What is a Pediatric Nurse?

Pediatric nurses are registered nurses who provide clinical nursing care to children, adolescents and teens. Pediatric nurse duties are broad and cover a range of clinical skills and abilities. A pediatric nurse will do everything from working one-on-one with a child during medication administration to educating a young person and their family on treatment options after a clinical diagnosis. 

The Society of Pediatric Nurses (SPN) is the pediatric nursing organization for all pediatric nurses. According to the society, pediatric nurses are Registered Nurses (RNs) who care for children of all ages in a variety of healthcare settings. 

According to the Institute of Pediatric Nursing (IPN), there are a variety of professional societies that cater to pediatric nurses of various specialties. Pediatric-specific organizations for nurses include:

• Association of Pediatric Hematology Oncology Nurses (APHON)
• National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP)
• National Association of School Nurses (NASN)
• American Pediatric Surgical Nurses Association (APSNA)
• Association of Faculties of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (AFPNP)
• Association of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition Nurses (APGNN)
• Society of Pediatric Cardiovascular Nurses (SPCN)
• Pediatric Endocrinology Society (PENS)

According to a survey of pediatric nurses conducted by the IPN, 92 percent of the respondents said they would encourage others to join this career because it’s rewarding to have the opportunity to change the life of a child.

Life of a Pediatric Nurse: Making an Impact on Pediatric Patients 

As a pediatric nurse, you can expect to enjoy the challenges and rewards that come with working with children. A pediatric nurse plays a key role in many children’s lives at a very vulnerable time in those children’s lives.   

Every day in the life of a pediatric nurse is a little different.  You’ll use many of the same skills, of course; you will monitor patients, provide medications, check vital signs, stay on top of your charting and paperwork, and most importantly--serve as an advocate for your pediatric patients. But every patient will be different–and incredibly special. 

Pediatric nurse responsibilities will vary depending on the type of facility, patient acuity and the outlined pediatric nurse job description. But one thing that every pediatric nurse must have is a great deal of empathy and patience to work with a hospital’s smallest patients. Because the patients you treat are minors, you can also expect to work closely with the family members of your pediatric patients. 

Why Travel as a Pediatric Nurse

If you are a pediatric nurse who has a few years of experience and is looking for a change, then a career as a pediatric travel nurse could be the ideal opportunity. 

In addition to the very competitive pay rates that you can earn on assignment as a pediatric travel nurse, you can also enjoy a variety of other benefits. In fact, Travelnursing.com reports that travel nurses have the ability to earn approximately 15% more than an on-staff RN. 

Other pediatric travel nurse perks include:

• Free, private housing in great locations
• Top benefits
• Resources and support
• Freedom and adventure to hit the road and create your own schedule.

Ready to find out more about becoming a Pediatric travel nurse? Click here.

Read More About Pediatric Travel Nursing Salary and Requirements from the link below.