Highest Paying Specialties for Pediatric Nurses

Postpartum nurses work with other healthcare professionals, such as physicians, lactation consultants, and certified nurse midwives to provide care for newborns. They also educate parents about newborn care, provide breastfeeding support, perform newborn assessments, and monitor vital signs.

Pediatric endocrinology nurses care for children with endocrine conditions such as growth hormone deficiency, type 1 diabetes, tumors, and hormonal imbalances. They educate children and parents on how to manage chronic conditions and live healthy lifestyles. They work with other members of the healthcare team to examine children, create care plans, and give medication and other treatments.

Cardiac nurses work with cardiologists, surgeons, and cardiac nurse practitioners to provide care to children with chronic heart conditions. They work with equipment such as defibrillators, catheters, and surgical equipment and provide advanced cardiac life support.

Pediatric intensive care (PICU) nurses work with children who are critically ill or recovering from surgery and need more monitoring and nursing care than a child on the floor of the hospital. They evaluate patients’ conditions, report changes and complications to the nurse practitioner or physician, and operate complex medical equipment.

Travel nurses who specialize in pediatric nursing find temporary positions where they are most needed. These positions are usually in emergency or critical care units for newborns, infants, and children. They perform many of the same duties as staff nurses, but they change assignments every few weeks. Travel nurses with certifications such as CEN, CCRN (Neonatal), or CCRN (Pediatric) may find more job opportunities.

Dialysis nurses work with a team of healthcare professionals to give dialysis treatment to children with kidney disease or kidney failure. They manage children’s fluid and electrolyte balance, examine children before treatment, monitor them during treatment, and communicate with family members and other healthcare professionals.

Surgical nurses care for children before, during, and after surgery. Surgical nurses prepare the operating room for surgery, alert the surgical team to any issues, assist the surgeon during surgery, help stabilize the child, and prepare the child for the recovery room. They may perform specific portions of these duties based on whether they are scrub nurses, circulating nurses, or registered nurse first assistants (RNFA).

Oncology nurses care for children who have cancer. They administer treatment, provide emotional support, and monitor the child’s progress with the treatment. Pediatric oncology nurses can choose to specialize further and become pediatric hematology oncology nurses who care for children with cancers of the blood, such as leukemia.

Infection control nurses work with other healthcare professionals to prevent infectious diseases in children and infants, including RSV, COVID-19, and the flu. They educate the public, patients, and other healthcare professionals about these diseases and how to prevent them. They may also care for children with infectious diseases.

Nurse case managers create care plans for children in their care. They coordinate their patients’ care, monitor their progress, and communicate updates to parents and other members of the healthcare team.

Pediatric nurses working in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) care for children coming out of anesthesia. They monitor children, treat the after-effects of anesthesia, and educate parents about their child’s care plan.

Critical care transport nurses transport children between healthcare settings. Transport nurses may care for children who are critically ill and in need of emergency medical care or who may be stable and in need of monitoring between healthcare settings. Transport nurses’ duties vary depending on the condition of the child they are transporting. They may collect vital signs, give medications, and perform advanced life support.

Pediatric emergency room nurses care for children who come into the emergency room for many conditions. These conditions may include choking, poisoning, high fever, allergic reactions, car accidents, and chronic conditions such as diabetes or asthma. Pediatric emergency room nurses communicate with parents and healthcare providers, take vital signs, observe changes in the children, and perform triage.

Neuroscience nurses work with a team of healthcare professionals to care for children who have neurological conditions. These nurses care for children with conditions such as migraines, head injuries, brain cancer, and seizure disorders. Work settings, conditions cared for, and responsibilities for neuroscience nurses vary based on whether they work with neurologists or neurosurgeons.

Forensic nurses work with children who have been abused mentally, physically, and sexually. They advocate for the children, take notes on their condition, gather evidence for the prosecution, work with law enforcement to testify in court, and provide emotional support for children and their families.

Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurses care for premature newborns, older premature babies, newborns recovering from surgery in their first days of life, or newborns who have other birth complications such as fetal alcohol exposure. These nurses check oxygen levels, record vital signs, measure fluid intake and waste output, and provide daily infant care.

Rehabilitation nurses help children with chronic illness and injury gain as much independence as possible. They educate children and their families about diseases and disabilities, create care plans and goals for the children, work with children to improve their mobility, and advocate for children at the individual and public policy levels.

Palliative care nurses provide end-of-life care for critically and terminally ill children. They give medication, monitor pain and offer pain management, educate parents and family members about the child’s condition, and offer advice and emotional support.

Respiratory nurses work with children experiencing breathing problems such as asthma. Some respiratory nurses work in the NICU. They take patient histories, perform respiratory procedures to help children’s breathing, educate children and parents on breathing exercises, and operate breathing tubes and ventilators.

Psychiatric nurses work with a team of healthcare professionals to provide children with mental health services in community health or one-to-one settings. Their responsibilities may differ depending on where they work. They help develop care plans, perform diagnostic testing, give treatments, and educate family members.

Labor and delivery nurses provide the initial nursing care for babies after they are born under the supervision of physicians or nurse practitioners. Labor and delivery nurses also educate parents on newborn care before postpartum nursing takes over the care of the patient and their baby.

Home health nurses care for children, who are disabled, recently released from the hospital, or in hospice, within their homes. They work with physicians and nurse practitioners to provide these children with nursing care. They monitor vital signs, give medications and treatments, bandage and clean wounds, and educate family members.

Developmental disability nurses receive special training to assist children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. These nurses may help children with skills related to motor, communication, or nutritional needs. They also advocate for their patients, educate parents and other family members, and collaborate with the other members of the healthcare team to provide the best care.

Ambulatory care nurses care for infants and children in outpatient settings. They complete examinations, give vaccinations, take medical histories, and comfort children. They work with other healthcare professionals to provide safe and quality care. They educate children and their parents about diagnoses, treatment plans, and healthy living.