Career Path
How Long Does It Take To Become A Pediatric Nurse?
Pediatric nursing can be the profession for you if you desire a job where you can work with kids. Working with patients who are children and who are at various developmental stages presents a creative challenge for pediatric nurses.
Learn how to become a pediatric nurse, the requirements for obtaining a license, the necessary credentials,the duties of the position in this article.
This article also answers the general question’how long does it take to become a pediatric nurse’?
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Who is a Pediatric Nurse?
Registered nurses (RNs) who specialize in pediatric nursing provide care for children from birth to age 18 in a range of healthcare settings. Hospitals, outpatient care facilities, and rehab centers are some of these places. The duties and working hours of pediatric nurses can change.
Pediatric nurses assess patients, deliver care and medication, and reassure kids as they get therapy. The patients’ parents or guardians and the patients themselves are also educated by these nurses.
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What is a Pediatric Nurse School Like?
Obtaining a master’s degree is necessary to work as a pediatric nurse. Children’s nursing programs offer certain courses or parts of them online, but the majority of them demand practical training.
You should search for graduate programs that offer pediatric specialities within their Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Master of Nursing Science (MNSc) degrees since the majority of pediatric nursing programs are at the post-baccalaureate level.
You will learn how to assume a leadership position and manage challenging situations during your graduate training. Even internships at some colleges may be able to assist you obtain a foot in the door at a hospital or clinic.
Your school of choice needs to be fully accredited in order for you to graduate with the ability to pursue additional certifications.
Attending a course recognized by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education is advised (CCNE).
Although there aren’t many totally online graduate nursing programs, several universities do provide flexible program alternatives by combining lectures, online forums, and community assistance.
Phlebotomy classes, for example, may involve participation in-person rather than online. Although some programs allow you to finish all of your coursework remotely and arrange for clinical rotations at local hospitals, clinical experiences must be taken in person. Online courses that imitate clinical settings are available.
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Is Attending a Pediatric Nursing School Worth it?
In the end, only you can decide if going to nursing school is worthwhile. While some people may thrive as nurses, others might discover a new healthcare profession that suits them better. Making this significant decision requires understanding what to anticipate and how nursing school will alter your life.
Research the advantages and expenses of nursing school if you’re thinking about returning to school. Research can involve practical activities like observing a nurse or interviewing one for a study project.
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What Schooling Do You Need to Become a Pediatric Nurse?
A bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) or an associate’s degree in nursing (ADN) in addition to passing the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) to become a registered nurse (RN) are requirements for becoming a pediatric nurse.
After that, you must get pediatric nursing experience. You can also think about training to be a pediatric nurse.
Graduate from an accredited program with an ADN or BSN degree:
To work as a pediatric nurse, you must have at least a two-year associate’s degree in nursing. Some employers would prefer that you complete a four-year bachelor’s degree program in nursing.
More comprehensive education about how nursing practice integrates into the greater healthcare system is offered by BSN schools. BSN degrees give you more future career alternatives.
Become licensed as an RN by passing the NCLEX exam:
The NCLEX for RNs is taken by nursing graduates around a month after they graduate.
Most employers require a passing grade before they’ll hire you, but some let you take it as soon as you start working for them. The NCLEX-RN is an exam used by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing to gauge your nursing proficiency.
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Develop your pediatric nursing skills.
You can apply for pediatric nurse residency roles or entry-level pediatric nursing positions as a newly licensed nurse. The Pediatric Nursing Certification Board’s (PNCB) Certified Pediatric Nurse Exam accepts both kinds of experience.
You might think about becoming a licensed pediatric nurse.
Either the PNCB or the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) accept applications for pediatric nursing certification.
Employers can tell that you are more knowledgeable about your speciality than other nurses who merely hold an RN license if you have certification. Before applying to take the certification exam, you must have at least two years of nursing experience and an unrestricted license.
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How Long Does it Take to Become a Licensed Pediatric Nurse in 2024?
The typical training period for pediatric nurses is 6 to 8 years. You must first obtain a license and register as a registered nurse (RN).
You can pursue a bachelor of science in nursing or an associate’s degree in nursing to become a registered nurse (BSN). A BSN is highly advised because you will be specializing in pediatrics.
A BSN requires four years to finish whereas an ADN takes two. A bachelor’s program requires more advanced knowledge as a result.
Regardless, both degrees will provide you with the skills necessary to obtain a license and begin working as a registered nurse. You must take and pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses after receiving your degree (NCLEX-RN).
To become a licensed registered nurse, you must pass this exam. You will need to complete roughly two years of pediatric nursing clinical experience after passing it.
Also you can obtain a pediatric nursing credential from the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board thanks to this clinical experience.
You must get and maintain an unrestricted RN license in your state in order to work as a pediatric nurse. For information on license requirements, contact your state.
You can apply for jobs and certifications in your nursing specialty with your RN license.
A pediatric nursing certification from the ANCC or a certified pediatric nurse designation from the PNCB are the two options available to pediatric nurses.
Over 80% of the time, nurse managers and healthcare executives prefer to hire pediatric nurses who are certified. The duration of the two pediatric nursing certifications, the number of pediatric nurses who apply for them, the requirements for applying, and what to anticipate from the exam differ.
Applying to become a pediatric nurse certified by the PNCB In the last 24 months, pediatric nurses have worked 1,800 clinical hours.
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How much Does it Cost to Be A Licensed Pediatric Nurse?
A median annual pay of $73,300 was made by registered nurses in 2019 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Advanced practice nurses earned a median salary of $115,800, which was even more money.
Additionally, nurses work in a field that is in high demand; according to BLS projections, employment in healthcare occupations might rise by 14% between 2018 and 28.
However, the cost of a degree might still be frightening. Actually, the total cost of tuition can range from $6,000 for an associate’s degree to more than $100,000 for a doctorate. Exactly how much does nursing school cost with such a wide range?
52 colleges in the US provide programs for pediatric nurses and nurses. For the academic year 2021–2022, the average tuition and fees for the Pediatric Nurse/Nursing program at those institutions are $11,175 for residents of the state and $34,939 for out-of-state students.
A bachelor’s degree in pediatric nursing earns an average salary of $67,122, while a master’s degree earns an average salary of $105,630.
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Salary and Job Outlook After Study for Pediatric Nursing
The demand for pediatric nurses is anticipated to expand at a faster rate than many other professions in various industries, similar to other forms of nursing occupations ranging from LVNs to RNs.
Nurses who pursue extra education and certifications are in greater demand. Pediatric nurse practitioners can make an average of $102,640 per year, compared to pediatric nurses with an RN degree who can expect to make a median salary of $66,640.
The extent of your educational options while choosing nursing as a career is your sole restriction. You might begin as a certified vocational nurse and then decide that you want to have a more in-depth relationship with children like a pediatric nurse.
One of the benefits of starting your nursing career as an LVN is that, should you decide to go back to school to improve your career by becoming a pediatric RN or PNP, you will have the benefit of prior training and work experience on your side.
Any nursing position you decide to pursue in the future will always be able to benefit from the abilities you develop as an LVN.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The typical pediatric nurse pay in the United States is $75,000, according to Salary.com, however the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) claims that the median annual salary for RNs was $77,600, or $37.31 per hour.
The fact that you can select from a wide range of work prospects as long as there are infants or children involved is one of the true benefits of being a pediatric nurse. The most obvious places to work as a pediatric nurse are hospitals and private pediatrician offices, but there are also openings in clinics, public institutions, nonprofit organizations, social service providers, and educational institutions.
Pediatric nurses can get employment through a variety of online sites. For instance, the Society of Pediatric Nurses provides support with finding jobs. There may be networking possibilities available through nursing groups to meet with employers both offline and online. In-house job boards for speciality posts are also available in hospitals.
Conclusion
Pediatric nursing specialization can not only provide nurses with a wide range of employment opportunities, but also with the opportunity to engage in particularly gratifying work that has an impact on the lives of children and their families.
Following undergraduate education, graduates generally choose to enroll in a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program to continue additional courses or pursue employment prospects as registered nurses (RNs) or other healthcare professionals.
The next step for nurse practitioners who want to pursue a leadership position is to enroll in a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. Depending on the concentration, this program can be finished in 20 to 36 months.
References
- https://www.indeed.com
- https://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/nursing/blog/is-nursing-school-worth-it/
- https://work.chron.com
- https://bestaccreditedcolleges.org
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