[WhisperingEchos]

I'm looking to specialize in pediatric nursing; however, i'm having a very hard time finding a college, which has this. I went to gradview.com for a college search, but there were only approximately 8 colleges through out the U.S. Am I going in the wrong direction here? Is there an easier way of going about this? I have 2 years or so until even thinking about grad school, but i want to get a head start. Also what is the difference between an maters and a PH D degree!

[SteveRN21]

First focus on graduating and then working as an RN for a while to gain an experience base to build your gradwork on. You can go for your Pediatric NP, which many grad schools offer, or get your general clinical nurse specialist. Most programs will tailor your clinicals to give you more of what you want: peds. Best of luck!

[pinoyNP]

Originally Posted by WhisperingEchos

I'm looking to specialize in pediatric nursing; however, i'm having a very hard time finding a college, which has this. I went to gradview.com for a college search, but there were only approximately 8 colleges through out the U.S. Am I going in the wrong direction here? Is there an easier way of going about this? I have 2 years or so until even thinking about grad school, but i want to get a head start. Also what is the difference between an maters and a PH D degree!

There are a lot more programs around the country that prepare nurses for pediatric specialization. Are you interested in an NP role or a CNS role? A website I found that seems to have a fairly accurate list of searchable programs for graduate (and undergraduate) study is http://www.allnursingschools.com/ Again, their list is not exhaustive. If you are interested in an NP role, the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners have a list of Pediatric NP programs in their website at http://www.aanp.org/AANPPublicPages/...istingcrit.asp

A master's degree is definitely different than PhD. Master's degree programs are shorter and are usually focused on a nursing specialization such as clinical nursing, nursing management, nursing education and such. Many of the current MS degrees prepare for advanced practice roles such as CNS, NP, CNM, and CRNA. A PhD in nursing is one of the highest degree you can achieve in our profession. There are other doctoral programs available such as the DNSc and the newly-introduced DNP.

PhD prepared nurses are trained to conduct research on the science of nursing and all other related aspects of the profession. Most are employed in academic institutions as professors of various ranks. There are some who choose not to stay in the academia, however. We once had a PhD prepared nurse as our chief nursing officer in our hospital and I know of another who is the chief nursing officer at another hospital system.

It is a good goal for a nurse to want to pursue graduate studies. It is always beneficial to have that advanced degree but many times, nurses complain that the compensation is not great even with having achieved a graduate degree. Weigh your choices well. I myself, have no regrets about pursuing a master's degree and maybe I'll go further to a doctoral degree in the future.

[WhisperingEchos]

okay, so what does a nurse practitoner actually do? I want to go into pediatric nursing. It's been suggested to me by many indivduals to go on and specialize in the field rather than just getting a BSN degree in it.

I have looked up both the definitons of a nurse practitioner vs the clinical nurse specialist.
For the nurse practitoner : A registered nurse with special training for providing primary health care, including many tasks customarily performed by a physician.
clinical nurse specialist: A nurse who has advanced knowledge and competence in a particular area of nursing practice, such as in cardiology, oncology, or psychiatry.

I just want to do what is best, and i'm planning on moving to the city rather then stay in my small town. The statistics say that we will have a shortage of nurses at approximately 800,000 by the time I graduate college, so hospitals are going to need nurses. There however will be competition, and i'm wondering if going on and getting a graduate degree may win me over when applying for the job unlike the other individuals who i may be up against only have that BSN degree

[pinoyNP]

Originally Posted by WhisperingEchos

okay, so what does a nurse practitoner actually do? I want to go into pediatric nursing. It's been suggested to me by many indivduals to go on and specialize in the field rather than just getting a BSN degree in it.

I have looked up both the definitons of a nurse practitioner vs the clinical nurse specialist.
For the nurse practitoner : A registered nurse with special training for providing primary health care, including many tasks customarily performed by a physician.
clinical nurse specialist: A nurse who has advanced knowledge and competence in a particular area of nursing practice, such as in cardiology, oncology, or psychiatry.

I just want to do what is best, and i'm planning on moving to the city rather then stay in my small town. The statistics say that we will have a shortage of nurses at approximately 800,000 by the time I graduate college, so hospitals are going to need nurses. There however will be competition, and i'm wondering if going on and getting a graduate degree may win me over when applying for the job unlike the other individuals who i may be up against only have that BSN degree

Actually, the BSN is a good start for someone your age. The reason why I suggest this is because this degree will allow you to be employed in any entry-level position in nursing. With the current nursing shortage, a BSN and even an associate's degree in nursing can be equally sought after by the many health-care facilities who have numerous RN openings. By starting your career at an entry-level position, you can get a feel of what nursing is like and then figure out on your own what field of specialization appeals most to your personality, interests, and lifestyle goals. It seems like you are interested in pediatric nursing. However, without actually being able to experience the day-to-day routines of a nurse working with kids, it is hard to absolutely determine whether you will be a good fit for this field.

[WhisperingEchos]

I have done at intership at one of the local hospitals. I was on the medical, surgical, OB, ER and pediatrics floor. I loved the pediatric wing and the OB