What Is a Pediatric Nurse?

A pediatric nurse cares for children from infancy through age 18, seeing patients with various conditions in different developmental stages.

Pediatric nurses need empathy, patience, and communication skills to explain treatment plans and diagnoses to patients and parents. If you enjoy working with children and are interested in children’s growth and development, pediatric nursing may be for you.

Find out what pediatric nurses do, where they work, and how you can become a pediatric nurse.

Source: BLS, Payscale

Pediatric nurses work with children from birth until age 18. Some pediatric nurses may work in health clinics that treat children until age 21.

Pediatric nurses focus on keeping patients as healthy as possible. They also assist physicians in creating and carrying out plans to keep patients healthy throughout childhood and adulthood.

Most pediatric nurses work in primary care and see patients with various conditions. However, pediatric nurses in a subspeciality, such as pediatric oncology nursing, pediatric critical care nursing, or neonatal critical care nursing, see a narrower variety of conditions based on their subspecialty.

Pediatric nurses work in all types of healthcare settings: community hospitals, specialty hospitals, and outpatient centers, etc.

Most nurses work in this setting. Nurses in teaching hospitals will likely have longer shifts. They may work nights and weekends. They care for patients before and after surgery, participate in rounds with doctors, and give IV medications.

Nurses work about the same hours and perform similar tasks as they would in community hospitals. However, they may provide more intensive care for patients. Their patients may have varying health needs, such as end-of-life care, cancer, or developmental disabilities.

Nurses in physician’s offices and outpatient care centers often work regular business hours. They may see the same patients on a routine basis for either primary or specialty care. In addition to their other nursing duties, they greet patients, schedule appointments, and answer parents’ questions by phone.

To become a pediatric nurse, you must first become a registered nurse (RN). To be an RN, you must earn a degree, pass the NCLEX-RN, and apply for a license.

You need at least a two-year associate degree in nursing (ADN) to take the NCLEX-RN and earn your license. You may find more job openings if you earn your bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) instead, which takes four years to complete.

After graduation, pass the NCLEX-RN and apply for your RN license in your state. Once you have your license, consider getting additional certifications. Nurse managers prefer certified pediatric nurses 90% of the time, according to the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB).

Pediatric nurses should consider applying for the Pediatric Nursing Board Certification from the American Nurses Credentialing Center or the Certified Pediatric Nurse certification from the PNCB.

Both certifications require nurses to hold a current unrestricted license and at least two years of full-time pediatric nursing experience.

The Pediatric Nursing Certification Board requires 1800 hours of pediatric nursing experience within the last two years. The American Nurses Credentialing Center requires 2000 hours of pediatric nursing experience within the last three years and 30 hours of continuing education.

Pediatric nurses make an average of $32 an hour, according to July 2024 Payscale data. They make an average of $70,000 annually.

The highest-paid pediatric nurses make $98,000 annually. The lowest-paid pediatric nurses make $48,000 annually.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects a 6% job growth for all registered nurses between 2022 and 2033, faster than the average 3% growth for all occupations.

Pediatric nurses’ salaries vary based on skills and experience level. Nurses with specialized experience in neonatal intensive care, pediatric intensive care, and surgery may earn more than average.

Page last reviewed on July 10, 2024