A pediatric nurse specializes in working with infants, children, and teenagers. Life is always exciting as a pediatric nurse! With a wide range of age groups and health conditions to care for, your time as a pediatric nurse is filled with plenty of variety, unique challenges, and heartwarming moments.
A pediatric nurse is passionate about providing the best quality care to their patients- and this requires a huge heart, specialized skills, and a watchful eye! Children are vulnerable to a wide range of acute and chronic illnesses. They react to and experience disease processes differently than adults.
A pediatric nurse provides dedicated care to our younger population and is often able to receive advanced training and specialize in a particular area of pediatrics- such as pediatric emergency care, pediatric oncology, or pediatric critical care. Other pediatric nurses obtain advanced degrees. The sky is the limit!
A pediatric nurse provides nursing care to children as young as a few days old, and up to teenagers ready to graduate high school. Their nursing care can be similar to other specialties- but with a kid-friendly twist!
General activities may include:
A pediatric nurse incorporates developmental knowledge to care for each child’s emotional and physical needs. An infant, school-aged child, and teenager (and their parents!) will all require different approaches, explanations, and education to meet their needs.
A pediatric nurse not only cares for young patients, but provides support to their parents as well. A stellar pediatric nurse can calm nerves, gain trust, and collaborate with parents.
Pediatric nurses educate parents and children on diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Communication is key for the pediatric nurse- with parents, and with children who are too young or unable to tell healthcare providers what they are feeling.
A pediatric nurse can work in a traditional environment such as a hospital, urgent care center, clinic, or doctor’s office. They also work in schools, for community organizations, and provide in-home care. Some pediatric nurses provide telehealth consults or work from home.
You can enjoy access to a wide range of work settings across the United States that can fit your individual preferences. Don’t want to work nights? Or weekends? Or maybe you do- no matter what, you can find a pediatric nursing job that works for your lifestyle.
Pediatric nurses encounter a wide range of diagnoses and cases. Here are some of the most common:
To become a pediatric nurse, you will need to complete an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. After that, your next steps are:
A pediatric nurse can further their career by getting an advanced nursing degree- such as a master’s or doctoral degree with a pediatric focus. With an advanced degree, you can become a:
To become a pediatric nurse, you will need to complete an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. After that, your next steps are:
It takes as little as one year to become a pediatric nurse through an accelerated program, or it can take over four years if you choose to study part-time. It totally depends on your program and lifestyle!
Pediatric nurses make between $64,054- $99,588, with a median salary of $78,000, according to Salary.com. Pediatric nurses who specialize or obtain advanced degrees can make significantly more.
Pediatric nursing pay also varies by state. The May 2021 Bureau of Labor and Statistics report shows which states have the highest (California, Hawaii, and Oregon) and lowest (South Dakota, Alabama, and Mississippi) wages for nurses. This list is not specialty-specific, but pediatric nurse salaries likely follow suit.
