About Being a Pediatric Nurse
Any career in nursing requires a high level of compassion, caring and knowledge of the field. There are numerous nursing specialties available to these health care professionals all of which are demanding in their own right. Those choosing pediatric nursing answer the call to care for the youngest patients. Whether working in a hospital setting or clinic, pediatric nurses fulfill a special need within the medical field.
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Function
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Pediatric Nurses care for patients from birth to the age of 18 or 21 depending on the practitioner or facility policies. They can be employed as staff nurses on pediatric units in hospitals, as office nurses in physician clinics, and as home health nurses. In addition to the medical duties of pediatric nurses, they are often primary educators to parents and care givers, instructing and relaying information from the physician in regard to the care of the minor.
Characteristics
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In addition to the basic characteristics that are beneficial to all nurses, pediatric nurses often possess additional skills and characteristics that help them with working with this specific age group. Pediatric nurses must be very patient. Infants and children are unpredictable and often frightened when they have certain procedures done such as immunizations and blood draws. They must also be understanding and compassionate to the needs of the parent. Especially during ill visits, parents are generally just as anxious if not more so than the child. Pediatric nurses can be instrumental in calming both parent and child.
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Benefits
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In a helping profession like nursing, the main benefit is caring for people, and problem solving. This reward can be intensified in pediatric nursing. Pediatric nursing gives individuals the opportunity to care for a population that generally cannot care for themselves. Pediatric nurses provide knowledge to parents on how to properly care for their children's health needs, and they ease the concerns of new parents.
Misconceptions
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There are several misconceptions about pediatric nursing. Among those misconceptions is the belief that the job is not as stressful as other nursing specialties. Many believe that pediatric nurses, in clinic settings and hospital nurseries especially, perform tasks that are not as demanding. Any profession in which you are responsible for the care and health of another will hold a certain level of stress
Tips
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For those interested in pediatric nursing there are accredited organizations that offer special certification. The Pediatric Nurse Association offers certification. Depending on the facility and department, the pediatric nurse may be required to become certified in Pediatric Advanced Life Support through the American Red Cross.
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