Pediatric Nurse Degree

Do you love being with kids? Would you be pleased to work in a profession where you could give utmost care to sick infants? If that’s the case, you have a great potential to become a pediatric nurse. After getting a pediatric nurse degree, you would be able to work with patients ranging from infants to young adults. Your tasks will include immunizations, treating common illnesses such as tonsillitis and chicken pox, and providing developmental screenings. You will work closely with other nurses and doctors to provide critical as well as preventative care to patients. Besides, you will also need to interact with the patient’s parent(s) and family to guide them about the appropriate measures of keeping the child healthy.

The following steps will guide you on how to become a pediatric nurse and grow in the profession.

• Get your nursing diploma, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, or Associate Degree in Nursing.
• Pass the NCLEX-RN exam to get the nursing license and become a Registered Nurse (RN).
• Acquire work experience as a RN and look for jobs where you can work with younger patients.
• Take continuing education courses to maintain your license.
• Acquire advanced education to grow in your career and get a better salary.
• Complete an internship, fellowship, or residency to specialize in a particular area of pediatrics.
• You may also take the Certified Pediatric Nurse Examination to become a certified pediatric nurse.

Following are the major degrees offered in the field of nursing. Make sure you get a nursing degree from an accredited institute to make the most out of your nursing education and career.

The associate degree in nursing normally takes two years to complete. You can obtain the degree from a community college, vocational school, or an online institute. An associate degree is the minimum requirement to become a RN. However, most employers prefer RNs with a bachelor’s degree or higher.

The bachelor’s degree in nursing is required for most of the nursing careers. It is typically a four year degree that you can obtain from a college or university. Students acquire training through classroom based instruction and hands on experience. The hands-on training received by nursing students is called “clinicals” and it plays an important role in the acquisition of nursing skills.

If you want to obtain the master’s degree in nursing, you would need to have at least a bachelor’s degree in nursing. However, there are some combined bachelor’s/master’s programs as well. For advanced practice nurses, it is mandatory to have a master’s degree in nursing. Advanced practice nurses have greater authority and autonomy compared to the ordinary registered nurses. Some master’s degree programs also offer tracks or specializations for nurses.

The doctorate degree is the highest qualification you can have in nursing. For a doctorate degree, you first need to have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in nursing. After acquiring a doctorate degree in nursing, you are likely to be referred to as a Doctor Nurse.
There are two major types of doctorate programs in nursing:

• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) - has its focus on the clinical side of nursing.
• Doctor of Nursing Science (DNS) - is for those nursing professionals who want to work as professors or researchers.

If you are worried about making the wrong selection of a nursing school, here are some factors to consider so you can make a prudent decision.

• You will first need to select a nursing program for yourself and then look for schools that match your preferred program.

• Don’t compromise on the quality of education. Make sure that you select a school which is accredited by a recognized accrediting agency.

• Look for nursing schools that offer your preferred program in a location that is suitable for you.

• Check the size of the nursing school. Small nursing schools are good for individual attention, while large schools may provide a more intellectually challenging environment.

• Check the class size and student-to-teacher ratio. It is good to get individual attention in clinicals and classroom instruction.

• Find out about the clinical rotation time provided by the nursing school. You may also want to know whether clinical placements provide diverse and hands-on experience to students.

• Another important factor to consider is the NCLEX exam passing percentage of the school. You can get this information from the admissions office of the nursing school.

• Tuition costs and the availability of financial aid vary between nursing schools.  Check tuition costs and financial aid options well before time to make the best decision.

As a pediatric nurse, there are certain skills that will decide your success in the career. Following are some key skills to acquire for the career.

• Critical thinking and quick decision making
• Compassion and kindness
• Attention to detail
• Communication skills
• Organizational skills
• Emotional stability
• Physical stamina

Pediatric nurses fall in the category of registered nurses. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the employment opportunities for RNs are likely to grow at a rate of 19 percent between the years 2012 and 2022, which is faster than the average of all occupations. The growth in the nursing profession will mainly increase due to the aging baby boomer population.  Besides, more individuals are likely to have access to healthcare services, because of the federal health insurance reform. BLS states that the median annual salary for RNs was $65,470 in May 2012. The lowest ten percent of nurses earned a salary of less than $45,040, while the top ten percent of registered nurses earned a salary of more than $94,720.

As a pediatric nurse, you may be able to find employment in various work settings that treat infants and teenagers. You may find work in the following areas.

• Pediatric wards in hospitals
• Clinics
• Private pediatrician practices
• Nursing home and healthcare agencies
• Government agencies

• The nurse cap was made due to the nuns habit of keeping their hair neatly in place. Although, the clothing item is not used anymore as it carries pathogens, some countries still have it as a part of a nurse’s outfit.
• Linda Richards was the first nurse to earn a nursing diploma in the US. She earned the diploma in 1873 and it is now displayed at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington.
• Mary Todd Lincoln, first lady of the United States, helped in Union hospitals during the Civil War.  She worked as a volunteer nurse.