Pediatric nurses provide preventive and acute care to infants, children, and teens in a variety of settings. Certification in pediatric nursing is available to experienced pediatric registered nurses.Requirements
- A pediatric nurse needs a four-year bachelor's of science (BSN) or two-year associate degree (ADN) in nursing and state-specific RN licensure (see reference 1). A nurse who has 1800+ hours in pediatric nursing over the past twenty-four months is eligible to take an exam from the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board. When he passes that exam, he may use the credential Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN) (see reference 2).
Types
- A CPN may be a staff nurse, nurse manager, nurse educator, or clinical specialist. She may choose to provide primary care (health promotion and disease prevention) or acute nursing care to ill or injured children (see reference 1).
Settings
- CPNs work in acute care hospitals, specialized children's hospitals, doctor's offices, home health agencies, clinics, and community-based agencies.
Responsibilities
- Regardless of where he is employed, a CPN will follow the nursing process to deliver patient care. The five components of the nursing process are assessment, nursing diagnosis, care planning, intervention, and evaluation (see reference 3).
Salary
- According to PayScale.com, a pediatric nurse with less than a year experience can expect a median salary of $42,253 to $51,395 a year. With 20+ years under her belt, she'll command a salary between $43,816 and $73,250.
Read more: Certified Pediatrics Nurse Job Description | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_6173403_certified-pediatrics-nurse-job-description.html#ixzz1gkiJbuVa
