Pediatric Nurse?

Question

What steps should be taken to become a pediatric nurse. How long does it take to become a pediatric nurse.

Answer 1

I'm not sure where you live, but Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) has a great training program for new nursing graduates. Once you complete nursing school and pass the boards to get your RN license then you can apply for the program at CHLA. Since nursing school covers all different areas of nursing (labor & delivery, surgery, orthopedics, pediatrics, med/surg, etc.) then you really don't get much training in one specific area. CHLA's program is 5 months of pediatric training. They call it the "RN Residency in Pediatrics". You work one-on-one with a preceptor who is an experienced nurse that helps you learn pediatric skills and helps in the transition from nursing student to a real, working nurse (pediatric nurse). You also have a mentor you can go to to talk about any problems and to share your exciting moments, and a debriefing group made up of other classmates from the RN Residency program where you can vent about problems, learn coping skills, and discuss anything you want. I highly recommend it! I am a new graduate and wanted to be a pediatric nurse, and I think CHLA was a great place to help me achieve that goal with an excellent training program. Good luck to you in your journey to becoming a pediatric nurse! It's definitely worth it/rewarding/fulfilling.

Answer 2

A nursing degree takes about three years. 1 of general ed, like English and biology and stuff, then 2 in a nursing program. Quite a few community colleges offer associate degree nursing programs, which is a good place to start rather than investing 4 years into a bachelors degree program because you may change your mind about health care down the road. If not, get your BSN after you are SURE that's what you want to do. After you graduate you can pretty much choose what area of nursing you want to go into. Pediatrics and mother/baby positions within a hospital are a lot harder to come by then other positions, but not impossible. You could also apply at a pediatricians office after you have a little experience in a hospital setting.