Advice from Moving from Geriatric Nursing to Pediatrics

[NurseRedHeart-RN]

Hello, I've been a nurse for 1.5yrs on a medsurg floor at a community hospital. I'm considering a move to pediatrics. Unfortunately my nursing program's pediatric section was only a month, and I don't remember much. Any advice? I'm going to take a look at my textbook from school. I also don't have children of my own so I'm not very knowledgeable.

[LovingPeds, MSN, APRN, NP]

Don't be discouraged at the lack of knowledge due to not having your own kids. Some times not having children of your own can actually be helpful. I saw a lot of people get some of their milestones all fuzzy because their own children did something at an age before or after what is typical and they answer based on what their child did rather than a textbook response.

Brush out your old text-book. Most of the concepts probably have not changed. The major thing to focus on will be developmental milestones (safety reasons/age-appropriate distractions), vital signs for age (early warning reasons), and fluids/medication calculation for age (again, safety). A lot of what you got on med-surg will carry over after that. Pneumonia is pneumonia regardless of age.