Working in healthcare:going from geriatrics to pediatrics?

[fiona00004]

I need some good advice!

So I pretty much got laid off at work. I am an occupational therapist and since graduating, I have been working at the same place in a long term care home working with the elderly...it has been 11 years and counting....so I have developed quite a skill working with this population.

I have an interview TOMORROW in a rehabilitation center working with the pediatric population and I am SO nervous! I have no working experience working with children so I am reaching out to my fellow PS friends for past experiences and advice. I am so afraid that I will be asked specific questions about what I would do in certain situations and that without knowledge in peds, I would totally give the "wrong" answer. I suspect the interview will comprise of a ton of case study type questions....

Any advice?? Any been in this kind of situation? Should I really "study" pediatrics like memorize normal child development, learn what type of reflexes we could be testing for in infants etc? I am afraid that with such little time, I won't be able to retain all that information!

A little good news is that the institution interviewing me know that I do not have experience working with children, but they wanted to meet me anyways...maybe I have a chance after all?

 

[junebug17]

Re: Working in healthcare:going from geriatrics to pediatric

FI Z, I might be responding to this too late…but I'm not sure you're going to be able to cram a lot of info into your head between tonight and tomorrow! I'm thinking maybe you could do some reading online, check out youtube to see if there are OT sessions with kids (my daughter did this for speech). My only thought is you might have to have some idea of developmental guidelines if you are going to be expected to figure out what the child needs to work on…but again I don't think you can learn a lot about that at this point. The place is already aware of your background and experience, I think I would just go and answer their questions honestly. I'm sure there is overlap between what you have been doing with elderly clients and children. Good luck with the interview, try not to stress and just do the best you can.

 

[figaro]

Re: Working in healthcare:going from geriatrics to pediatric

It may be too late to read up on specific pediatric conditions and child development, but perhaps you can think about how your experience with the elderly could be an asset in pediatrics--Ability to communicate with those who may not be able to talk, experience dealing with not only the patients but their families/loved ones, empathy for the patients, etc---and play that up during your interview?
If experience with kids was an absolute deal breaker for them, I don't think they would waste time talking to you. Good luck!

 

[missy]

Re: Working in healthcare:going from geriatrics to pediatric

Fi Z, just seeing this now and hope your interview went well. I was in a similar situation in 2001 when I went to interview for my current job with the ID (used to be called MR then DD) population. I didn't even know it was with that patient population when I went to interview there because a friend had heard of the job opening online and didn't read the details but instead called me knowing I was looking. At the time I was not online and never used a computer so I called and set up an appointment there without realizing the patient population was special.

When I arrived at the interview I realized and while speaking with the head person I was completely honest and also told her I did not think this was the job for me nor a good fit for them. She disagreed and asked me to try it for a few weeks before saying no and then she made me an offer I could not refuse so I said yes and started the next week. Well it turned out to be one of the best jobs I ever had (with the exception at being at West Point for a number of years during and after my residency) and I am so glad I took the chance.

My point being they know you don't have the experience with the pediatric population and still want to meet you. They trust you can learn and even hopefully have an affinity for working with the young people and I know they are right. So, I hope the interview went well and that you decide to go for it and see whether this is the right fit for you and where it might lead you.

Sending you lots of luck!

 

[PattyCo]

Re: Working in healthcare:going from geriatrics to pediatric

Best wishes on your interview today! Knock 'em dead!!!!

 

[missy]

Re: Working in healthcare:going from geriatrics to pediatric

How did it go FiZ? Hope it went well!