Pediatric Nurse, Pediatric Nursing Schools, Training, Education, Jobs, and Careers

What is a Pediatric Nurse?
If you enjoy children and think you would like working with them, then perhaps you may wish to become a pediatric nurse. This type of nurse has direct contact with children each and every day. She is able to give them comfort and care for them when they are sick or they have other medical conditions.

One of the most rewarding moments in the life of a nurse in pediatrics is when she can comfort a child who has had the misfortune of having an accident or happens to be suffering from a disease that may turn out to be fatal. These nurses also work with the child's parents to give them the assurance that their child is in good hands and is being well cared for.

The nurse also instructs the parents about giving medications or changing bandages. The family finds that they are able to confide in the pediatric nurse as they try to understand just what kind of medical issues they are dealing with.

This can be a very rewarding job because she knows in her heart when she has reached out to comfort a child to make them less fearful. She is also proud that she has been able to calm the concerns of a worried parent. Working in pediatrics is a very satisfying career choice.

How to Become a Pediatric Nurse:
The initial step on the road to becoming a nurse pediatric is to first graduate from an accredited high school. You should try to maintain a high GPA as getting into a good nursing school is very competitive. Some of the courses you should concentrate on in high school are:

• Biology
• Chemistry
• Algebra I and II
• Geometry
• Physics
• Psychology
• English

More and more students who consider a nursing career these days opt to go to a four-year nursing school to obtain their Bachelor's degree or BSN. But don’t forget the option of getting a certificate or associate degree in nursing. The traditional courses are usually taken in nursing school such as the following:

• Anatomy
• Physiology
• Psychology
• Sociology
• Microbiology
• Pharmacology
• Pediatric Life Support
• Emergency Nurse Pediatric Course (for those becoming pediatric nurses)

The above two certifications will assist you when you go to obtain a position within a hospital which has a pediatric department. Before you can practice as a registered nurse, you are going to have to sit and pass the NCLEX-RN. This test gives you the right to practice your profession.

A nurse in pediatrics, just like any ordinary RN, performs all of the same procedures except that their patients are children. Here are some of the duties they perform:

• Obtain vital signs such as temperature, respirations, blood pressure and heart rate
• Perform catheterizations to collect urine specimens
• Administer medications
• Collect stool samples
• Perform CPR
• Assist with the splinting of broken bones
• Administer blood
• Changing dressings and many other duties

Pediatric Nurse Salary:
Salary ranges will also vary based on your education, experience, training and location for either the client or the employer. Compensation for nurses in pediatric care can average anywhere from $79,000 to $106,000 based on education, experience, and level of service.

Pediatric Nursing School:
There are quite a few places on can pursue a program in pediatric nursing. We do have a place for you. You need to visit the advanced nursing degree website. Follow this link to go there now. While there, request for the free information.

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