The best nursing degrees for working with children have a specialization in pediatrics. The nursing degree may be an associate’s degree, a bachelor’s degree, or a master’s level nursing program. Each of these levels of nursing practice are focused on the care and medical delivery of services to a pediatric population.
These nursing degrees focus on integrated concepts from the arts and sciences in promoting the health of children within a regional population. Patient safety is critical, and quality of delivery is an important priority. The field of nursing and those jobs working with children are heavily regulated. Most of the job positions will require a type of medical license that corresponds with the educational degree. The employer may require a period of training to further assess the skill level of a new employee. The training period can last for nine months to a year. This field of health care is structured with supervision and duplicate charting. Today a medical transcriber is used to chart comprehensive medical data for a patient into an electronic format.
Licenses And Nursing Degrees
Nursing degrees can be for several levels of health care. The nursing degrees that work with children are similar to those for the general medical population. An associate’s pediatric nursing degree can be completed in two years of educational study. A student will first need to complete the training of a registered nurse (RN) and then specialize as a pediatric nurse. The associate nurse trains with standard medical courses that include pharmacology, anatomy, child psychology, and general patient care. The pediatric associate’s degree will remain supervised within a medical clinic or hospital setting, however.
Advanced Training In Pediatric Nursing
Pediatric nursing can be used within broader settings. The bachelor’s of pediatric nursing will allow a nursing student to gain more in depth knowledge of the medical process. The job responsibilities for this type of educational degree and corresponding license are more independent. The decision making will be focused on the care of children within a certain area of nursing. An employer will pay this type of nursing background a higher salary grade.
Master’s In Pediatric Nursing
A master’s in pediatric nursing is an advanced degree that can allow an employer to release more complex responsibilities to this employee. The modern array of rules and regulations within the medical field has structured more stringent requirements for pediatric nurses. A master’s in pediatric nursing includes advanced studies in anatomy and nursing theories. This level of nursing can be qualified as a nursing supervisor for other nurses or trainees. This degree usually takes around two to three years to complete after a bachelor’s degree. A thesis is required in order to earn a master’s in pediatric nursing.
Pediatric Nursing Opportunities
A nursing occupation is the largest health care field in the U.S. Hospitals employ around 60 percent of the registered nurses in the country. Private health care clinics employ around 8 percent of the registered nurses, home health care employs around 5 percent, nursing care facilities employ 5 percent, and 3 percent are in employment or part time services. The remainder of the nursing profession works in a government agency, social assistance setting, or educational setting. Pediatric nurses are employed by hospitals or by private medical providers, for the most part.
Pediatric Nursing Job Duties
A pediatric nurse who is employed by a hospital can have a variety of job duties. These responsibilities can include chart review and overseeing the daily care of children. Each new patient will need a medical plan that is carefully charted into the hospital care system. Paper work required with each new pediatric patient can be entered into a hospital records system by a pediatric nurse and by a medical scribe. The medication that a child is issued is critically examined on an ongoing basis. Each pediatric patient will need to undergo a series of tests, procedures, or therapies. These medical interventions are a part of the daily activities of a pediatric nurse and the patients who are assigned to a nurse’s care. A private medical provider will have the same type of clinical duties assigned to a pediatric nurse. A nurse with a private provider may see a number of pediatric cases on an as needed basis, for example.
A nursing degree that specializes in child health care allows a graduate to work in several clinical settings. Many nursing graduates elect to work in hospitals or in private provider clinics. A pediatric nursing degree can include an associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s level of training. Each of these academic degrees can lead to gainful employment.