Types and Responsibilities of Pediatric Nurses

In the profession of pediatric nursing, the job requires the provision of nursing care and facilities to children, from newborns to teenagers. A lot specializes in this field of expertise specially those who love children and can get attached to them. This job is advisable for someone who can move on if something happens to the little ones. From newborns to 19 year old, pediatric nurses work in hospitals and/or health institutions to take care of children under the guidance of a pediatrician and perform a variety of associated tasks.

Pediatric nurses have a lot of duties and responsibilities and may work in different settings such as hospitals, clinics, and/or rehabilitation centers. There are 3 different types of pediatric nurses, and the job responsibilities of each differ from one another.

For General Pediatric Nurses, here are their duties:

• They are registered nurses who receive on the job training to work with children
• They work under the guidance of pediatricians to provide medical care and administer treatment to children
• They perform routine nursing jobs such as taking vital signs, administering medication and IV lines, and keeping track of progress of patients
• They are the ones documenting medical history for future reference

Requirements: Take state nursing board exams to become Registered Nurses

For Clinical Nurse Specialists in Pediatrics (CNP), here are their duties:

• They work to care for children who are chronically ill
• They are specialized nurses who may focus on one aspect of child care such as those with special needs, or physically disabled children
• They are registered nurses who specialize in a specific area during bachelor’s or master’s
• They are responsible in planning and administering treatment plan in the long run
• They provide consultation to families to prepare a long term child care plan
• They often work in private settings or on patient care teams

Requirements: Earn CNS certification through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)

For Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP), here are their duties:

• They may work in clinics, hospitals, privately, or at surgical centers to provide primary health care to children
• They are the nurses who have received specialized training in specific illnesses
• They carry out physical exams at schools, immunization, and screen children for health problems
• They chart out treatment plans after diagnosing the problem
• They are licensed to prescribe medication in special cases
• They carry out specific activities such as teaching mothers to breastfeed newborns, or aiding parents with dealing with the problems their teenagers are facing

For the Requirements, one should earn PNP credentials from the ANCC after becoming a licensed RN with 500 hours of clinical experience that includes disease management. Education should include subjects such as pathophysiology.