Pediatric nurse practitioner care and specialize in children’s health and treatment. The pediatric nurse salary is between $35,397 – $83,947 annually and $17.33 – $38.70 hourly.
A quick review of the pediatric nurse salary:
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported in May 2014 that the mean annual salary of registered nurses (RNs), which included pediatric nurses, was at $69,790 (www.bls.gov). In addition, PayScale.com reported in September 2015 that pediatric nurses made a median salary of $53,444, with most of these professionals earning $34,768-$84,445. Your income will be determined by a few factors, such as skills, employer, experience, geographical location and education.
Pediatric Nurse Salary
The pediatric nurse is a specialized nursing profession, they take care of children from birth to adolescence. They are mostly found in the children’s wing of the hospital. Other places they work in include clinics, hospitals, and doctors office. They have area of sub specialty which include cardiology, endocrinology, neonatalology, trauma, etc.
The pediatric nurse salary is quite encouraging it falls within the range of $35,397 – $83,947 annually and $17.33 – $38.70 hourly.
Pediatric Nurse Job Description
- The job of the pediatric nurse is centered around children and working with their parents. Some of the duties of a pediatric nurse are:
- They access the patients needs, they care for the sick child and give guidance to the family on how to handle the child and aid recovery.
- They provide information regard nutrition and diet information, medication administration and treatment of injuries and illness.
- They are skilled in taking care of children with passion and friendly manners.
- They aid and prep the child for surgery if need arises.
- Pediatric nurses conduct checkups regularly and give vaccination shots.
- They work in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) with pediatricians and other health care providers.
It is important that a pediatric nurse follow the working guidelines of the profession and must not be found wanting. Task may be assigned and restricted by the employer, but most pediatric nurse do the following:
- Prescribe or recommend drugs, treatments, and interventions.
- Set up, troubleshoot, and calibrate medical equipment for patient care.
- Assess, diagnose, and undertake interventions to improve the health of patients.
- Perform physical therapy, change dressings, or perform other clinical care.
Pediatric Nurse Training and Education
To become a pediatric nurse a nursing diploma, Associate degree or Bachelor of Science in nursing degree are required for the beginnings of the certification requirements as a pediatric nurse. It is important you pass the national licensing examination to become a registered nurse.
After obtaining a bachelor’s degree, you may proceed for a master’s degree and a doctorate. You will learn a lot about children’s care, health, illness and symptoms.
The Pediatric Nursing Certification Board certifies a Pediatric nurse, though you must have gained at least 2- 3 years full time working experience in a pediatric unit of a clinic or hospital. It takes 2-3 years to complete an associate degree, 4 years for a bachelor’s degree in nursing and 1-2 years for a master’s degree and 4-6 years for a doctorate in nursing.
Soft skills: Critical thinking, social awareness, problem solving, clear and concise communication, good judgment and decision-making, reading comprehension
You can study online, on-campus or on the job, the national licensing examination of NCLEX-RN must be passed, followed by Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB).