How to Become a Pediatric Nurse

A pediatric nurse provides specialized care to babies, children, and adolescents. Pediatrics nursing is appealing to many aspiring registered nurses (RNs) because it offers opportunities to provide new, promising futures to young patients.

But peds nursing is more than an emotionally satisfying career. It provides job security, room for growth, and enough variety in day-to-day tasks never to feel mundane.

This article will cover everything you need to know about becoming a pediatrics nurse. We'll discuss pediatric nursing education, salaries, top programs, job outlook, and more. Read on to gain more insights into this exciting and satisfying nursing specialty.

Pediatric nurses are registered nurses (RNs) or advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) with specialty training in pediatrics. This specialty nursing career allows RNs and APRNs to take on roles working specifically with babies, toddlers, tweens, and teens. Pediatric nursing requires specialized knowledge to provide the best patient care because there are so many conditions specific to children and adolescents.

Pediatric Registered Nurse

You can find pediatric RNs work in various settings, like doctor's offices or a hospital's pediatric department. You must have at least an Associate's Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and RN licensure to practice in this role.

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner

Additionally,  there are pediatric nurse practitioners (PNPs) who take on advanced practice nursing roles. PNPs have additional responsibilities, like prescribing medications, performing developmental screenings, and administering immunizations.

They hold advanced degrees in nursing and pass additional exams to practice. Due to the additional education, skills, and experience this position requires, the average pediatric nurse practitioner's salary is much higher than that of a peds RN.

What Does It Mean to Be a Peds Nurse?

Being a peds nurse means you’ll have to know how to handle the sensitivities and limitations of the age of the patient you’re caring for. You’ll have to be a great communicator with a comforting bedside manner who can inform and educate worried parents. Helping children to grow up big and strong is really at the heart of what pediatric registered nurses do every day, making it an essential career for a healthy population.

Pediatric nurses work with patients ranging in age from newborns to teenagers, who have far different needs and frames of reference than adults. While their clinical skills help them connect with their patients, peds nurses also benefit from knowledge of subjects their patients care about. These topics include fairy tales, cartoon characters, video games, and popular music.

Pediatric nurses perform the following duties, depending on their work setting and role:

1. Administering and educating about vaccines
2. Administering medication and treatments
3. Assessing patients’ conditions
4. Creating nursing care plans for patients
5. Helping perform diagnostic tests and analyzing their results
6. Helping to coordinate follow-up medical care
7. Monitoring vital signs
8. Observing behaviors and recording observations
9. Performing physical assessments
10. Recording symptoms and medical histories
11. Taking blood and urine samples
12. Teaching patients and their families how to manage illnesses or injuries

Peds nurses in a physician's office see far different patients and families than PICU nurses or those in oncology centers. However, all pediatric RNs must be able to listen and observe verbal and non-verbal cues to provide optimal care. They also need to understand children's unique needs and healing powers and how to extend their care practice to the adults in their patients' lives.

A day in the life of a peds nurse depends on the type of healthcare facility you work at. Peds RNs and NPs in hospitals will work various shifts that provide care 24/7, while those working for a community organization might have more traditional hours.

The hours that a peds nurse will work depend on these variables and whether the facility assigns nurses to specific shifts. In most hospitals, pediatric nurses work 12 hours per shift, which may stretch longer if patient needs are high. If the facility uses a three-shift model with overlapping shifts, the pediatric nurse will likely work a ten-hour shift.

For those pediatric RNs in clinics or private offices, working hours will generally be restricted to daytime, between 8 in the morning and five at night. However, an increasing number of pediatric sites are offering extended evening and weekend hours.

The average pediatric nurse salary in the US is $78,200 (Salary.com), a little higher than the median annual RN salary of $81,220 or $39.05 per hour (BLS).

Remember that salaries for any nurse can vary greatly, increasing with experience and depending on the employer. For example, a school nurse in a small private school will likely earn much less than a peds RN at a prestigious children’s hospital.

>> Show Me Online RN-to-BSN Programs

Highest Paying Cities for Pediatric Nurses

Location is another significant factor that may impact your pediatric nursing salary. The ten cities with the highest average peds RN salaries are:

• New York City, NY - $163,592 annually | $78.65 per hour
• Berkeley, CA - $161,426 annually | $77.61 per hour
• Grass Valley, CA - $159,515 annually | $76.69 per hour
• Renton, WA - $158,125 annually | $76.02 per hour
• Santa Monica, CA - $157,219 annually | $75.59 per hour
• Merced, CA - $157,187 annually | $75.57 per hour
• Daly City, CA - $156,074 annually | $75.04 per hour
• San Mateo, CA - $155,576 annually | $74.80 per hour
• Boston, MA - $154,665 annually | $74.36 per hour
• Clovis, NM - $154,069 annually | $74.07 per hour

Via ZipRecruiter

Whether becoming a peds nurse has been your lifelong dream, or you're newly considering the profession, you'll find that the effort it takes to enter this rewarding specialty is well worth it. You have several options to become a peds nurse. However, many nurses start by pursuing a BSN or a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree. 

Step One: Become an RN

Pediatric nurse education starts like any other registered nurse, by attending an accredited nursing program and earning RN licensure. From there, you can go into different specialty areas like peds nursing.

To become a licensed RN, you must complete an approved program of study (either a bachelor’s or associate degree program) and pass the NCLEX-RN. For more information on becoming an RN, see our RN Career Guide.

Step Two: Gain Experience

Once you become a practicing RN, you can seek positions that will give you experience in pediatrics. This can help you decide whether the specialty suits you and earn additional certifications.

Step Three: Decide Whether to Pursue an Advanced Degree

In addition to your undergraduate education, you may also choose to pursue an advanced nursing degree. Many MSN and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) nurse practitioner programs specialize in pediatrics. Completing this part of your education will allow you to take on advanced practice roles, like becoming a PNP.

See our Nurse Practitioner Guide for more details on this career path.

Step Four: Get Certified

To really showcase an exceptional knowledge of pediatrics, RNs can take additional certification exams.

There are currently three organizations that offer peds nursing certification: 

1. Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PCNB)
2. American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
3. National Certification Corporation (NCC) 

Each certificate has its own exam, renewal requirements, and eligibility criteria.

How Long Does It Take To Become a Pediatric Nurse?

The most common path to becoming a peds nurse is earning a BSN or MSN, gaining experience, and getting a peds nursing certification. In general, this process takes six to eight years to complete and includes the following steps:

1. Earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing or master’s degree – 4-5 years
2. Get licensed as a Registered Nurse 
3. Gain experience working as a registered nurse – 2 years
4. Take and pass the National Certification Examination for Certified Pediatric Nurse

One major perk of being a peds nurse is that you can work in any facility that treats babies, children, or adolescents. Pediatric nurses' most common workplaces are hospitals and private pediatrician offices.

However, there is also a need for pediatric RNs and NPs in clinics, government agencies, social service agencies, community groups, and schools. On the other hand, some peds nurses focus on positions that provide family health education and offer health fair presentations and screenings.

According to The Institute of Pediatric Nursing, here is a breakdown of the most common pediatric nursing jobs:

1. 30.3% in free-standing children's hospitals
2. 28.3% in children's hospitals associated with a major medical center
3. 11.7% in outpatient specialty care
4. 9.9% in community hospitals
5. 5.1% in outpatient primary care
6. 4.8% in a major medical center
7. 2.4% in a school setting
8. 2% in home health care
9. 0.8% in an ambulatory surgery center
10. 0.4% in a psychiatric/mental health facility
11. 0.2% in urgent care
12. 0.2% in rehabilitation or extended care facilities

>> Show Me Online RN-to-BSN Programs

In addition to clinical nursing skills and proficiencies, pediatric registered nurses and NPs face many challenges that require a specialized skill set. For example, they must be able to remain calm under pressure and communicate easily with children and adults.

Additionally, possessing specific personal characteristics will benefit you as a peds nurse. Children are a unique patient population, and offering high levels of compassion, reliability, and understanding will help you meaningfully engage with them throughout treatment.

People who are sensitive, empathetic, emotionally stable, and responsible make excellent pediatric nurses.

>> Show Me Online RN-to-BSN Programs

Nursing will continue to be an in-demand field because of the continuing nursing shortage and the aging population. Consequently, RN jobs are projected to grow 6% through the year 2032, which is about as fast as all other professions (BLS). Adding a specialty like pediatric nursing will likely provide even more job security.

Increasing Demand for Pediatric Nurse Practitioners

In addition, some types of employers are searching for pediatric NPs to fill in-demand roles. The American Association of Nurse Practitioners reports that only 3% of all NPs specialize in pediatrics as of 2022. Despite this massive PNP shortage, the need for pediatric care remains. So, PNP positions at children's hospitals and other healthcare facilities may stay in demand for years to come.

In-Demand Skills for Travel Nursing Jobs

Having specialized skills is also an excellent way to be a strong candidate for travel nursing jobs. Travel nurses get to work short-term jobs nationwide, usually for 12-week contracts (or sometimes longer). Experience and credentials in a high-demand area like pediatrics can give you an edge, diversifying your career growth opportunities.

You can learn more about peds nursing careers by exploring resources from leading professional associations. Here are a few to help you get started:

•  Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB): This association provides certification services for nursing professionals who care for pediatric populations.
•  National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNP): NAPNP is the professional association for all pediatric-focused advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs).
• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) - Although it’s an organization of 66,000 pediatricians, there is much to be learned about the field via this enormous group.
•  Society of Pediatric Nurses (SPN): This association is dedicated to advancing the specialty of pediatric nursing through excellence in education, research, and practice.
•  Institute of Pediatric Nursing (IPN): IPN is a standing committee created by the PNCB to promote a unified voice for peds nursing.

Additionally, Nurse.org is an invaluable resource for everything you need to know about a career as a pediatric nurse. You’ll find the answers to many of your questions in these articles:

• 10 Top Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Programs
• How To Earn Your Pediatric Nursing Certification
• 4 Major Differences Between Pediatrics And Adult Nurses

Being a peds RN is an enriching career. By helping children thrive, you help the world to do so, too.

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