PEM Introduction/ Editor’s note

Author: Nikki Abela / Published: 12/09/2018

Warning

The content you’re about to read or listen to is at least two years old, which means evidence and guidelines may have changed since it was originally published. This content item won’t be edited but there will be a newer version published if warranted. Check the new publications and curriculum map for updates

Hello there and welcome to the Paediatric Emergency Department,

We hope you find this book as a useful adjunct to your learning while here. Our blogs have been tailored to meet most PED presentations and our brilliant contributors have been working hard to make sure you are armoured with the best knowledge out there.

You will notice that quite a few of them have websites of their own, and we really encourage you to have a look at the material on their sites too.

We really, really, really wanted to include a post about what is normal in neonates but have published one already and didn’t want to overwhelm the book. Please make sure you have a look at it here.

You will also notice a recurrent theme on the importance of distraction and play in the PED. St Emlyns have some awesome posts here and here on this. Please go and read them. (their awesome team were happy for us to include them but in the end the book was already rather fat with new content). GPpaedstips also has a great post on how to approach paediatrics here.

Working with young people is different, in a good way. It is challenging but fun and you will learn lots of techniques to help you do your job better. Remember, the PED is a team of people all trying to do their best for the little ones and their families who visit them, engage with those around you and try and absorb whatever you can from them. Everyone (and I mean everyone) who works there will have a unique set of skills which are needed to work with young people, from the cleaners to the hospital manager and each one of them can teach you something, embrace that.

Please continue the conversation, engage and share what you learn with us on social media (we have facebook, instagram and twitter accounts), but until then please join me in thanking our FOAMed team and the book’s contributors for all the work they have done here.

We hope you find it useful,

Editor: Nikki Abela

Awesome Editorial/Peer review team who made this book happen: Charlotte Davies, Elizabeth Herrieven, Chris Walsh, Rebecca Maxwell (+Bump), Daryl Hardy

Designer/magician: Nigel Taylor

Published by: RCEMLearning 2018