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Substance Use Disorder: About 6 to 8% of nurses struggle.
Usually, nurses turn to drugs to cope with stress or depression (especially after losing a patient(s)) or they have struggled with substance use in the past and the easy access to drugs is hard for them to overcome.
Due to addiction in healthcare being stigmatized, many nurses don't speak up about their problem or reach out for help. Nurses after seeking help are hesitant to return to work as they feel judged and will have to maybe be restricted/watched, drug tested, or required to attend sober meetings.
Signs: tension/conflict with relationships, frequent tardiness/absences, charting errors, mood swings, isolation, impaired job performance, or appearing dazed/sleepy
Most substances used are alcohol and prescription drugs. Nurses can easily access prescription drugs due to their job.
Proposed solution: Instead of making regulations after the nurses have already developed addiction, start getting them mental health help to deal with stress and depression.

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1. Nurse Educator: Teach aspiring nurses in either clinical (in hospital) or classroom (nursing schools, colleges, high schools) setting.
2. Health Policy Nurse: nurses that work with government or healthcare organizations to help create policies that help impact nursing and healthcare overall.
3. Nurse recruiter: Help hospitals or other settings recruit nurses.
4. Nurse Informaticist: Keep and manage accurate data for nurses. Such as patient history, test results, symptoms, identity, medications, and diagnosis
5. Forensic Nurse: Works with criminal investigation to understand the cause of death and inspect wounds. They will look for visible injuries to find if it is related to any abuse. They can can "expert witnesses" and go on the stand in trials.
6. Clinical Research Nurse: Research and aids in finding new medicines and cures to illnesses & diseases
7. Nurse Health Coach: Work one on one with patients to help them map out how to lead a healthy life.

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Pediatric nurses can go back to school and earn their master's degree in order to become Nurse Practitioners. Nurse practitioners are primary care providers. They can do anything a doctor would be able to do such as examinations, order tests, prescribe medications, and refer to specialists.
Pediatric nurses can earn promotions to charge nurses or nurse managers. In these positions, they are not caring for patients as much and are now in charge of keeping staff nurses in check. They can hire new employees, make assignments, and oversee their department.

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http://www.pedsnurses.org/becominganurse
https://www.thechicagoschool.edu/insight/career-development/rn-vs-bsn/
https://online.ndm.edu/news/nursing/pediatric-nurse-infographic/
https://education.seattlepi.com/list-required-college-classes-nursing-program-1969.html
https://www.ncsbn.org/nclex.htm
https://careertrend.com/list-6319430-advantages--amp--disadvantages-pediatric-nursing.html
https://prosancons.com/medicine/pros-and-cons-of-being-a-pediatric-nurse/
https://www.salary.com/research/salary/alternate/pediatric-nurse-salary/ca
https://www.zippia.com/pediatric-nurse-jobs/best-states/
https://www.wgu.edu/blog/pedatric-nurse-career2009.html#close
https://bestaccreditedcolleges.org/articles/pediatric-nurse-advancement-opportunities.html
https://careertrend.com/type-advancements-possible-pediatric-nurse-32775.html
https://www.stkate.edu/academics/healthcare-degrees/what-can-you-do-with-a-bsn#:~:text=Graduates%20with%20a%20BSN%20can,nurses%2C%20or%20nurse%20health%20coaches.
https://americanaddictioncenters.org/healthcare-professionals/rehab-for-nurses
https://ipedsnursing.org/pediatric-nursing-workforce-data
https://www.newdirectionsforwomen.org/the-rise-of-substance-abuse-among-nurses/\

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Pediatric nurses are Registered Nurses (RNs) who care for children of all ages in a variety of healthcare settings. They graduate from a nursing school within a college or a university and then take a credentialing examination known as NCLEX. All nursing students learn to care for children through formal classes and guided clinical experiences. Undergraduate nursing programs do not offer a specifically program for pediatric nurses.

To specialize in pediatrics, a nurse typically applies to work in a site that serves pediatric patients. Most of these sites offer classroom and/or clinical experience directed to the unique characteristics of children. These orientation or "internship" programs may last weeks or months. The salary of the pediatric nurse depends on the education and experience of the nurse, the location of the facility, and the acuity of the patient population.

Pediatric nurses are very knowledgeable about growth and development as they adapt their interactions and care to the individual child's developmental level. In addition, they acknowledge the expertise of the family and collaborate with them to provide care for the child. Diseases, equipment, and treatments for pediatric patients are either different or vary in presentation from those of adults for children are unique, not miniature adults.

The general pediatric care unit provides nursing care to children with a wide range of acute and chronic medical and surgical conditions. Children who require more frequent and invasive monitoring such as those with severe, critical, or life-threatening conditions are cared for in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) where the staff has advanced knowledge and training in the care of critically ill children. Intermediate care is provided to patients who are acutely ill and require more frequent assessment and monitoring than provided on a general unit but less than standard in the PICU. For many, intermediate care facilitates transition between the critical and general pediatric units. The staff is specially trained to recognize early signs of problems and how and when to intervene.

Nurses working in pediatric rehabilitation units provide combined rehabilitation and nursing care to prepare the child and family for the child's return home and reentry into the community and school with any remaining disability.

After gaining experience, the pediatric nurse can take an exam to become a Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN). Pediatric nurses continually add to their knowledge base by reading professional journals, participating in continuing education classes, and attending conferences such as those offered annually by the Society of Pediatric Nurses.

Certification recognizes an individual as having attained a level of expertise as demonstrated by passing a valid and reliable standardized exam. Certification attests the individual's knowledge and critical thinking skills in clinical decision making for a defined population. Certification identifies the nurse as having a recognized degree of proficiency in the stated area of clinical practice. The Society of Pediatric Nurses strongly supports and encourages certification for nurses at both the basic and advanced practice levels.

There are two organizations, Pediatric Nursing Certification Board, and American Nurses Credentialing Center, that support certification programs. Each one has an initial exam and subsequent requirements for continued certification. Maintaining certification is based on demonstration of continued knowledge acquisition. SPN encourages you to explore the links to their websites and learn more about this valuable opportunity to promote excellence in pediatric nursing.

Becoming a Pediatric Advanced Practice Nurse

After obtaining a BSN from a college or university, a nurse can pursue advanced education to earn a master's degree in nursing and become a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) or Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) in Pediatrics. Masters in nursing (MSN) programs usually are two years in length for full time study or longer for part time study. After completion of the master's degree, PNPs and CNSs apply to the state board of nursing for recognition as an advanced practice nurse and take their respective national exam for certification. Certification is required in many states and recommended in the others.

Pediatric advanced Practice nurses serve as pediatric healthcare providers in primary or acute care settings for well and ill children from birth to 21 years of age. Examples of primary care sites include physician offices, school health, ambulatory, or outpatient clinics, surgical centers, and health departments. The acute care environment encompasses the pediatric inpatient, intensive care, and intermediate care units, the pediatric emergency room, same day surgery center, and pediatric rehabilitation facility.

Primary care PNPs have the additional knowledge and skill to diagnose and treat episodic illnesses; manage ongoing care of children with chronic conditions; and provide for the child's on-going health maintenance needs including well child examinations, developmental assessment and anticipatory guidance. Acute care PNPs manage the medical, surgical, and nursing care for children during hospitalization in acute or intensive care settings. All PNPs practice in collaboration with physicians who provide protocols and are available for consultation or referral as needed. Nurse practitioners in the United States have prescriptive authority.

Clinical Nurse Specialists function in a variety of settings in both the direct and indirect role. They model expert direct family-centered patient care. In addition, they influence nursing care outcomes by providing education, expert consultation, and leadership in defining and implementing evidence-based practice for the staff. The Pediatric CNS may be identified in terms of a setting, a subspecialty, a type of care or a type of patient problem (e.g. skin, pain). They also work cooperatively with other disciplines to implement improvements in health care delivery systems.

The opportunities pediatric nurses have to care for varying types of patients in varying settings and at varying levels are vast. Each individual will find her/his niche in pediatric nursing and excel!

Approved by the SPN Board of Directors, July 2006

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Society of Pediatric Nurses : Becoming a Pediatric Nurse

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Pediatric nurses are Registered Nurses (RNs) who care for children of all ages in a variety of healthcare settings. They graduate from a nursing school within a college or a university and then take a credentialing examination known as NCLEX. All nursing students learn to care for children through f…

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A registered nursing specialty, providing healthcare to babies, children, and adolescents.

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Day to day (Hospital Setting, under provider)

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Day to day (Hospital Setting, under provider)

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1. Always experiencing new things, you never know what age your patient will be. From newborn to teen/young adult. Most people see their pediatrician until age 21.
2. Nurses receive daily patient load and organize it
3. Gather patient information (vitals) and background
4. Exams: sports physicals, wellness checks
5. Administer vaccines such as flu shots.
6. Enter medical records
7. Lunch period = time to rejuvenate and get ready for the next batch of patients
8. (if admitted patients) round patients with provider
9. Check on patients. Take vitals, check injuries, and give meds to long-term patients
10. End shift by charting and entering new info in the computer.

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1. working with kids and making them feel safe
2. improving a child's health and then being able to see them back again for yearly checkups all better
3. Working with the same child for many years, creating relationships of trust with patients
4. Able to have fun to ensure the kid has fun
5. No day will be the same, seeing different ages and illnesses.
6. Many workplace options. Hospitals, schools, private practice.

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1. Overbearing, annoying, or rude parents
2. Patient deaths. For most people, it is harder to watch a child die than an adult or geriatric.
3. Scared children who are not cooperative making it hard to treat them
4. Trouble communicating. Many children will not be at the age to talk or at the age where they don't talk to anyone but their parents.
5. Having to see patients with neglectful parents and most likely unable to see anything be corrected. Feeling like there is nothing you can do about it.
6. Exposed to many viruses and diseases
7. May have to work on holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter
8. Physical work like lifting, pulling, moving patients
9. Stressful. Having many patients at once and the feeling like a life if always in your hands.

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Any state
Pediatric nurses are usually working in hospitals, but also in schools, private practices, clinics, emergency rooms, social service agencies, & doctor's offices

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RN: Registered Nurse
Can either have an Associate's Degree in Nursing or Bachelor's of Science in Nursing
ADN takes about 2 years and can only be RN
BSN takes about 4 and can be RN as well as taking on management/director roles such as Chief Nursing Officer
Must pass NCLEX
*As the pandemic slows, nurses are less demanded meaning more competitive. BSN looks better than just RN to employers

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Classes: Anatomy & physiology, Writing & communication, Chemistry & pharmacology, Ethics, Social sciences, Math & data
Schools for BSN: Simpson University, San Diego State, Chico State, Sacramento State

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The National Council Licensure Examination developed by The National Council of State Boards of Nursing in order to test competency of nursing school graduates

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There are no specialized programs for the pediatric specialty.
In order to specialize in pediatrics, one must apply to a job where they offer pediatric training. Training can be in classroom or clinical time form. *referred to is internships* they may last weeks or a few months

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After training and experience, nurses can take either the CPN exam (Pediatric Nursing Certification Board) or the PED-BC exam (American Nurses Credentialing Center).

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California: $83,500 (ranges from about $75,700 to $110,000)
Highest paying state: Connecticut at an average of $101,559
Lowest paying state: Iowa at an average of $53,580
Every state pays differently

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Differences between adult & children nursing

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Differences between adult & children nursing

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"children are not miniature adults"
Many illnesses affect children differently than it does adults
Equipment used in hospitals may differ in size or presentation to make children more comfortable.
Children will be more scared/nervous than adults so comfort and reassurance is vital.

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PICU is for children with chronic, severe, or critical conditions/illnesses
PICU nurses need even more extensive training to care for critical patients

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Prepares a child for his release back home and into daily life. Also helps family prepare as they may have to alter their routines to help child's remaining disability.