A Passion for Working With Kids

The People of UVA

Patricia Cobb, RN
Pediatric Specialty Clinic
Primary Care Center

How many years have you been at UVA Medical Center? 34

Why did you choose pediatrics? “I was the oldest sibling of six girls, so I never wanted to work with children. But I worked for a couple of years in an OB military clinic in Germany during Vietnam, and after my son was born I worked part-time in a pediatric night clinic … I found out that I really loved it. It was really by accident.”

What do you like about working with kids? “Kids are so funny. They are so honest. They’ll say things like, ‘Did you mean for your hair to look like that?’ And they’re very forgiving. I can stick them over and over and when I’m done, I still get a hug.”

Do you have any tricks for dealing with young patients? “I tell them the truth. I’ll joke with them but I don’t talk down to them – kids are not stupid.”

Is it difficult to separate yourself from your patients? “As I get older, I’m getting better at leaving work at work. But I do keep a book of patient photos and notes in an album at home. I love getting letters from old patients – I get birth announcements, graduation announcements. It’s nice to know that I was a part of their life and they were a part of mine.”

What do you enjoy doing in your free time? “I have a house on the eastern shore that [my husband and I] redid 15 years ago. We go there to ride bikes and read and fish. As soon as I cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, my blood pressure drops.”

What do you like to read? “I love murder mysteries. But I want the bad guys gone and the happily ever after in the end. There’s enough badness in the world; I want the happy ending.”