Top Tips to Become a Pediatric Nurse

Pediatric nurses care for patients from newborns through teenagers, monitoring their health, administering treatments, and helping them feel more comfortable during medical visits. Much of the role also centers on communicating clearly with parents and guardians about what to expect.

Compared to general RN work, pediatric nursing often calls for a different communication style, since explaining a procedure to a toddler looks very different from explaining it to an adult. Day-to-day responsibilities can include:

• Monitoring vital signs and symptoms in young patients
• Administering medications and treatments adjusted for a child's age and size
• Educating parents and guardians on home care and next steps
• Comforting and reassuring patients who may be frightened or anxious
• Collaborating with pediatricians, specialists, and other members of the care team

Since there is no special certification that is legally required to start working as a pediatric nurse, there isn't one required sequence for becoming a pediatric nurse. However, there are common pathways.

Many aspiring pediatric nurses start by completing a nursing education program and working toward licensure. From there, gaining hands-on experience caring for children, whether in a pediatric unit, a school health setting, or another environment, is often part of building toward this specialty. Timelines can vary quite a bit from person to person, depending on your starting point, the programs available to you, and how you choose to build your experience.

Explore Your Program Pathway Options

What this looks like for you may depend on where you're starting from. Someone new to nursing, a current LPN, and a current RN each tend to approach this path a little differently, and none of these routes guarantees a particular outcome or specialization.

 In general terms, Jersey College offers a few nursing program options that may fit different starting points:

• LPN program: designed for those new to nursing who want to begin building a clinical foundation
• RN program: designed for those pursuing registered nursing licensure
• LPN to RN Bridge program: designed for current LPNs looking to advance toward RN licensure

Pediatric Nursing Certification

Some nurses eventually choose to pursue a pediatric nursing certification once they've built up enough relevant experience. Some voluntary certifications common for pediatric nurses include:

• Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN) certification is offered through the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board. This validates general pediatric nursing proficiency after meeting practice hour thresholds.
• Pediatric Nursing Certification (PED-BC) is offered by the American Nurses Association, and recognizes clinical expertise.
• CCRN (Pediatric): Critical Care Registered Nurse for pediatric acute and critical care environments, managed by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN).

Though pediatric certification is considered optional when starting the job, some employers will expect you to earn certain certifications once you begin the work. Also note that employers often require certain basic care credentials upon hiring, such as basic life support certification and PALS, or Pediatric Advanced Life Support.

Pediatric nursing may be a good fit if traits like patience, clear communication with children and families, and staying calm under stress come naturally to you. As you think about whether this specialty fits, consider whether these qualities sound like you:

• Patience, especially when working with young or anxious patients
• Strong communication skills with both children and their families
• The ability to stay calm and reassuring in stressful situations
• Comfort adapting explanations and care approaches to a child's age
• Genuine warmth and empathy toward patients and their families
• Attention to detail when it comes to dosing, monitoring, and documentation

Pediatric nurses work in a range of settings, giving the specialty some built-in flexibility depending on the type of environment you're drawn to. Some common options include:

• Hospitals, including general pediatric units and neonatal or intensive care units
• Pediatric clinics and private practices
• Schools and school-based health programs
• Community health programs and public health settings

Pediatric nursing sits within a field where demand stays steady, which gives nurses who focus on children's health room to build a lasting career rather than settle into a single track. Nurses who work with infants, children, and adolescents develop a distinct skill set, from communicating with young patients to guiding families through care decisions, and that specialization may help open doors to roles in children's hospitals, pediatric units, school health, and outpatient practices.

Choosing pediatrics can also set up longer-term growth, leading toward the ability to pursue advanced practice roles, charge or supervisory positions, or further certification. That gives nurses a clear path to develop expertise and take on more responsibility over time.

If pediatric nursing sounds like the right path for you, Jersey College offers nursing programs designed to help you build the foundation you'll need, from your first steps in nursing education to gaining the experience that can lead toward specialization. Learn more about what we offer and how it fits into your goals.

Ready to begin your nursing career? Explore our programs around the country: