What is a pediatric nurse? Pediatric nursing focuses on caring for children, ranging from infants to adolescents. The field requires patience, compassion, and strong communication skills to help young patients and families meet their health goals. There are several types of pediatric nurses, from neonatal to PICU nurses.
Nursing is a rewarding field filled with opportunities to make a positive impact on your community. As a nurse, you will work closely with patients across lifespans, helping them achieve healthier lives. Compassionate individuals who enjoy working with children may find pediatric nursing the best path toward a meaningful career.
What is a pediatric nurse? Sometimes referred to as peds nurses, pediatric nurses specialize in caring for children from infancy to adolescence. They are a critical part of the healthcare team and must be highly knowledgeable in pediatric medicine with strong communication skills.
Pediatric medicine differs from adult medicine — children undergo significant growth and development, and pediatric medicine must consider potential development issues that can arise during care that are not present in adults.
Children and adolescents also have specific emotional needs, and young children cannot always effectively communicate them. Peds nurses understand the importance of their approach and communication style and can adapt to each situation.
Becoming a skilled pediatric nurse starts during your education. At the University of Mount Saint Vincent, our Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program offers a comprehensive curriculum that prepares students for today’s healthcare environment and to pursue any nursing specialty. By leveraging students’ educational backgrounds, the ABSN program allows students to earn their Bachelor of Science (BS) in Nursing in as few as 16 months.
Below, we will explore what pediatric nurses do, the types of pediatric nurses, and how you can become one.
What Does a Pediatric Nurse Do?
Pediatric nurses have many responsibilities that change daily and from patient to patient. They work closely with pediatricians and other healthcare team members to follow treatment plans and deliver patient care. Generally, their typical duties include:
- Performing patient assessments
- Recording vital signs and changes in condition
- Administering medications and immunizations
- Obtaining samples for testing
- Educating patients and their families
Responsibilities may also change depending on the work environment. Pediatric nurses who work in doctors’ offices are likely to perform more routine wellness assessments, while nurses in pediatric ICUs must perform immediate emergency care.
Regardless of where they work, pediatric nurses must be adept at communicating with both patients and their families. Medical emergencies and conditions can be confusing and scary for anyone, but children are often too young to understand the specifics. Pediatric nurses must know how best to communicate with children at multiple life stages and their families during high-stress situations.
Essential Pediatric Nursing Skills
Pediatric nursing can be a challenging field to work in. Depending on your specialty and working environment, emotions can run high. Peds nurses are highly skilled professionals who can navigate various clinical scenarios and calmly interact with patients and families.
Here are the top skills pediatric nurses need in addition to their medical training:
- Compassion and empathy
- Patience
- Interpersonal skills with adults and children at various life stages
- Attention to detail
- Adaptability
What skills do nurses need? Learn more about 15 essential skills for nurses.
Types of Pediatric Nurses
Nursing is a diverse field with many subspecialties that can suit your passions and strengths. Pediatric nursing is no exception — within this specialty are subspecialties that need new skilled professionals.
If you enjoy fast-paced environments and think quickly on your feet, working in an ICU can be a rewarding career. If you prefer a slower pace with more time to interact with patients, then school nursing may be worth considering.
Pediatric nurses work in various environments, from children’s hospitals and long-term care facilities to clinics and schools. They may also work in pediatric offices, where they perform well-child visits, or work with social service agencies.
Below is a sample of the types of pediatric nurses:
- General Care Pediatric Nurses: These types of pediatric nurses may work in children’s hospitals or with primary care providers, treating children experiencing acute or chronic conditions.
- Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) Nurses: PICU nurses work in pediatric ICUs, closely monitoring patients — ranging from toddlers to adolescents — experiencing critical medical conditions.
- Neonatal Nurses: Neonatal nurses work exclusively with newborns, providing round-the-clock care. Some neonatal nurses work in neonatal ICUs, where their patients are infants born prematurely or with serious conditions.
- School Nurses: School nurses work in schools and are trained to provide basic medical care to students. Their duties range from dressing minor cuts and scrapes to administering medications. When an emergency outside of their scope of care occurs, they will call emergency services or recommend parents take their child to see their primary care provider.
How to Become a Pediatric Nurse
To become a pediatric nurse, you must first earn a nursing degree and license. Whether you are considering entering nursing as your first career or a career changer, your nursing education is a critical step. Depending on your chosen program, it can also open many career opportunities. Below are the steps you must follow before starting as a pediatric nurse.
1. Earn a Nursing Degree
The first step on the journey to becoming a pediatric nurse is earning a nursing degree. How long does it take to become a pediatric nurse? The length of time depends on your chosen degree. Two degree options will qualify you for the nursing license exam:
- Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN): ADN programs are typically two years long. While an ADN makes you eligible for the exam, a BS in Nursing is required to pursue graduate programs and certain leadership positions.
- BS in Nursing: BS in Nursing programs are typically four years long and offer a more rounded, comprehensive education that allows you to pursue higher education. Nurses who have completed this program are also in high demand.
Studies have indicated that facilities with a higher proportion of nurses with a BS in Nursing yield more positive patient outcomes. This is partly because of the degree’s quality of education. Because the programs are longer than ADN programs, students have more time to practice their skills in labs and clinical rotations.
Additionally, BS in Nursing graduates have an easier time finding employment. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 96% of BS in Nursing graduates received a job offer within four to six months after graduation.
Accelerated BS in Nursing Programs
If you have a non-nursing degree from an accredited institution, you do not have to return to school for another four years to earn a nursing degree. Accelerated BS in Nursing programs are designed to leverage the student’s educational background, allowing them to earn a BS in Nursing on an expedited timeline.
At Mount Saint Vincent, our ABSN program offers the same quality of education as you would expect from a four-year program while allowing you to graduate in as few as 16 months. Our ABSN prerequisites ensure all students enter the program with a science and general education background so that they are ready to start nursing courses as soon as the first semester.
Students are prepared with the core nursing skills and knowledge needed to excel in healthcare environments through nursing coursework, hands-on nursing skills and simulation labs, and clinical rotations.
Our coursework establishes the foundation of core nursing concepts on which students build essential skills. Then, our skills and nursing simulation labs put these concepts into practice. Students practice nursing skills, such as wound care and intubation, on high-fidelity medical manikins. They also participate in mock clinical scenarios to develop their clinical judgment, learn to communicate with team members and collectively work toward a common goal.
Lastly, our clinical rotations allow students to apply all they have learned to hands-on practice. They work alongside and under the supervision of trained healthcare professionals as they deliver patient care in clinical facilities throughout the New York City area. Students participate in clinicals across various nursing specialties, including pediatric nursing.
Upon completing the program, students are prepared for the next step: passing the license exam and earning their nursing license.
2. Obtain a Nursing License
The National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) is a nationally recognized exam that tests applicants’ clinical judgment and decision-making skills. The exam uses computerized adaptive testing to determine the type and amount of questions based on previous answers.
The NCLEX is not a typical exam. Rather than testing your memory, the exam requires you to exercise your clinical judgment. Sometimes, there are multiple “correct” answers, and you must carefully review the given context to determine the most appropriate response.
Studying and preparing for the NCLEX should begin in your first semester of nursing school. You should familiarize yourself with the exam’s question style and consistently review practice questions throughout your education. As you reach the end of your program, you should take multiple practice exams to identify weak points and adjust your study sessions accordingly.
After graduation, dedicate the weeks leading to the exam to full-time study. It is best practice to not cram for the exam and instead plan consistent, relaxed study sessions to improve retention.
Once you pass the exam, you can apply for your license with your state’s nursing board and start working as a licensed registered nurse. You can pursue entry-level jobs at children’s hospitals and units; however, more specialized units may require clinical experience or additional certification.
You can prepare for the NCLEX with these nine NCLEX studying tips.
3. Pursue Optional Pediatric Certification
While certification is optional, it can improve your credentials and allow you to pursue certain pediatric nursing subspecialties. According to the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB), 83% of healthcare leaders prefer hiring pediatric-certified nurses, and 88% of nurses in the survey claim that certification improves their confidence.
You can pursue two options: the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Pediatric Nursing Certification and the PNCB’s Certified Pediatric Nurse certification. However, you cannot earn certification immediately after earning a license. You must first acquire clinical experience and maintain an unrestricted nursing license to pursue these certification options.
Start Your Pediatric Nursing Journey Today
Pediatric nurses have an immensely rewarding, albeit demanding, job. If you are patient and driven to provide compassionate care to vulnerable patients, pediatric nursing may be the right field for you.
Your education will play an important role in preparing you to meet the job’s demands and flourish in your career. At Mount Saint Vincent, we support our students from the moment they start the admission process to graduation. Our team of admission counselors is ready to help you navigate the admission requirements and each step of the process.
Upon enrollment, students will have the support of our talented faculty and dedicated Academic Success Coaches, who will help guide you through your academic journey. Contact us today to learn more about how our ABSN program can launch your nursing career in any specialty, even pediatric nursing.