What is a pediatric nurse? (with frequently asked questions)
A pediatric nurse is a health worker who assists in the early care and delivery of babies. These professionals, sometimes called neonatal nurses, work in hospitals. If you are interested in working in the medical field and are good with babies, you may want to consider a career as a pediatric nurse. In this article, we explore the careers of a pediatric nurse, highlight the difference between these nurses and intensive care unit nurses, and answer frequently asked questions about the career.
What is a pediatric nurse?
A pediatric nurse is a healthcare professional, usually in hospitals, who cares for newborns. These registered nurses also provide personal care to the parents of the newborn. Their main responsibilities may include:
- Administering medicines and procedures to infants
- Baby care, including changing diapers, feeding and caring for babies when their parents are unable to
- Assisting physicians with examinations, treatment plans and surgeries
- Interaction with doctors to develop treatment plans
- Maintaining patient records
- Teaching parents how to care for their baby outside the hospital, including teaching new parents how to feed and swaddle their baby.
What is an Intensive Care Nurse?
A neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurse is a registered nurse who helps care for premature, sick, or small newborns. Their main responsibilities may include:
- Monitor vital signs and infants
- Infant care, including diaper changing, holding, feeding, and other emotional support
- Informing parents about the condition of their babies
- Maintain accurate patient records
- Carrying out care plans
- Assistance to doctors in procedures, examinations and operations
How is an intensive care unit nurse different from an intensive care unit nurse?
Although nursery nurses and intensive care unit nurses have similar core responsibilities and work in the same field, they are not the same profession. Here is a list of the main differences between them:
Patient's condition
Newborns are treated by intensive care unit and preschool nurses. However, pediatric nurses care for children who are relatively healthy or have non-life-threatening illnesses. These problems may include difficulty eating or jaundice.
ICU nurses care for critically ill babies. Often these are children born underweight, premature, or with pre-existing medical conditions.
Working environment
Although nursery nurses and intensive care unit nurses may work in the same healthcare settings, there are significant differences between their working environments. While they both usually work in the pediatric department of a hospital, pediatric nurses work in the nursery or visit the parents' room of babies to care for the baby. Neonatal intensive care nurses work in an infant intensive care unit. This is usually a more dynamic and complex environment.
In addition, pediatric nurses may work in private practice and even work from their patients' homes. Intensive care unit nurses usually work only in hospitals.
Education and experience
Since their patients are often in critical condition, intensive care unit nurses usually have college degrees and work experience requirements. While both professionals need a bachelor's degree, recent college graduates usually need to gain additional experience in infant care and neonatal medicine before they can get a job as an intensive care unit nurse.
Nursing education requirements
Most pediatric nurses earn a bachelor's degree in nursing and then earn a registered nurse certificate. However, a professional can also obtain an RN license through an associate's degree program.
Whether you choose to complete a four-year or two-year educational program, it can be beneficial to earn additional certifications in neonatal care. This can allow you to gain experience and can give you an edge in the job application process.
How much do kindergarten nurses earn?
Nanny salaries can vary based on their location, qualifications, and work experience. The average salary for nurses is $1,044 per week .
Nursery nurses working for private clients may have higher earning potential, but nurses working in hospital nurseries do not have to look for their own clients.
What are the job prospects for pediatric nurses?
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 7% increase over the next nine years in job growth for nurses. This steady growth could mean more jobs for pediatric nurses.
Frequently asked questions about kindergartens
If you are interested in a career as a pediatric nurse, it may be helpful to consider some of the other aspects of the job. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about this profession:
What skills do you need to be a pediatric nurse?
Pediatric nurses are highly trained professionals and share common characteristics that can help them succeed in their careers. Here is a list of some of the skills you may need to become a nurse:
- Communication: Pediatric nurses often act as a link between the doctor and the patient's family. Possessing strong communication skills can help nurses answer family questions and communicate their concerns accurately to the doctor.
- Observation: These professionals must monitor the well-being and condition of their patients. Observation skills can help nurses notice important changes in an infant's health. This can be especially helpful as children develop very quickly.
- Multitasking. The ability to multitask helps these professionals manage their daily workload. Pediatric nurses serve multiple patients per shift and also find time for paperwork and other administrative tasks.
- Patience: Since they work with infants and worried parents, nursery nurses can benefit from their patience. This trait can help these professionals stay collected and kind.
- clinical skills. Because nurses are medical professionals, they require advanced knowledge of medicine and medical procedures.
- Technology: This skill helps nurses operate and understand medical instruments such as incubators, and can also give them the computer skills needed for tasks like filling out paperwork.
- Interpersonal Relationships: Nurses use interpersonal skills to empathize and relate to their patients and their families.
What career opportunities are available for nurses?
Because certification in neonatal care is not a requirement for nursery nurses, professionals can earn certification to stand out from their peers and potentially earn promotions. Pediatric nurses can also earn a master's degree in nursing to become a nurse practitioner. This can increase your earning potential and is a senior role among nurses.
How many hours do pediatric nurses work?
Pediatric nurses can work both day and night shifts. Typically working 8 or 12 hour shifts, nursery nurses work at least 40 hours per week, sometimes with additional overtime hours.
Some hospitals may have a schedule where pediatric nurses work a certain number of days in a row and then have the same number of days off. For example, a nurse may work three 12-hour shifts on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and then have days off on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. However, a pediatric nurse's work schedule usually depends on their employer.
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