 2020, the separate training courses in nursing, pediatric nursing and geriatric care were merged into one generalist training course.

After graduating, graduates should be able to care for people of all ages.

For this purpose, for example, they have practical assignments in hospitals, in inpatient long-term care or in psychiatry.

A nursing school imparts theoretical knowledge at the same time.

The full-time training lasts

three years

.

Right from the start, you have to decide on a

specialization

within the generalist training , such as pediatrics, i.e. children's nursing, or inpatient long-term care.

After two years, you also have to choose whether you want to continue the general training or acquire a degree in one of the more in-depth areas.

At the end there is either the job title of nursing specialist, with an indication of the respective specialization, or “

health and pediatric nurse

” or “

geriatric nurse

”.

More information about training in pediatric nursing can be found here.

AreaThe StudyOpen

You can also get into nursing through a degree.

It consists of roughly equal parts of

courses at the university and practical placements

in the various nursing areas.

You complete it after

at least three years

, which usually increases your career opportunities and opportunities for advancement.

An overview of various nursing degree programs can be found here.

Have you just started your career and would like to tell us about it?

Then write to us at SPIEGEL-Start@spiegel.de.