Seeing your child in pain or suddenly developing concerning symptoms like a high fever can be stressful — especially when your pediatrician is not available or the health concerns develop outside of regular business hours.
For life-threatening illnesses or injuries, children should be taken to an emergency room, but pediatric urgent care offers a solution when your child needs prompt attention for other conditions that, while not life-threatening, should be treated with professional care.
Just 4 Kids Pediatric Urgent Care has providers trained specifically in children’s health, shorter wait times than you may find in other facilities, extended office hours, and an environment suited for children and families.
Preparing for a Pediatric Urgent Care Visit
Knowing how to prepare for a pediatric urgent care visit before a medical concern takes place can help you be ready to handle the situation with calm and confidence, supporting a better experience for you and your children alike.
Have Key Information, Items Ready
When visiting a pediatric urgent care center, be prepared with the right information and items to make your visit smoother and less stressful. Being prepared with medical-related information can assist the urgent care team in identifying the problem and making informed treatment decisions more quickly and accurately. This leads to better care and outcomes.
Here are some ways to prepare:
- Know your child’s medical history: Have key information at hand, including past illnesses, chronic conditions, and up-to-date vaccination records.
- Recent changes in health or behavior: If you have noticed new symptoms, changes in eating or sleeping patterns, or unusual behaviors, be sure to inform the healthcare provider.
- Allergies: Make a list of any medications, food, or environmental allergies, and the reactions your child has had in the past. This is critical for better understanding symptoms and deciding on treatment.
- Current medications: Have a list of all medications and supplements your child is currently taking and the dosages of each. This helps the healthcare provider avoid interactions between medications that may affect your child’s health.
- Insurance information: Bring your insurance card and any relevant information to make the process of billing and registration faster and smoother. Plus, this type of preparedness can remove additional stress from a moment that may already feel overwhelming.
- Comfort items: Consider bringing with you your little one’s favorite toy, blanket, or stuffed animal to help your child feel more comfortable.
Know What to Expect from Pediatric Urgent Care
Understanding what happens during a pediatric urgent care visit can ease stress and help you feel ready for each step. Here’s what you can expect:
- Check-in: Upon arrival, you will go through a check-in/registration process. At this stage, you may be asked to provide basic information, including medical history and insurance details.
- Triage: A nurse or provider will assess your child’s symptoms, take vital signs, and determine the level of care urgency.
- Treatment or Referral: A medical provider will carry out an examination of your child and provide treatment. The provider may also order tests or X-rays, if needed. If specialized care is required, further follow-up will be advised.
- Discharge: After the visit, the physician will provide you with customized recommendations and directions. They may also administer prescriptions and recommend a follow-up appointment.
Help Prepare Your Child
Helping children feel at ease before an urgent care visit can make a big difference in how comfortable and cooperative they will be.
A great way to ease a child’s stress is to use age-appropriate language to explain why you are going to the care center and what will happen when you arrive. For very young children, you might say something simple like, “We’re going to see a special doctor who can help you feel better.” With older children, you can give a little more detail, saying something like: “We’re going to urgent care because the doctor can look at your sore arm and make sure it will heal quickly.”
It’s important to talk about what might happen during the visit so your child isn’t caught off guard. You can explain that a nurse or doctor may ask questions, check things like temperature or blood pressure, and maybe do a quick test or apply a bandage. Let your child know that you’ll be with them the whole time, as providing reassurance can be helpful to a child. Also, be sure to answer their questions honestly and calmly.
You could also encourage your child to bring a toy, blanket, or stuffed animal.
Care from Just 4 Kids
At Just 4 Kids, we strive to provide an urgent care experience that is supportive of children and families. Core aspects of our kid-friendly treatment include:
- A Welcoming Environment: A staff member is on hand to greet families and help guide them through the clinic and the registration process.
- Pediatric-Focused Care: Care is provided by professionals with experience in children’s health. Our clinic also uses playful, calming approaches — for instance, bubble machines as a gentle distraction — to put children at ease. We also provide TVs and iPads with games or cartoons, and we have weighted blankets for comfort.
- Comfort-Oriented Facilities: Our clinic’s environment includes features like animal footprints on the floor, kid-friendly murals, snacks, pediatric-sized gowns, and blankets to create a playful, kid-friendly space.
- Pain and Anxiety Management: Our specialists use age-appropriate strategies to help children manage pain, like Buzzy (a vibrating device for injections) and KindVR (virtual reality headsets). We also offer sugar water or simple treats to make the experience at the clinic more comfortable.
- Treatments Made Engaging: During breathing treatments, we may use special nebulizers that incorporate toys or building blocks. Similarly, transport within the clinic for procedures like X-rays can include riding in a remote-controlled vehicle.
Urgent Care Services We Offer
At Just 4 Kids, families can access a range of services designed specifically for non-life-threatening medical needs in children. Below is a sample of our services, with more information available on our About Us page.
- Non-Emergent Acute Medical Care: We treat common illnesses and minor injuries that require prompt attention but are not emergencies, such as fevers, cuts, sprains, or ear infections.
- On-Site Laboratory Testing: Our specialist can carry out immediate tests for conditions like strep throat, flu, RSV, COVID-19, and mono, with results that help guide treatment decisions during your visit.
- Specialty X-Ray Imaging: We offer in-house X-rays to quickly diagnose possible fractures, sprains, or other injuries, so you get answers and care without extra appointments.
Pediatric Urgent Care Near You
At Just 4 Kids, we are proud to support children and families in Eastern Idaho, with clinics conveniently located in Idaho Falls, Chubbuck, and Rexburg. Each clinic provides walk-in care, a welcoming environment, and pediatric specialists. We also provide virtual care so that you can get help from your home. Learn more about our clinics — including exact addresses and hours — and our virtual care services, or give one of our offices a call for more information.