For all the prestige that the medical field has attached to it, people forget that it’s made of dozens of different specialists all working together to make sure patient care is at a premium. Doctor’s simply cannot do it alone and standing alongside as some of the most important partners in healthcare are nurses. These professionals are the first line of defense in the war against illness and injury. Choosing to join the nursing ranks is making a commitment to long hours and demands a passionate driven person who wants to succeed. The rewards are more than monetary, but knowing that you’ve made a real impact in the lives of people around you. Becoming a pediatric nurse can mean making a difference from birth until adulthood.
It is not every profession that can witness a child grow up, but pediatrics deals with infants all the way through to adolescence. If you feel this is the perfect avenue for your talents and aspirations then you must understand the route of becoming a nurse.
The kind of nurse you want to be varies on the license that you acquire. Licensed practical nurses have completed a typically one year course and their duties are limited, but it may be the right start for older folks who are mulling over a career change. If you receive an undergraduate degree in this major and follow that with a license exam that allows you to begin practicing, you are known as registered nurses (RN)and are the most well known type of this profession.
If you are an RN that is craving more challenge and self-responsibility than becoming a practitioner is the logical next step. This involves attaining a separate master’s degree, which takes about two years, and leaves you with an even stronger role within any medical setting. Practitioners an examine, diagnose, and prescribe medication to patients.
Depending on the type of nurse you want to be, it may be time to start thinking about your specialty and area of practice. If you choose pediatrics you can go about training in different ways, you can become certified as a pediatric nurse, or you can get on the job training. This on the job training is similar to the rotations that physicians are subjected to when learning about various specialties.
Over a short time you can participate in lectures and hands on training that can have you prepared for a life in pediatrics. Of course, as with all aspects of medicine, you can even sub-specialize. Working in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) will have you working exclusively with infants, while oncology puts you into contact with children of all ages battling cancer.
There are other specialties as well, like emergency medicine which can be the perfect fit for those who crave constant action. Of course, you can just work in the family medicine department and get to know your patients as they grow up in front of you. Wanting to work with children can be accomplished through a number of avenues in the medical community.