Mitchell Said:

Career choices- medical field, nursing.?

We Answered:

The people who have recommended a BS in nursing are correct. However, you should understand you have options:
you can attend a community 2-year college and get an Associate's degree in nursing and find plenty of jobs. You also can become a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) after completing a 12-month program, also at community college.
Those options will not lead to a specialty in nursing such as you want in pediatrics, however. If you're in eastern PA, East Stroudsburg University has a 4-year program; see www.esu.edu for their requirements. So does Kutztown U, www.kutztown.edu.

Sonia Said:

Medical careers with babies?

We Answered:

Respiratory Therapist in a NICU is a position that would work exclusively with newborns.

However (and please take this as constructive criticism), if your only reason for wanting to work with babies is because "they can't mouth back", I think you should look at some other options than caring for the sick and injured. You need to have compassion and professionalism for dealing with ALL people when you are in training/clinicals and if you cannot handle people "mouthing back", healthcare probably isn't the best career choice for you.

You will have to deal with distraught and upset parents on a daily basis...not to mention fiesty doctors and other healthcare professionals that thrive in a high-stress working environment and I will say that scared parents and stressed doctors can be mouthier than any patient I've ever cared for.

Maureen Said:

What job in the medical field, (LPN, Medical Assisting) involves little to no blood/gore or body fluids?

We Answered:

Become a unit clerk. You deal with no blood, just the tubes!

Colleen Said:

What are some jobs in the medical field that work strictly with children who have Down Syndrome?

We Answered:

You could work as a Development, Occupational, or Physical Therapist that specialized in DS children. Why don't you contact the National Down Syndrome Society at :

http://www.ndss.org/

Perhaps they can put you in touch with someone locally that works specifically with DS kids and maybe you could shadow her/him for a day and see how their job works.

Joseph Said:

Career for a teacher in the medical field?

We Answered:

What exactly do you want to do with kids who are sick or have family problems? A counselor, social worker, or child life specialist would be the careers that come to mind.

As a child life specialist (I work in pediatric hematology/oncology specifically), I teach kids about why they're in the hospital and about their new diagnoses. I prepare them for procedures and distract them during procedures, do pre-op teaching before surgery, provide therapeutic activities to help them express their feelings, teach coping skills, lead support groups, provide normalizing activities such as play, do medical play with patients so that they gain mastery over procedures and equipment, do legacy building and bereavement support, and much more.

Some children's hospitals employ teachers to work with the kids while they're in the hospital. We contract with a company that provides a tutor (she's a former teacher) who works with all of our patients who are there for five days or more, or who are frequent fliers (in often.) Other hospitals directly employee teachers. This might be something that interests you.

Carmen Said:

Medical Careers with babies? Please Answer!?

We Answered:

There are a lot of jobs that you can work around babies and their mothers and the care that they receive at the hospital, and once they leave the hospital. Here are some of the more common jobs within this area of medicine.

Lamaze training -- this is the course that teaches mothers how to control their breathing patterns during contractions, and helps their partners or spouses with coaching techniques during the contractions.

Breastfeeding Education -- there are a lot of new mothers who are unfamiliar with how to breast feed, and also how to pump milk for bottles during the time that they are off at work, or need to go out etc.

Healthiest Babies Possible -- this is the program that mothers can come to get their babies weighed, and also it is a program that teachs the mothers to care for their babies as well. This gives them a good chance to be able to meet other mothers in the same vote as well.

Gynecologist/Obstetrician -- this is the doctor that works with female reproductive issues, and the labor and delivery of the baby.

Nicu -- this is the neonatalogy intensive care unit, and this is where the really sick babies go for care.

Maternity or Labor or Delivery -- this type of nursing involves delivering the baby, and helping with other things after.

Those are just a few of them.