Pediatric Nursing Pediatric nurses, also called PED’s nurses, are registered nurses (RNs) who specialize in the care of infants and children. You will often see Pediatric nurses working in hospitals, or clinics that have child-care. A Pediatric nurse is a registered nurse that specializes in the field and receives a higher pay. They must also become a Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN). Pediatric nurses typically perform physical examinations, measure vital statistics, take blood and urine samples, and order diagnostic tests.
They spend a significant amount of time educating the parents or caregivers on how to take care of their children’s health. They are also exposed to all of the hazards that exists in health care, for example; anesthetic gases, drugs, and radiation chemicals are all types of health hazards in the hospital. To be a successful Pediatric Nurse, you will need to first earn a degree from a 2 or 4-year college. You must then pass a national licensing exam called NCLEX-RN to practice as an RN.
After completing the nursing degree and becoming an RN, you could then gain experience in the field you wish to work. If it is desired, one can earn a Master’s degree as a Pediatric nurse practitioner. A Pediatric Nurse’s salary depends on: the state in which one works, the medical center that one is employed, how much experience in the field one has, and the kind of specialty of one works (Surgery,Emergency, Oncology, . etc. ). The state where one works is a determining factor when salary is considered. In California a peds nursing salary ranges from $19,000 to $117,00.
As stated previously, this value is also determined by the place of employment, location, etc. Pediatric Nurses have either a Bachelor’s degree or an Associate’s degree in their field. A pediatric nurse with a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing could earn between $31,000 and $88,000, but a Nurse with a just an Associate’s Degree would earn $28,000 to $95,000. The salary will increase as one becomes more experienced. The type of specialty one chooses also determines how much one could earn as a pediatric nurse.
Critical care can earn up $119,000, while Advanced Cardiac Support can earn up to $59,000. Pediatric Nurses specializing in a specific Pediatric area typically earn more since they are considered experts in their field such as Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU). The amount of pay one receives is also determined by the amount of stress a nurse must endure throughout his/her shift. There are some drawbacks to Nursing. Many peds nurses suffer from back pain from carrying babies and children throughout the day. They also get fatigued and have leg problems from standing and walking all day.
They can also experience communication problems, and resistance from the patients because they may be non-responsive, unable to talk, afraid, or have language barriers. Before anyone can become a Pediatric Nurse, they will need to complete an extensive amount of schooling and observational hours. One will first have to graduate from high school and then gain acceptance into an accredited nursing program. This program will teach the basics of Nursing, and will teach students how to be successful in this field. Once one graduates, they are qualified to take the licensing exam.
One must pass before they can start practicing as a Nurse, but if one does not pass the first time it could be taken again. After becoming a Registered Nurse, one can get involved with an internship to become a Pediatric Nurse. A Pediatric Nurse has to have a certain amount of on the job experience before one can obtain a position. One must have a minimum of 3 months and 1800 hours of Pediatric clinical experience. After completing the internship, one will then need to become certified as a Pediatric Nurse. The Certified Pediatric Nurse exam (CPN) covers basics nursing information, as well as information on pediatrics.
This exam must be taken to be considered a Pediatric nurse. Once certified as a Pediatric Nurse, there should be no problem in finding a job. One could either look online for job openings or visit a medical facility. With many job openings one should be able to find a job that suits their interests. By becoming a pediatric nurse one would have one on one experience with the child one is taking care of. Many nurses love peds because of the kids, laughter, giggles, and high-spirited emotions. They also love becoming in such a close relationship with the patient and their family.
