Samicha McLellan

In my current role, I work in the community with children under 3 with developmental delays, and I collaborate closely with a multidisciplinary team to create personalised support plans for families navigating the neurodivergent pathway. I engage in modelling techniques and provide practical advice to help parents support their children. My focus is to provide holistic care that addresses the child's physical, emotional and developmental needs ensuring they have opportunities to thrive and reach their full potential within a supportive environment.

Skills acquired in Child Development Centre.

• Assessing the child's developmental milestones to identify delays early.
• Conducting thorough physical, emotional and cognitive assessments to understand the child's unique needs.
• Tracking the child's developmental progress and adjust care plans accordingly.
• Collaborating with specialist such as paediatricians, speech and language therapist, occupational health, social work and psychologists to support children and families.
• Providing families with strategies for encouraging their children in activities that promote their development such as communication exercises, play therapy and motor skills practise.
• Educating families about developmental delay, and advocating for the rights and well-being of the child as well as working closely with families to understand their concerns.
• Providing emotional support tailoring care that aligns with the cultural values and beliefs of the family.

During my time working on a medical ward, I gained confidence in managing a large and varied workload, caring for children with a wide range of conditions. I developed my skills in assessing and implementing effective care plans. The ward had specialized areas, including A&E and a surgical unit, which provided me with invaluable experience which expanded my knowledge and allowed me to provide comprehensive, child-centred care, addressing the physical needs of children but also supporting their emotional needs and well-being.

Skills acquired in Medical Ward

• Collect blood, urine and stool samples, employing distraction techniques to calm down patients.
• Recognise and respond to deteriorating conditions such as respiratory distress, seizures or allergic reactions.
• Keep track of fluid intake and output to ensure proper hydration and nutritional status.
• Safely administer prescribed medications (oral, PR, IV, inhaled, nebulizers and injections), ensuring correct dosage, timing and accuracy when calculating the medications based of age or body-weight.
• Administer fluids, electrolytes, blood products and medications prescribed via IV and monitor infusion ensuring correct flow rate and volume administration.
• Use age-appropriate methods to assess and manage pain, including verbal communication, observation or pain scale tools.
• Support children with feeding difficulties , including nasogastric tubes, gastrostomy/jejunostomy tubes or swallowing difficulties.
• Manage patients requiring suctioning orally and nasally.
• Prioritised tasks during busy periods without compromising quality of care provided.
• Monitor neurological status and identify signs of deterioration such as alerted consciousness or increased intercranial pressure.
• Provide ongoing care and education for children with chronic conditions such as diabetes, asthma, epilepsy or cystic fibrosis ensuring that parents/caregivers are equipped to manage the conditions at home.
• Delivery of post-operative care including wound care and vital signs monitoring to help patients recover from surgeries as well as infection prevention.

When I first qualified as a paediatric nurse, I worked in a High Dependency Unit, which exposed me to a high level of critical care. This experience was instrumental in honing my nursing skills and competencies, enabling me to work effectively under pressure while maintaining patient-centred care. I gained a deeper understanding of the pathophysiology of complex medical conditions, and developed the knowledge to manage deteriorating patients. This experience sharpened my clinical abilities, but also reinforced the importance of providing compassionate and holistic care in challenging situations.

Skills acquired in HDU

• Proficiency in monitoring vital signs, administering medications, managing intravenous (IV) lines, and operating complex medical equipment such as ventilators and infusion pumps.
• Monitoring ECG's, managing cardiac devices such as pacemakers, and recognising signs of cardiac distress, arrhythmias or shock in paediatric patients.
• Managing paediatric patients receiving blood transfusions, PCA/NCA treatment and chest drain management.
• Respond promptly to critical changes in patients' conditions, initiating appropriate interventions to stabilise patients.
• Administer emergency medical care for children with acute medical conditions promptly to reduce recovery time.
• Interpreted laboratory reports, consulting complex data with physicians to determine appropriate treatments.
• Managing airways devices such as tracheostomy and endotracheal tubes, CIPAP, BiPAP, administering oxygen therapy and assisting with mechanical ventilation or non-invasive ventilation.
• Identifying signs of infection or sepsis early, and administering treatments such as antibiotics and fluid resuscitation to manage septic shock or other forms of circulatory collapse.