How to Become a Pediatric Nurse
Many aspiring professionals are eager to find a job that makes a difference. 90% of people say they would take a pay cut if it meant they could pursue more meaningful work.
Pediatric nursing may be your perfect match if you’re seeking a rewarding career. As a pediatric nurse, you can make a notable impact and earn a great income simultaneously.
However, you must acquire certain degrees and qualifications before you can become a pediatric nurse. Below, we’ll review what nursing programs bachelor’s graduates can take to pursue this fulfilling career path.
What Does a Pediatric Nurse Do?
Pediatricians provide holistic care for children and their families like most nurses. This includes general nursing care, such as:
- Performing physical assessments
- Taking blood and urine samples
- Measuring vital signs like blood pressure
- Facilitating diagnostic tests
- Administering immunizations
- Coordinating care with family and other members of the health team
Additionally, pediatric nurses address child-specific health needs based on the unique setting, such as:
- Performing school physicals
- Running routine developmental screenings
- Guiding parents through common child health issues
- Caring for children with chronic illnesses
What Skills Do You Need to Become a Pediatric Nurse?
While earning your degree and license is essential to becoming a pediatric nurse, it’s also important to develop your interpersonal skill set.
Children are often fearful and anxious about receiving medical care. Likewise, their parents may be understandably concerned about any health problems.
Thus, aspiring pediatric nurses should know how to stay calm under pressure and soothe their patients during treatment. Compassion, empathy, and emotional stability will serve you well on this career path.
What Is a Pediatric Nurse Responsible for When Working With Kids?
Alongside the nursing training and physical skills they use each day, pediatric nurses must be able to communicate effectively with children and parents alike.
A young patient can often have a difficult time communicating what kind of pain they’re experiencing. It’s up to the pediatric nurse to make children feel safe, trusted, and confident during the visit so they can explain what’s wrong. Pediatric nurses must also provide a sense of care for patients’ families to achieve a thorough treatment plan.
Daily Routine of a Pediatric Nurse
The needs of every healthcare facility are different. However, there are some everyday experiences that most pediatric nurses have, regardless of where they work. Let’s look at an estimate of how a pediatric nurse might spend their day working in a hospital:
- 7:00 a.m. – Receive overnight reports on patients, prioritize them in order of need, and organize the daily schedule.
- 8:00 a.m. – Perform morning assessments and administer medications to all patients.
- 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. – Go on rounds with doctors to update them on new patient conditions, feed patients, perform general hygiene tasks, check on patients every half hour, check on wounds, transport patients to surgery, document vital signs, communicate with social workers, and more. This takes most of the working day.
- 6:00 p.m. – Double-check that all daily needs have been addressed for each patient (medications taken, IV bags filled, etc.). Make sure patient rooms are neat. Write small reports about each patient’s progress and plans for the next day.
As you can see, this is similar to many other nursing shifts, but that doesn’t mean pediatric nursing isn’t unique. Every aspect of pediatric care—from developmental stages to childhood disease—requires specific skills, knowledge, and procedures to keep children healthy and safe.
What is the Job Outlook and Salary for Pediatric Nurses?
Most people pursue pediatric nursing because they are passionate about helping children stay healthy and making a difference. However, job security and earning potential are important considerations for any job.
Fortunately, pediatric nursing checks both of these boxes quite well:
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Job Outlook – According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job market for RNs is growing faster than average. It’s currently projected to grow 7 percent from 2019 to 2029.
The demand is even higher for nurses who complete an MSN program, specialize in a specific field, and obtain certifications.
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Salary – Pediatric nurses also enjoy attractive salaries. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for a registered nurse is $73,300. Nurse practitioners earn even more, with an average salary of $114,510.
It’s important to note that your salary will depend on your state, experience, specialization, education, and workplace—these salaries reflect average RN salaries as documented by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
How to Become a Pediatric Nurse
Whether you’ve always dreamt of being a pediatric nurse or just considering the idea, knowing the steps involved in becoming one is helpful. These include:
#1 Earn your Degree in Nursing
Before specializing in pediatrics, you need to become a registered nurse. To do so, you must earn one of the following degrees in nursing:
- Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)
- Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing (BSN)
- Direct entry masters (MSN)
ADN programs generally take two years, whereas BSN programs take four years. Individuals with a bachelor’s degree in another field can earn their BSN in as little as 12-15 months through an accelerated program. While an associate degree is all you need to become an RN, earning a bachelor’s degree can increase your job options and earning potential. Studies conducted by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing reported that BSN nurses are significantly more prepared regarding quality and safety—with patient mortality rates 10.9% lower than ADN nurses.
What Will You Learn?
No matter what type of nursing program you enroll in, your courses will introduce you to the basic principles of nursing. BSN programs, however, strive to teach a deeper understanding of the following fundamentals:
- Anatomy
- Pharmacology
- Pathophysiology
- Healthcare policy and systems
- Care coordination
- Research methods
- Clinical nursing skills
During your BSN education, you may also get the chance to learn about the health challenges that children face and how to treat them. If your degree program offers them, sign up for child health, child development, and child psychology classes. These courses will prepare you for your work in pediatrics.
#2 Take the National Council Licensure Exam
Once you’ve completed your nursing program, you must take and pass the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX-RN). This exam requires RN licensure in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
The NCLEX-RN will test your knowledge of various nursing principles and concepts, including:
- Disease management
- Injury treatment
- Infection control
- Safety and risk mitigation
- Care management
- Illness prevention and treatment
Once you pass this exam and obtain your license from the state, you will officially be a licensed RN. This means you can legally practice as a nurse in your state and start applying for nursing positions.
#3 Apply for a Position in Pediatrics
Once you’re qualified to practice as an RN, looking for positions that will allow you to gain real-world experience in pediatrics is a good idea.
Here are the most common pediatric nursing workplaces:
- Children’s hospitals
- Pediatric intensive care units
- Private practice physician’s offices
- Outpatient clinics
- Surgical centers
- Pediatric oncology wards
- Urgent care centers
- Rehabilitation care facilities
- Community organizations
- Schools
By practicing in pediatric settings, you’ll gain valuable experience within the field. You’ll also set yourself up to qualify for a pediatric nursing certification.
#4 Consider Getting Certified by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board
If you want to showcase your expertise in pediatrics and enhance your earning potential, you can take a certification exam from the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB).
The PNCB offers four different types of pediatric nursing certifications:
- Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN)
- Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Primary Care (CPNP-PC)
- Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Acute Care (CPNP-AC)
- Pediatric Primary Care Mental Health Specialist (PMHS)
You can take the CPN certification exam as an RN. To qualify for the other three certifications, you may need to earn a Master of Science degree in Nursing (MSN) first.
CPN Certification Eligibility Requirements
Before you can take your certification exam, you must also fulfill one of the following eligibility requirements:
- Complete a minimum of 1,800 hours of pediatric clinical experience within 24 months of taking your certification exam
- Have at least five years of RN experience in pediatric nursing and 3,000 hours in pediatric nursing, with 1,000 of those hours occurring within the past 24 months.
As long as you’re eligible, you can schedule and prepare for your exam. The exam will test your mastery of the various topics relating to pediatric nursing, including illness management, health restoration, and health promotion. The PNBC provides plenty of helpful exam preparation resources on its website.
#5 Consider Pursuing a Graduate Nursing Degree
While you don’t need an advanced nursing degree to become a pediatric nurse, obtaining a master’s or doctoral degree can help you advance your career.
For example, earning your Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) can help you qualify for more lucrative positions and take on more responsibility at your workplace. It can help you become a pediatric nurse practitioner (PNP) or a clinical nurse specialist (CNS).
Most MSN programs take around two years to complete.
How Long Does it Take to Become a Pediatric Nurse?
Now that you understand the steps to becoming a pediatric nurse, you may wonder how long it takes to get your nursing degree.
The general timeline for becoming a pediatric nurse is as follows:
- Earning your ADN or BSN and taking the NCLEX-RN – Two to five years
- Getting the initial work experience to become eligible for certification – Two years
- Earning your MSN – Two years
As you can see, it can take at least two years to become a pediatric nurse—although an additional two to four years may be required depending on your chosen degree and certifications. Continued education is helpful (and in some cases, required) for a specialization in pediatric nursing. For non-nursing bachelor’s graduates, an accelerated BSN degree program can significantly speed up this process.
Start Your Journey as a Pediatric Nurse Today
Not everybody has four years to complete an undergraduate nursing degree. If you know you have the necessary skills to be a medical care professional, you can complete your nursing degree in a year and be one step closer to the role of pediatric nurse.
Become a nurse quickly with an ASBN, or Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. Take part in one of the top online ABSN programs as you work your way toward pediatric nursing or another specialization.
Your dream career is not as far as away as it might seem. Learn more about how an ASBN can help educate, train, and establish yourself as a professional nurse. To help you find your perfect fit, we’ve compiled a list of high-quality, accredited online ABSN programs. Simply enter your Zip code to find which program(s) are available in your area.
The content published on our blog is reviewed by credentialed healthcare professionals to give you the most up-to-date and professionally accurate information. This particular article was professionally reviewed by Colleen Sanders, RN, FNP-BC on July 28, 2021.