Understanding how to become a pediatric nurse is the first step toward planning a career. To become one, you must first earn a nursing degree and license before pursuing entry-level jobs in pediatric care. After gaining clinical experience, you can strengthen your credentials by earning pediatric nurse certification.
Children need trained professionals for their healthcare needs, from routine annual checkups to medical emergencies. Pediatric nursing can be a highly rewarding path for those who enjoy working with children and wish to build a meaningful career.
If you are interested in pediatric medicine, understanding how to become a pediatric nurse can help you plan your education and career goals.
Felician University offers a Hybrid Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program that thoroughly prepares students to provide patient-focused care in various nursing specialties. If you have a non-nursing bachelor’s degree or at least 60 college credits, you can earn your Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) in as few as 16 months and launch your career as a pediatric nurse.
What is a Pediatric Nurse? Primary Job Responsibilities
Pediatric nurses treat patients from birth to 18 years old. They can work in various environments, from private practice offices to hospitals and in various specialties, such as primary care or critical care.
Pediatric nurses must be compassionate and empathetic professionals who understand how to communicate with children of all ages and their families. At times, this balance can be challenging to achieve. They must know how to calm both children and parents during stressful situations while answering questions.
Not every interaction pediatric nurses have is under stressful circumstances, however. Pediatric nurses also perform physical exams and participate in annual checkups. Their other responsibilities include:
- Collecting vital signs
- Recording medical history
- Parent and patient education
- Administering medications and immunizations
Pediatric Nurse Schooling Requirements
Pediatric nurses are registered nurses (RNs) and undergo the same schooling and licensing requirements as any other RN. Their education begins with enrolling in nursing school and earning either an associate degree in nursing (ADN) or a BSN.
Both degrees prepare you for the licensing exam and a career, but many healthcare employers prefer a BSN. According to a recent survey, 69.8% of employers prefer hiring BSN graduates.
A BSN can help launch your nursing career on the right foot. Read more to learn the top 10 benefits of earning a BSN.
If you already have a non-nursing bachelor’s degree or college credits, you may wonder, “How can I become a pediatric nurse?” Through an accelerated BSN program, you can apply your previous college credits toward a BSN and earn your nursing degree in as few as 16 months.
At Felician University, we offer two course delivery options for our ABSN program: a hybrid program based in Parsippany, New Jersey, that combines online learning with hands-on labs and clinicals or an entirely on-ground option at our main Rutherford campus, that combines the same hands-on labs and clinicals with in-person nursing courses.
Certification and Licensure
Pediatric nurses must hold a state-approved RN license to practice, which they acquire by passing the NCLEX and registering with their state board of nursing. After gaining a few years of clinical experience, pediatric nurses can earn optional certification from the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB) or the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
Career Outlook for Pediatric Nursing
Nurses are in high demand. Due to a national nursing shortage, brought on partly by an aging population and nurse retirements outpacing new graduates, the job outlook for RNs is strong. While the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not collect data specifically for pediatric nurses, RN employment is expected to grow 6% between 2023 and 2033.
Steps to Becoming a Pediatric Nurse
Now that you know the pediatric nurse requirements, let’s explore how to become a pediatric nurse.
1. Earn a BSN
Earning a BSN requires enrolling in either a traditional, four-year BSN program or an accelerated BSN program. Regardless of your program type, your BSN education will prepare you for the next step in your pediatric nursing journey: the licensing exam.
At Felician University, our comprehensive ABSN curriculum is designed to prepare practice-ready nurses. The program takes a dynamic approach, instilling in students the confidence and skills to provide patient-centered care.
The program lays the groundwork for nursing education through nursing coursework, which students then apply to practice in our nursing skills and simulation labs. These labs provide a safe, simulated setting where students can practice essential nursing skills, such as IV placement, on high-fidelity medical manikins. They also participate in simulation labs where students collaborate to identify patients’ needs and care for their manikin patients in mock clinical scenarios.
Lastly, students enter clinical rotations, where they provide real-world patient care in respected facilities throughout Atlantic Health System and other leading healthcare providers in New Jersey. Here, students experience life as registered nurses, network with healthcare professionals and explore various specialty areas.
2. Pass the NCLEX-RN
The NCLEX-RN is a nationally recognized nurse licensing exam. It is a rigorous exam designed to gauge an applicant’s nursing competency. Applicants must understand core nursing concepts fully and possess a developed clinical judgment.
Rather than simply memorizing facts and cases, applicants must interpret sample clinical scenarios and identify the most appropriate response. Sometimes, all multiple-choice answers are technically correct, and you must determine which is the most appropriate based on the context.
Preparing for the NCLEX should start early in nursing school, preferably your first semester. At Felician, our ABSN curriculum thoroughly prepares students for the exam by supplying targeted coursework, practice exams and simulation experiences.
Learn how to prepare for the exam with these 10 tips for passing the NCEX.
3. Become an RN and Gain Clinical Experience
Upon passing the NCLEX, you can register with your state board of nursing to obtain an RN license and start looking for entry-level positions in pediatric care. You can work in many different environments, from a private physician’s office to the pediatric ward of a hospital.
4. Receive Pediatric Nurse Certification
According to a recent PNCB survey, 83% of healthcare employers preferred hiring certified pediatric nurses over non-certified nurses. As you progress through your career, earning certification can help your job growth prospects and strengthen your skills.
You can pursue two pediatric certifications: the PNCB’s Certified Pediatric Nurse certification or the ANCC’s Pediatric Nursing Certification. Each certification requires a certain number of clinical hours in pediatric care and other requirements.
Start Your Pediatric Nursing Journey with Felician
Now that you know how to become a pediatric nurse, Felician University can help you achieve that goal. Our hybrid and on-ground programs will prepare you for a wide range of nursing careers. You will have the chance to explore multiple nursing specialties during clinical rotations. Whether you decide to become a pediatric nurse or fall in love with a different specialty, you can rest assured that Felician’s ABSN program offers the training needed to excel in your career.
Contact our team of friendly admissions counselors who can help walk you through each step of the admissions process.