Pediatric nursing careers (sometimes written as paediatric) are all about the care of young patients. Pediatric nurses provide care for babies, toddlers, children and teenagers. They also do everything possible to encourage parents and other family members to be a part of the treatment of the small patients.
Pediatric nurses provide the most comprehensive care possible to those in their care in any number of different health care settings. It is their job to respond to both the physical and the psychosocial elements of health and illness. They also work towards the promotion of better health, as well as the prevention of disease, the response to acute and chronic illnesses and the management of both mental and physical disabilities.
A pediatric nurse may have to cope with any number of patients’ health concerns in the run of a work day. She may diagnose and treat both acute and chronic health issues such as ear, nose and throat infections and upper and lower respiratory infections. She may also deal with asthmatic patients and problems related to growth and development. Her patients can range from newborns to those of an adolescent age.
Pediatric nurses must love children and must posses above average people skills. They also must be empathetic, patient, and flexible. They also must be able to manage stress well. Being a pediatric nurse comes with its share of joy but also its share of sorrow and stress. Teaching and team work is a part of the pediatric nurse’s job. She must be able to be independent and make autonomous decisions. She also must be willing to be involved with direct patient care and making a difference in the lives of everyone who comes into her care.
Salary of a Pediatric Nurse
The salary earned by a pediatric nurse is dependent upon a variety of factors including her level of education, her years of work experience and the health care setting she is employed in. A pediatric nurse who has a Bachelor of Science in nursing degree (BSN) is likely to earn a higher annual salary than one who holds an associate’s degree in nursing. According to the website Salary.com it was reported in 2009 that pediatric nurses with a university degree earn on average $54,325. The highest salary for a pediatric nurse is earned by a pediatric nurse practitioner (PNP) with a master’s degree.
Education and Career Summary
It is the job of a pediatric nurse to attend to sick children. She is trained to provide both preventative as well as acute care to children and teens in any number of settings. Pediatric nurses can be found working in hospitals, physicians’ offices, schools and clinics. Some choose a specialty within pediatric care such as a nurse that works in a well baby or teen clinic and specializes in pediatric critical care.
Those who wish to become a pediatric nurse must first take the appropriate training and become a registered nurse (RN). The route for this includes either studying for a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing, an associate’s degree in nursing or a diploma in nursing. She then must take and pass the NCLEX-RN national licensing examination.
Job Summary of a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
After working as a pediatric nurse for a number of years you may wish to advance higher in the field. The wonderful thing about nursing is that advancement is very possible for practically everyone!
A pediatric nurse practitioner (PNP) is a registered nurse (RN) who has gone on to receive a higher level of both education and training in the area of pediatrics. She provides the same type of health care to her young patients as a regular pediatric nurse does but she also have additional responsibilities that are a combination of the duties of registered nurses and doctors. For example, a PNP is able to write prescriptions while pediatric nurses cannot do this.
As previously mentioned, for a pediatric nurse to do what is necessary to become a pediatric nurse practitioner she must go to university and earn a Master of Science degree in nursing and from there receive advanced training in the area of pediatric medicine. A PNP earns as of 2009 an estimated $75,838 per year according to the Nurses for a Health
