write Flashcards
Good leadership and approachability as a paediatrician are crucial and skills I am passionate to develop further. I was awarded the foundation leadership merit due to my commitment to becoming a good leader through leadership programmes such the Edward Jenner level zero and one, and the Enhance ‘contextual leadership’ module.
Completing leadership programmes significantly boosted my clinical confidence. The Paediatric Immediate Life Support course developed my confidence in managing teamwork in high-stress situations and leading paediatric cardiac arrest scenarios. Feedback has highlighted my approachability which is crucial to promote a safe environment for the MDT to work effectively.
Whilst working in the paediatric emergency department I developed the ability to recognise acutely unwell children and prioritise them appropriately. I gained experience managing common presentations such as head injuries by clerking, examining and formulating management plans. I learnt to escalate to seniors when needed, ensuring patient safety.
I familiarised myself with common paediatric presentations and the management of emergency conditions. I was able to identify acutely unwell children and promptly escalate to my seniors for support. I am comfortable recognising when I require extra support and discussing cases with seniors to ensure safe, high-quality patient care.
Working in the paediatric A&E, I developed practical skills such as venepuncture and cannulation, which required strong communication skills to help with the child’s fear of pain and needles. This role emphasised the importance of effective communication with children and their careers to create a supportive and comfortable environment.
In paediatrics there are times when patients need blood tests or other investigations which may be uncomfortable. Being able to tailor this experience to children of different ages and keep their carers informed is essential to performing such tasks. I feel better prepared for such events since this role.
I developed methods to help with examining children. I use the clerking to build rapport with the child and family. I examine the least invasive areas first and listen to the child’s chest when they are settled. I involve the carer and use distraction to make the process run smoothly.
Examining children requires a gentle, empathetic approach, prioritising their comfort to build trust and ease anxiety. By adapting to the child’s behaviour and using techniques like distraction and involving caregivers, I created a positive experience that not only facilitated the exam but also gained trust for future interactions with healthcare.
I assessed a 15-year-old girl with abdominal pain and completed a HEADSSS assessment sensitively addressing her sexual history, mental health, and adoptive home situation. I explained the need for a pregnancy test and gynaecology referral for polycystic ovaries. Maintaining a child’s well-being and safety is vital.
I became comfortable using the HEADSSS assessment is a tool when seeing older children. It allows for a holistic approach to management. Looking at the biological, psychological and social factors that influence the child’s health enables you to treat the patient more effectively and as a whole.
During my student selected neonatal placement, I assisted in a newborn resuscitation, applying neonatal life support skills under a registrar’s guidance. I remained calm whilst carefully monitoring the newborn’s APGAR score. This prepared me to handle emergency scenarios with senior support and encouraged my early interest in paediatrics.
I handled the pressure of this situation well and adapted to the task. I gained an insight into the level of skill required to be the paediatric doctor covering post-natal on-calls. This experience encouraged me to look further into neonatal opportunities and reinforced the importance of teamwork within paediatrics.
I was involved in the safeguarding process for a morbidly obese, non-verbal, autistic 13-year-old female, with responsibility for recording key actions taken during their care. This provided practical insight into managing safeguarding conversations with parents and children, including explaining the process and answering questions.
Whilst this scenario was challenging, I found reassurance in the safeguarding support and was reminded of skills I learnt during paediatric level three safeguarding and VR safeguarding training. It is essential for paediatricians to ensure the safety of children via Safeguarding, and I feel this was reinforced by this experience.
I completed the clerking, examination and management of a non-verbal autistic 5-year-old with a limp (mode of injury unknown). I sensitively established how to effectively communicate with the patient before completing a full examination. Cases like this demonstrate the challenges of assessing unexplained injuries in children with limited communication abilities.
This experience demonstrated the importance of completing a thorough examination of all systems to identify any additional injuries beyond the presenting complaint, ensuring injuries are not missed. I learnt to adapt my communication skills to engage with patients who have difficulties expressing their needs and to build rapport with families.
I clerked a nine-year-old child with right iliac fossa tenderness and a positive psoas sign which led to a diagnosis of appendicitis. The child was very frightened about the prospect of an operation, so I provided reassurance by explaining in simple terms what would happen and addressing their concerns.
Paediatric patients can be fearful and vulnerable in hospitals, especially when unwell, making it essential to provide reassurance to both children and their families. Supporting the entire family unit fosters trust and comfort, helping to create a positive experience with the healthcare team and easing the child’s anxiety during care.
A two-year-old boy presented with fatigue and was found to have a large abdominal mass originating from his left kidney. The management plan was determined with a tertiary centre and senior involvement. I counselled the family on next steps, providing reassurance where appropriate.
This challenging case required a sensitive approach as the child had limited insight into the situation. It highlighted the importance of treating the family as a unit, ensuring both the child and their family feel supported and informed, which ultimately helps the child feel safer and more at ease.
During my neonatal placement, I authored a paper on premedication practices throughout UK NHS Trusts for both neonatal endotracheal intubation and less invasive surfactant administration. This paper was presented as a poster at the 2022 RCPCH conference and later published in Early Human Development, marking a huge academic achievement.
I designed the survey, conducted data collection and statistical analysis, and created figures for this project. I made substantial contributions to the methods, results, and discussion of the paper and assisted with the presentation poster design. This experience highlighted to me my passion for advancing paediatric medicine through research.
I led a QIP on Paediatric A&E compliance with NICE guidelines for UTI diagnosis and management in under 16s. I collected data by reviewing over 1000 patient’s notes for diagnosis, management, and follow up. I compared our practice and gold standards of practice during analysis and concluded change was needed.
Presented at both the A&E governance and the urology audit meetings. I completed a PDSA cycle leading to changes in practice. I developed a microbiology sample database for effective follow up and implemented an easy-to-follow dipstick interpretation flow chart to ensure management adhered to NICE guidelines and ensuring high-quality care.
As the leader of the Asthma Innovation Research branch at Imperial College I designed and led teaching for primary school children, including organising volunteers and schools. The purpose of the teaching was to raise asthma awareness in young children, both about symptoms and management (including how to correctly use inhalers).
I communicated with primary schools, designed, and delivered interactive teaching on asthma and its management, followed by a Q&A. I organised volunteers to also deliver this teaching. Raising asthma awareness is important because the promotion of health education at an early age will improve current and future health outcomes.
