A sick child. Just those few words can bring up emotions from sadness to fear to despair. For some people, the words are a challenge for change and for hope. These people are the special nurses of the pediatric unit.
What exactly is a pediatric nurse? Simply put, a pediatric nurse is a registered nurse that helps doctors and provides professional care for sick children and sick babies. These children are usually in medical hospitals, but are often seen in schools, clinics, or other places where children are. Pediatric nurses:
- Complete medical examinations
- Change dressings
- Dispense medications
- Give necessary injections
- Diagnose common illnesses
- Treat common illnesses
- Give immunizations in schools
- Perform school physicals
- Interpret lab results and test results
- Perform therapeutic treatments
In addition, pediatric nurses that specialize often work in fields such as oncology, gastroenterology, dermatology, cardiology, phlebotomy, critical care and more.
What is special about pediatric medicine is the fact that children are cared for differently than adults. After all, they're not just small versions of adults. They have special health concerns and emotional concerns that only trained pediatric health care professionals can understand. For example, a child who comes into a hospital may be afraid and be showing signs of distress but not be able to verbalize how they feel. In addition, during times when a sick child is rushed to a hospital, the family or guardians of the child will be in distress, feeling panic, anger, powerlessness, fear, impatience and just about every other emotion under the sun. The pediatric nurse often acts as the voice of hope, optimism and reason and may be the person the family turns to for a calming source.
Becoming a Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN)
To become a CPN, a Registered Nurse must complete the Certified Pediatric Nurse Exam (http://www.pncb.org/ptistore/control/index ) . In fact, there is also a Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse (CPEN) exam that Registered Nurses can take. The examination is given by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB) (http://www.pncb.org) , the governing body that, along with Certified Pediatric Nurses, created the CPN exam. The PNCB exams are endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Society of Pediatric Nurses, the Association of Faculties of Pediatric Nurse Practitioner programs, and the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners.
A Day in the Life of a Pediatric Nurse
Nurses will all nod their head in agreement when they read this – the work of a nurse is never done! Pediatric nurses are kept busy through out the day, dealing with both children and their families. Taking care of children can be so rewarding and a true life changing and learning experience. Many will recall the courage children show when facing cancer treatment or the realities of difficult treatments and pain levels. While we may not be able to save every child, just seeing a child have a good day and perhaps recover and go home can be a blissful feeling.
Unfortunately, like any nursing job, there are those days that are dark and sad. Dying and sick children can be heart breaking and becoming emotionally involved with the angelic faces in those beds can be painful to the nursing staff. Still, when asked if they would prefer to not feel anything at all for these children, most pediatric nurses would say no.
To avoid emotional burnout, many pediatric nurses will find ways of compensating and finding balance through out the rest of their lives either by finding ways to disconnect from the job or even by going for counseling to help them cope with the day to day realities they face as caregivers for sick children.
Pediatric Nursing Careers are Growing!
There are different places where pediatric nurses can be found, and many different kinds of pediatric nurses, including these two popular fields:
School Nurses
School nurses aren't just there for when little Jimmy falls and skins his knee or when the school immunizations happen every year. Often school nurses are called upon to work with children who have juvenile diabetes, asthma, allergies, ADD, OCD, daily medications and more.
Pediatric ER Nurse
The Pediatric ER Nurses are Pediatric Nurses who have been certified as Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurses (CPEN). These are the nurses you will see in hospital emergency rooms helping children involved in emergency medical situations. This might include children involved in accidents, for example.
According to salary.com registered nurses on staff in the pediatrics area usually earn a median salary of $57,597/yr.
The Culture of Caring – Pediatric Nursing and You
According to Sue Hancock, RN, MBA, COHN-S and author of "Inspiring the Inspirational: Words of Hope from Nurses to Nurses", there are four basic requirements that all pediatric nurses must have:
- 1. You just like – preferably love – children.
- 2. You must have abundant patience for your patients.
- 3. You must have a keen sense of humor and quick wit.
- 4. You enjoying teaching.
The call to service to help sick children is special. While the demand for pediatric nurses grows and the career options are available, it takes a certain kind of dedication and drive to take on this career and to make a difference. Look into the eyes of any sick child and challenge yourself not to be changed forever. This is one challenge you will surely not win.
Article © My Nursing Uniforms.com / Young Lion Incorporated
Image Courtesy of John C. Abell from Flickr.
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