children

CP2013 · Oct 21, 2012

im going to school to be a registed nurse, and i love children and i believe that is where i want to practice. should i do any type of research to make sure that is what i want to do or should i keep my options open and try something else first?

In clinicals you will be exposed to different areas of nursing. Just remember, in pediatric nursing in the acute care setting, you see sick kids. The only time pediatric nurses see a lot of healthy kids are typically in a clinic setting. Just keep in mind that it is hard to do, but if you believe you can do it, then go for it. You will have a pediatric rotation in school, hopefully. Take this time to observe and ask questions to see if this is the specialty for you.

Good luck!

llg, PhD, RN · Oct 21, 2012

Keep an open mind. You never know what you might like -- and what you might not. If you really think you would like pediatrics, try to get some experience (job or volunteer) in a pediatric setting. It may be necessary to have some type of experience to get a job in peds as a new grad as peds is a popular specialty and competition is usually fierce to get a job in a good peds facility.

Finally, what makes you think you would enjoy working with pediatric patients? Have you ever worked with sick children before? ... the children of people who are not family/friends and who may be raising the children differently than you would? Have you ever worked with the parents/grandparents of children in a professional capacity? A lot of people "like kids," but find pediatrics to be more complex and stressful than they had ever imagined. I work in a children's hospital and see a lot of new hires surprised at how difficult it can be.

Being a pediatric nurse can be great -- if you love it. But stay opened minded about the other specialties until you get a chance to explore ALL of the specialties in enough depth to be sure. Give each one a "fair try" while in school -- and seek some extra experience in peds to confirm your first impressions of peds.