Pediatric Nursing
A pediatric nurse is a nurse to begin with. You must be a licensed nurse to train as a pediatric nurse. Most training for pediatric nursing takes place in the hospital setting. LPNs do not usually get the opportunity to train in a specialty. Registered nurses with a baccalaureate degree (BSN) are more likely to be able to receive further training.
If you want to be a pediatric nurse, you need to take a job at a hospital with a pediatrics ward. You can request assignment to pediatrics as well as further training, which will usually be an internship taking about three months. That is how most pediatric RNs gain specialty knowledge. Once you have finished training, you take an exam to become a CPN, a certified pediatric nurse. You can also take this examination if you believe you have learned enough on the job to pass it. This means 1,800 hours on the job doing pediatric nursing. It is up to the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB) to decide if you can take the exam.
There are also specific courses you can take to become certified in specific techniques. You can learn pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation for children (pediatric advanced life support, PALS) through the American Heart Association and receive a PALS certificate. The Emergency Nurses Association along with Emergency Medical Services for Children offers an Emergency Nurse Pediatric Course, training you to handle pediatric emergencies. There is also a Society of Pediatric Nurses which you can join once you are a CPN. The PNCB and the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN) have developed a Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse (CPEN) exam for nurses who have extensive experience working with pediatric emergencies.
A CPN can work anywhere in the hospital or clinic where children are seen. This can include the pediatric ward and the emergency room, or a pediatric or family practice office. Depending on the setting, you will be taking care of children as well as giving support to their families, especially if you work in a hospital. If you work in a clinic, you will spend more time doing wellness care, like giving routine immunizations and advice regarding common concerns of parents.
A CPN in a hospital makes on average around $57,597 a year. Pediatric nurse practitioners may make $20,000 a year more. In addition, they get to deliver care directly to pediatric patients. To become a pediatric nurse practitioner you need to get a master's degree. You would want to pick a school that offers specialty training in pediatrics. You can get this training done in about two years, although this may be followed by monitored clinical practice. You need to be certified as an advanced nursing practitioner (APN) by your state, and also as a CPN, which is given by the PNCB. You can join the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP).
According to NAPNAP, there are currently about 12,000 PNPs (pediatric nurse practitioners) currently in practice.
Once you are a pediatric nurse practitioner, you can even subspecialize in areas such as cardiology, oncology, gastroenterology, emergency medicine, or dermatology. You can deliver care directly in any of these areas.
There are recognized subspecialities (with associated examinations) which include primary care pediatric nurse practitioner, but also an acute care pediatric nurse practitioner, as well as a specialist in child and adolescent behavioral and mental health.
A career in pediatric nursing is attractive to anyone who loves children. If you work in a hospital with children, you will often be taking care of very ill children. You need to be able to help both the children and their parents emotionally as well as physically. If you work in a clinic, you may be dealing with well children and preventative care. Here you have a chance to teach children and adolescents about wellness, and make a difference in their lives.
If you enjoy children, one of the many specific pediatric nursing jobs would be a good choice.
Published: 2009-10-14
