Six percent of PAs attend post-graduate programs. Norwalk Hospital and the Yale School of Medicine co-sponsor the only PA postgraduate pediatrics residency program. Either they are employed outside the hospital and have privileges to provide inpatient care, or they are employed as house staff in the pediatric or neonatal unit. Because pediatric PAs draw on both the generalist and specialist aspects of their medical training, they can effectively handle routine pediatric issues and can address a range of acute problems. Common responsibilities for PAs in the pediatric hospital setting include taking patient histories and performing physical exams, working with physicians in diagnosing and treating illnesses ranging from common infections to more complex congenital diseases, attending to premature babies, and assisting in surgery.
Patient satisfaction tends to increase when PAs are on staff, for several reasons.
Physician assistants facilitate patient flow, shorten waiting periods and ease staff scheduling. By handling routine pediatric questions and concerns, PAs help patients and parents understand their illnesses and treatment options. A PA on the team can help with patient education and follow-up, which improves compliance. PAs in pediatric hospital practice tend to act as stabilizers within the intense and transient pediatric setting, providing continuity of care to the young patients who need it most. Having already demonstrated their ability to perform in supervised intensive care settings, they should be effective in the general inpatient unit and can play a valuable role in the care of hospitalized children by contributing specialized skills that improve the quality of patient care.