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Pediatric Nursing Career
A pediatric nursing career is one in which you will be tending the younger generation of patients. This means infants all the way up to teenagers. Not only will you be taking care of young patients but you will do everything you can to support parents and other members of families to be a part of the treatments that your patients require. There are times you may see pediatric spelled with an “a” as in paediatric.
A pediatric nurse’s work responsibilities are many. On any given day she may diagnose and treat any number of infections, as well as coughs, colds, ear aches and diagnose the flu. She may see a patient who has asthma and another that is suffering from migraine headaches. Her work is far reaching and all encompassing.
To work in pediatrics you must enjoy working with youngsters of all ages. You also must be able to identify with the maelstrom of emotions that children go through. You will have patients that are nervous, frightened, and angry and you may find yourself wiping more than a few tears. It takes a special person to be a pediatric nurse. She must be encouraging, supportive, caring, enthusiastic, kind, friendly and have an excellent sense of humor. She also must be able to tap into how best to relate to the age group she is administering to. Those who choose a pediatric nursing career must have extremely good peoples skills. This is necessary in dealing with the patients but also with the family units as well.
Educating and working as part of a close knit team is something that a pediatric nurse must learn to do. She also must be prepared to be independent when it is called for and to make decisions based on her own professional judgment. Direct patient care is an integral part of the job as is being versatile and knowing how to adequately cope with stress. Being a pediatric nurse can bring lots of happiness and fulfillment to a person’s professional life but it can also bring sadness and pain because every patient will not show signs of improvement. A pediatic nurse must take care of sick children who will get well but she also must take care of sick children that will not get well.
Pediatric nurses provide preventative care on an acute basis to patients in a variety of settings. Examples of these include hospitals, clinics, educational institutions and doctor’ offices. This type of nurse can choose to work with only one specific age group such as working with infants or teenagers in a clinic or she may choose to remain in general pediatrics.
To become a pediatric nurse one must first study to become a registered nurse (RN). This can be done in one of three ways. The individual can attend university and earn her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. The second option is to earn an associate’s degree at a community college or junior college and the third option is to obtain a diploma in nursing. Once the proper education has been obtained the individual must then pass the NCLEX-RN national licensing examination. Only then can she/he look for work in their chosen field.
Subscribe to the comments for this postForensic Nursing
Recognized by the American Nurses Association, forensic nursing is among the newest specialties in the nursing field. The most basic explanation of the field is that forensic nurses work with law enforcement to assist in investigation violent crimes like accidental death, assault, or abuse. Forensic nurses also collect and preserve evidence from suspects or victims of these crimes to be used in criminal court cases.
Forensic nursing careers is a field that needs a lot of people. Crime takes place all over the world, every day. Even when one suspect is put in prison there will always be another one. This means that there are a lot of areas for forensic nurses to work. These titles include Correctional Nursing Specialist, Forensic Gerontology Specialist, Forensic Death Investigator, Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, Legal Nurse Consultant, Forensic Psychiatric Nurse, and many others.
By far the largest sub-specialty in forensic nursing is those working with sexual assault victims. While this may be the largest sub-specialty death investigation, legal consulting, and forensic psychiatric nursing are also growing in demand and popularity.
The job of a forensic nurse jumps into action as soon as a sexual assault takes place. If is the responsibility of the forensic nurse to take pictures, gather evidence, and preserve that evidence so that a suspect can be caught and put on trial. They also provide comfort to the victim and try to ascertain details of the crime so that the police can solve the crime more easily. Forensic nurses also run tests on the evidence they collect, like making DNA comparisons.
Forensic nurses who go into death investigation typically assist the medical examiner or pathologist in determining a cause of death for the victim. A lot of times this forensic nurse may also be the coroner and can handle all the jobs by themselves.
For those going into forensic psychiatric nursing, you will mostly be working with convicted criminals or suspects to a crime. You job as the forensic nurse is to examine the suspect and determine if they are psychologically fit to stand trial. Or you may perform similar examinations on released or paroled convicts so that they can find work.
Forensic nurses working in tissue and organ donation will mostly be documenting the actual donations. For example, making sure the paperwork is correct and that the donations are being handled properly.
The process for becoming a forensic nurse starts with being a registered nurse, since this is a requirement. Then you can enroll in a specialty program that will teach you all the areas of forensic nursing that you need to know. After completing the training you can gain some experience by working with a highly skilled and training forensic nurse. While passing the certification exam is not required for forensic nurses, it is highly recommended and lends further credibility to your training. You may want to cheek with a list of nursing schools.
Visiting a Nursing Career Fair
A career fair (also sometimes referred to as a job fair) is a way for employers and prospective employees to meet and connect with one another. Both sides can accomplish their own ends through a career fair. The employers can meet future candidates for work while the individuals attending the fair can learn more about what each employee has to offer. It is a win-win situation for everyone concerned and there you can consider all your nursing career options.
A nursing career fair provides a person who is either studying for a nurse or presently seeking employment the opportunity to meet a number of employers under the same roof. There will be booths set up by hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, pharmaceutical companies and so on. The key is to find eligible candidate for the jobs that are available at various medical settings. Your job as a career seeker is to be as qualified and skilled as possible and to be excellent at what you do. The employers at these job fairs are looking for the biggest and the brightest talents.
Come to the job fair prepared. In other words have an up-to-date resume and know everything that is on it. If you get some interviews thanks to the job fair you need to know your resume by heart. You should not need to consult your own resume in order to answer questions about your education and past job experience.
Bring a number of copies of your resume with you. Make sure it is professionally presented and is free of any grammatical or typographical errors. It also will work in your favor if your contact information is clearly visible and if you have included a list of references.
Be well aware of what your experience is as well as the skills you presently have that can support you in finding a job. For example, if you have worked in the emergency room of a hospital this can work in your favor and should increase your chances of receiving a job offer (or many job offers!).
As you are handing out your résumé to prospective employers make sure you keep a concise list of the companies you have given your resume to. You will need this list of contacts to follow up with at a later date. You must be proactive in your search for a nursing job after all.
Most nursing career fairs are announced a number of weeks in advance of the event. Check online for information of such. Many job fairs are posted over the web at online communities, forums and mailing lists. You should also check flyers posted on bulletin boards in hospitals, clinics, community centers and the like. Your local newspaper may also be a source for information about the job fair.
Become a Nurse
As our population continues to age, so does the need for qualified nurses. At the present time there is a shortage of nurses and nursing educators which makes it an excellent career choice for those who are nurturing and like to help others. Although nursing can be a very challenging and demanding occupation with long hours, it comes with its own rewards.
The nursing industry boosts job stability because it is such a growing industry that is in need of qualified and compassionate people. If this is an industry that appeals to you then it is important to make a plan, set a time line and research your nursing careers options.
Preparation is Key
In order to attend nursing school you first must obtain your high school diploma or your GED. If you are presently still in high school then you will need to take courses with a concentration in math and science including algebra, biology, chemistry and physics. You will also need to obtain your credits in English. The better grades you make overall, the better off you will be in terms of getting into the nursing school of your choice. Be aware that studying for a nursing degree is very rigorous and that is why you must demonstrate that you can handle an intensive level of academic work.
Do You Have a Nurse’s Personality Traits?
Besides good grades and your grade point average, programs that accept those interested in becoming nurses are looking for individuals of a certain temperament. There are certain personality traits that exemplify the profession such as compassion, the ability to think for yourself, a pleasant demeanor, common sense and the ability to handle an abundance of stress. Most nursing programs also deem it necessary for applicants to pass an entrance examination. This exam measures both your aptitude and your potential for success in the program.
RN or LPN- Which is for You?
In the United States there are two different types of nursing designations. The one that is most well known is the RN or Registered Nurse. There is another one however, which is the Licensed Practical Nurse, or is simply known as LPN. In some states LPN’s are called Licensed Vocational Nurses or LVN’s.
Becoming an RN is the more advanced of the two and it requires a longer period of study. To become a Registered Nurse generally takes anywhere from two to four years of intensive study.
Three Different Routes to Becoming a Nurse
If you wish to obtain a registered nursing degree, then there are three different ways to go about it. First, you could enroll in a community college and study for a traditional Bachelor of Science degree in nursing which would take you four years to complete. It would be best to search a list of nursing schools .
Secondly, you could attend either a community college or technical college and work towards an Associate’s degree in nursing which would take you anywhere from two to three years to finish.
The third and final option is to obtain the necessary training by way of a hospital diploma plan where you would work in a hospital and learn directly from other nurses and nursing educators. You would also be required to take college classes at a local community college in subjects unrelated to the nursing trade.
The first two options are by far the most common and most popular for those interested in entering the nursing profession. The third option was once very common but has since become much less so.