Christian Schroeder
July 2019
Christian
Schroeder
,
RN, BSN
Pediatric Emergency Department
Lehigh Valley Hospital
Allentown
,
PA
United States

 

 

 

My fifteen-year-old son had an extreme case of otitis externa. When he had a very high fever and his legs were twitching I was concerned for seizure-like activity and brought him to the Children's ER. It was 11:30 pm and he was in a lot of pain and exhausted. My son has never been in an ER, never really sick or any broken bones despite being a multiple-sport athlete. Christian was very engaging and kind. He also explained everything to my son who is very methodical and detail-oriented and Christian was empathetic to him as a "child" but also acknowledged that he is fifteen. They talked about all the procedures to be done, even going into anatomical detail which my son appreciated (he is also an honors student and pretty good in science). They also bonded about sports. I was quite impressed with Christian and I did not feel the need to go into mommy mode and help out with the IVs, blood draws, CAT scans, etc. My child was comfortable with Christian and trusted him. It is never easy as a parent to have to bring your child to the hospital. And it is never easy being in the ER. Christian made the experience less stressful and more bearable for all of us.