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Learn More About Pediatric Nursing Education Requirements
A pediatric nurse is a professional who specializes in caring for infants, children and teenagers. For these important healthcare professionals, meeting the pediatric nursing education requirements that the field requires is key to providing lifesaving care.
Here’s some brief information about the education requirements to be a pediatric nurse.
You should consider your level of interest before seeking out pediatric nursing education requirements. Above all, nurses who are interested in a pediatric specialization must have a strong interest in caring for infants, children and adolescents.
You must be a registered nurse. Before specializing and solely working in pediatrics, you must become a registered nurse, or RN. This can be achieved either through a hospital or via degree programs at various educational institutions.
You should have an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in nursing. These two- or four-year degree options provide students with classroom knowledge and hands-on clinical experience. Coursework ranges from nursing ethics to patient management. Pediatric-related electives are often available to help students round out their degrees.
You must be licensed. All working nurses must be licensed and registered. 1 This is done by successfully passing the NCLEX-RN exam, proving your understanding of the fundamentals of nursing and providing quality care. Once the NCLEX-RN exam is completed, aspiring pediatric nurses are one step closer to achieving their career goals.
You may consider a master’s degree. Although not one of the pediatric nursing education requirements, having a master’s degree allows you to further specialize within the field and even become a pediatric nurse practitioner (PNP).
You should look into certifications. Additional trainings and certifications outside the traditional nursing school education may be required by your employer or can make you a stronger applicant as you start job searching. Pediatric advanced life support (PALS) can be a beneficial supplement to the rest of your schooling.
Visit Health Ed Solutions’ website for PALS certification information and PALS recertification information. Health Ed Solutions is the leading online provider of healthcare certifications, offering advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), PALS and basic life support (BLS) certification and recertification courses, along with CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) training classes.