What Is a Pediatric RN and How to Become One

By ZipRecruiter Marketplace Research Team

A pediatric registered nurse (RN) provides medical care for children—infants, young children, and adolescent patients. In this career, you may work for a hospital, physician’s office, or another health care facility that deals with children. Pediatric RNs can also assist physicians and monitor patients in hospital ICUs, surgery centers, and facilities for treating chronic conditions. Your job duties include collecting pertinent data about the patient, assessing each patient’s condition, taking vital signs, looking for developmental issues, and administering immunizations. Children are often anxious or afraid of going to the doctor or hospital; pediatric RNs are trained to help alleviate their fears and make them feel comfortable. You also explain any health issues you find during the examination to the patient’s parents, describing the treatment plan recommended by the doctor and how to provide care at home, if necessary.

Pediatric RNs must follow the same educational path as other registered nurses. You need to earn an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree, then pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) administered through the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Once you complete those qualifications, you can finish your application for a nursing license. State requirements vary, so make sure to check the criteria where you live. Seek positions that allow you to gain experience in pediatrics, such as jobs at a pediatrician's office or in the pediatric ward of a hospital. To show expertise in the field, a pediatric nurse can pursue additional certification from the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board. This certificate is voluntary and requires previous experience in pediatric care.

The differences between pediatric registered nurses (RNs) and pediatric nurse practitioners (NPs) are their level of education and what responsibilities they can perform. Both provide medical care for children. RNs have an associate or bachelor’s degree in nursing and provide care and treatment under the supervision of a physician. NPs often start as RNs, but then they continue their education and earn a master’s degree in nursing and undergo clinical training to become nurse practitioners. Nurse practitioners can plan treatments and write prescriptions for their pediatric patients. In most states, a nurse practitioner can act as a child’s primary healthcare provider without the direct supervision of a physician.