The booming demand for health services is leading to a shortage of healthcare workers. There is a sprouting need for physicians, doctors, surgeons, and especially nurses. In the 21st century, nursing is not limited to primary patient care since it is a diverse field. It offers many areas of specialization from nurse practitioners, emergency room nurses, and pediatric nurses.
With the increasing population, pediatric nursing is a substantially growing field. Usually, people opting for this field love children and want to devote their knowledge to care for them. They look after infants, toddlers, preteens, and teenagers to resolve their health issues. Every parent prefers a pediatric nurse for their child because these nurses are aware of children’s unique needs.
Like every other nurse, they hold the bag for performing physical examinations, taking blood samples, and assessing symptoms. You have quite a few options within this field if you want to specialize in pediatric nursing. So, to burst your bubble, here are types of pediatric nursing and ones you can opt for.
1. Registered Pediatric Nurse
Every hospital has a pediatric ward, and this is where these nurses work. They provide routine checkups for children of different ages and administer any care which they require. As a registered pediatric nurse, you will have to observe symptoms and signs in children and communicate to parents whenever possible. Likewise, you have to give development screenings and immunizations to measure progress in children.
At times, dealing with families could be challenging, but you have to understand and help them cope with the anxiety of a child’s illness. With all the efforts come rewards, on average, these nurses earn $60,000 annually. If you are thinking, how long does it take to become a pediatric nurse? You have to spend two years on education and on-job training for some months to qualify for this position.
2. Developmental Disability Nurse
Sometimes, children suffer from mental and physical disabilities in their growing years, affecting their ability to learn and perform well. Development disability nurses handle children with autism, Down syndrome, and other illnesses. These nurses provide specialized care to children by assisting them with basic skills – language development, walking, communication skills, etc. In short, they make every possible effort to help the child achieve independent mobility. Moreover, you will also have to educate parents about a child’s disability and specialized equipment.
3. School Nurse
Some nurses love children but don’t prefer working with babies. Therefore, school nursing is the perfect fit for such people. You will have to provide primary care to children when they are in school. It is a relatively simple job because you have to administer prescription medications to children and deal with injuries. At times, you will have to inspect the health standards and lead health education programs to spread awareness among students. Alongside being a straightforward job, it is rewarding too. On average, school nurses make around $70,000 per annum.
4. Palliative Pediatric Nurse
Palliative nurses care for children suffering from incurable diseases like cancer. They relieve their suffering and provide them with the best quality of care. These nurses are highly trained in sensitive discussions, allowing them to communicate effectively with the child’s parents. They help doctors in managing necessary equipment and coordinating care with health professionals. You will regularly monitor the patients and take measures to improve their well-being.
5. Neonatal Nurse
Unfortunately, some infants are born premature, while some are suffering from congenital disabilities, infections, heart diseases, etc. Thus, it calls out for specialized care and support, which becomes possible with neonatal nurses. They work in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) monitoring and looking after the babies. As a neonatal nurse, you have to handle premature babies who cannot adjust in the outside of their mother’s womb. You will have to inform parents of the child’s progress by displaying empathy and being polite.
6. Labor & Delivery Nurse
Do you know the joy of bringing a new life to this world? Alongside mothers and doctors, nurses bring new life into the world every day. The labor and delivery nurses monitor vital signs for mothers and babies to ensure they are doing fine. Similarly, they inspect potential complications and inform the doctor beforehand to minimalize their impact.
Moreover, you will have to prepare mothers for childbirth by teaching them correct postures and provide guidance on all aspects of child delivery. These nurses must have the knack of modern equipment and should be able to handle the demands of a fast-paced environment. It might sound like a stressful job, but the satisfaction of doing something great makes it worth every effort.
Which One Should You Opt?
Honestly, there is no hard and fast answer to this because it is all about individual choices. Some people like taking challenges and are comfortable working under stressful conditions; as a result, they opt for neonatal nursing. Whereas others might want a less complicated job, making them opt for school nursing. So, before calling the shots, see what you prefer, according to your interest and skills and the sort of working environment you want. It would be super helpful in making the right choice.
Final Thoughts,
It is comforting to know how healthcare professionals are trying to provide support to children and their families. Therefore, the role of pediatric nurses holds a lot of importance in the healthcare sector since they know how to deal with critically ill children. Explore the diverse field by taking a dig at types of pediatric nursing to see what suits you the best.
