Pediatric nurses, also known as certified pediatric nurses (CPNs), provide advanced care for children and may work in hospitals, clinics, schools, or homes. They may specialize in areas such as cardiology, oncology, or neurology. Certified pediatric nurse practitioners (CPNCs) have a supervisory role and can diagnose conditions, prescribe medication, and order testing.
A pediatric nurse, sometimes called a certified pediatric nurse or CPN, is an RN (registered nurse) who has advanced training in the care of children. These nurses may have completed a master’s degree in pediatric nursing. A related discipline is a certified pediatric nurse practitioner (CPNC), where nurses complete a master’s or doctoral degree and have different responsibilities and rights than registered nurses. There are several pediatric nurse jobs for CPNs or CPNCs, although according to studies, most ANCs work in hospitals.
Pediatric nursing jobs in a hospital can mean that nurses provide most of the care that sick children need and could work in areas where children are critically ill, such as the pediatric intensive care unit. They can also work in any children’s unit, providing care to children as requested by doctors or nurses. They observe patients, inform doctors of any changes, may draw blood or urine for lab work, and may administer injections or start IV lines. In this setting, pediatric nurses also spend time with families, educating them on health issues, supporting them during the difficult period that occurs when a child is hospitalized, and directly supporting patients by assessing the level of pain and advocacy for the patient. .
It should be noted that many ANCs seek additional specialization, especially when planning to work in hospitals or specialist pediatric outpatient clinics. They may have a background in pediatric cardiology, pediatric oncology, or pediatric neurology. Most of the time, these nurses only work with the types of patients in their area of expertise. This is not always a requirement for landing pediatric nurse jobs in hospitals, but the extra specialization can make people more attractive candidates for jobs. Sometimes this kind of expertise is learned on the job, rather than pursuing additional education.
Hospitals are not the only setting in which ANCs work. There are many pediatric nurse jobs in clinical settings and they can be on staff for busy pediatricians or family practices. Here they typically do the first patient assessments, may do some parenting education and take blood or urine samples (sometimes) or run tests on children such as vision and hearing tests. Unfortunately, pediatric nurses are sometimes not enthusiastically received by their young patients, as they usually must also receive immunization shots.
Another place some pediatric nurses are employed is in schools. Some may work as school nurses and do basic screening of children for various illnesses. They can also provide direct patient care if a child becomes ill or injured. However, many school nurses spend only one day or more per week in each school, particularly in large elementary school districts. They are not always available to give health advice or assess children.
Sometimes a pediatric nurse spends her time providing home care for sick or critically ill children. Pediatric specialists may oversee end-of-life or palliative care. Additionally, some may work in the homes of children recovering from a serious illness or who are chronically ill.
One area of work for many pediatric nurses is education. There can be many pediatric nurse jobs in this area. Due to their advanced experience, pediatric nurses can work in nursing schools, teaching pediatric nursing classes. Some nurses also teach other nurses a variety of procedures or techniques, which allow the people taught to provide better patient care and possibly specialize in pediatrics as well.
It is important to talk about the specialty related to the ANC, the CPNC. Like many CPNs, CPNCs have master’s degrees and can have a doctorate. Unlike the pediatric nurse, the pediatric nursing professional has a more supervisory role in the medical process. CPNCs can diagnose conditions, speak directly to parents about the diagnosis, and are usually able to prescribe medications and treatment. They may work in many locations where ANCs work, but their advanced role allows them to direct nursing care and order testing. More often than not, nursing professionals can be seen as part of the medical team, even though they achieve this supervisory role from a nursing perspective.
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