Another day in the children's place

This afternoon we got to go watch swallow studies being done by the speech therapists. It was interesting to get some experience working with healthcare professionals that aren't physicians. It is always nice to hear about what they go through in their training and how they view their profession. For example, I didn't realize that if you don't pseudo-specialize in pediatrics as a speech therapist you likely won't be very experienced doing swallow studies in kids. They can be difficult to read and there are of course some tricks of the trade to getting them done.

Today's Photo: This is the asthma education doll at the hospital. They have one nurse who specializes in teaching children and their families how to properly use their asthma medications. Her tools of the trade are in this suitcase and this doll (for demonstrations). It is a blessing to have someone like this available to your asthma patients, especially children who often cannot coordinate taking a rescue inhaler well enough to not use a spacer. The medications are all inhaled and can become very confusing. Often the physician doesn't have enough time to provide the necessary detailed education and skills training, so this helps to bridge the gap. (I still think the doll looks creepy though.)