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Only a freshman at Northern State, Wolves swimmer Hannah Kiernan has already begun the ground work for her future career. The Bradford, Ontario spent the summer prior to entering college job shadowing in the neonatal follow up clinic in her hometown.
 
Working with the smallest members of the population can have its challenges, but the rewards outweigh those in a heartbeat for the Wolves soon-to-be sophomore. The neonatal field specifically emphasizes the elements of care, compassion, and attention to detail when dealing with the newest members of society [and their guardians].
 
What hospital in town did you work at?
Kiernan: I worked at Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket Ontario. 
 
How did you get the position in neonatal follow up?
Kiernan: So in 2019 I was trying to decide what career I might want to pursue. I knew I wanted to do something in healthcare but I did not know what area. Since my mom works in the hospital, she was able to set me up with a few job shadows. I was placed in a medical science lab, neonatal follow up clinic, speech therapist and aqua therapy (physical therapy in pools). My favorite day by far was the neonatal follow up and working with small kids. 
 
What did a typical day of work look like for you?
Kiernan: A typical day for me would be arriving at the hospital around 8:30 where I would meet the physical therapist I was working with for the day. I would read charts to see the different types of patients we were seeing that day as well as to see the different concern areas for the patient. At 9:00 I would see my fist patient.
 
The appointment would start with pulling out toys the kids want to play with. All the toys in the pediatric physical therapy room in the hospital are toys that can be used to asses certain motor skills. If a child is having trouble walking we give them a walking toy they can push around. The three main things assessed in these appointments are communication, gross motor skills and fine motor skills. These things are especially important because the kids who come into the clinic are at risk of falling behind in those categories due to something that happened at birth.
 
A typical appointment will last 45 minutes and is set up as a question answer for the parents. We ask things like have they said any words, are they rolling over and can they pinch something with two fingers and pick it up. With this information we then place the data collected onto what is called the Alberta Infant Motor Skills chart where we track their progress as a percentile. If a child is in the 60th percentile at their first visit we make sure they stay at or above the 60th percentile and do not drop off to something like the 40th percentile.
 
What my job specifically is in this, is to play with kids to asses motor skills. I would draw something and see if they would copy me, I would show them books and ask them to point to a certain picture in the book, I would play catch with them, anything the physical therapist needed to asses we would find a way I could do it through play. I would see about 8 patients in a day of varying ages and concerns before leaving at 4:00. 
 
What have been some of the most rewarding experiences?
Kiernan: The most rewarding experiences I have seen while doing neonatal follow up is when a child does something for the first time. I was at an appointment for a baby who was not even 2 months yet. The physical therapist asked if he had rolled over yet. The parents said no and right after that he rolled over for the first time. Another example is a little girl was not yet walking but we could tell she was close she just didn't have the confidence yet. While we were in our appointment she stood up and took her first steps. It is an amazing feeling being a part of a minor or major milestone in not only a child's life but a parent's as well. 
 
What have you found to be the most difficult?
Kiernan: The most disappointing thing about the job is when a child does not progress and falls off their curve. This is usually no one's fault but the parents are so disappointed and feel like they are the ones to blame. Sometimes it can also be difficult to figure out why the child has fallen off their curve because they cannot talk and communicate what they are thinking. I have also seen a child fall off before and it be a sign of some other issue that a physical therapist cannot help with. Having to say to a parent you should see a specialist for something related to growth and development also discourages parents.  
 
What are your future career aspirations?
Kiernan: After my experience working in the neonatal follow up I know I want to work towards becoming a pediatric physical therapist.