subject: Being A Pediatric Nurse Is A Noble Calling [print this page] Any career in nursing requires a high level of compassion, caring and knowledge of the field. There are numerous nursing specialties available to these health care professionals all of which are demanding in their own right. Those choosing pediatric nursing answer the call to care for the youngest patients.
Pediatric Nurses care for patients from birth to the age of 18-21 depending on the practitioner or facility policies. They can be employed as staff nurses on pediatric units in hospitals, as office nurses in physician clinics, and as home health nurses. In addition to the medical duties of pediatric nurses, they are often primary educators to parents and care givers, instructing and relaying information from the physician in regard to the care of the minor.
In addition to the basic characteristics that are beneficial to all nurses, pediatric nurses often possess additional skills and characteristics that help them with working with this specific age group. Pediatric nurses must be very patient. Infants and children are unpredictable and often frightened when have certain procedures done such as immunizations, and blood draws.
They must also be understanding and compassionate to the needs of the parent. Especially during ill visits, parents are generally just as anxious if not more so than the child. Pediatric nurses can be instrumental in calming both parent and child.
The personal benefits of being a nurse is the feeling you get when you help other people. This feeling can be more enhanced for a pediatric nurse, as this patient population usually cant take care of themselves. Easing the concerns of new parents and providing care for their young patients is all in a days work for the pediatric nurse.
There are some common misbelief's about the pediatric nursing field. One of these is that caring for children isn't stressful compared to other nursing specialties. All I can say is that whenever your job entails caring for the well being and health of other human beings, there is stress.
For those interested in pediatric nursing there are accredited organizations that offer special certification. The Pediatric Nurse Association offers certification. Depending on the facility and department, the pediatric nurse may be required to become certified in Pediatric Advanced Life Support, through the American Red Cross.
