Pediatric nursing
Paediatric nursing is the medical care of neonates and children up to adolescence, usually in an in-patient hospital or day-clinic. Paediatrics comes from the Greek words 'paedia' which means child, 'iatrike' which means physician. 'Paediatrics' is the British/Australian spelling and 'pediatrics' is the United States spelling.
The main role of pediatric nurses is to administer directly procedures and medicines to children according to prescribed nursing care plans. Nurses also continually assess the patient by observing vital signs, and developing communication skills with children and family members and with medical teams. Being a support to children and their families is one component of direct nursing care. Awareness of the concerns of children and parents, being present physically at times of stress and implementing strategies to help children and family members cope are all part of the work.
Neonatal nurses are registered nurses who specialise in working with these young, vulnerable patients. Neonatal nursing is a branch of health-care that is mainly focus in providing care and support for newborn babies who were born prematurely, or suffering from health problems such as birth defects, infections, or heart deformities. Many neonatal nurses work in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), providing highly specialised medical care to at risk newborns.
Pediatric nurses are expected to have a fast mobility and quick response on stressful situations to contain the life-threatening situations. Key features of pediatric emergency nursing include:
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United States Training
The CPN (certified pediatric nurse) exam validates knowledge and expertise of pediatric nurses beyond basic RN licensure. Eligible RNs may have a diploma, associate's degree, BSN, MSN, or higher nursing degree and must have a minimum of 1800 hours of pediatric nursing experience. Over 20,000 nurses actively hold CPN certification. All pediatric nurses begin their career by becoming registered nurses (RN). Additional training specific to the care of children is then required. Training involves a mix of formal education and clinical experiences. Pediatric nurses can become certified in the field and may choose to further specialize. Students can enroll in an associate or bachelor's degree program in nursing. Some diploma programs offered exclusively through hospitals may also prepare students for the RN exam. Possible undergraduate paths could be to receive:
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Wikipedia