How many years as a RN?

[xInspiredx]

Hello! I was wondering if I could possibly ask current Pediatric Nurses how long they had to be a 'regular RN' before working in the Pediatrics Department. Do you just need a regular BSN, or do you need a MSN (Masters), since you'd be 'specializing' in a department. Also, how easy is it to become a pediatric nurses? Are there long waiting lists? It seems like A LOT of people want to be pediatric nurses, and I understand, since it seems to be the most rewarding (in my opinion). Thank you for any replies! I really appreciate any comments.

:)

[NotReady4PrimeTime, RN]

Pediatrics isn't "specialized" in the way you mean. There's no reason why new grads can't go directly into peds if that's where the heart lies. In some places it's really hard to get into but that's a reflection of the workplace and how happy people are there. If nobody ever leaves, there aren't any openings for new people. And there are just as many people who could "never do peds" as there are those who couldnt do anything else.

[xInspiredx]

Thank you so much, janfrn, for your reply! :)

[NotReady4PrimeTime, RN]

You're welcome. I am a diploma nurse who hasn't EVER worked with adults since nursing school. (That's if you don't count my really awful and very brief experience with working for an agency when I first graduated...) Even my senior practicum was peds. I've been working in pediatric critical care for nearly 13 years... There's no sense doing something you don't really want to do just because somebody thinks you should, when you can do what you really want right from the beginning.

[xInspiredx]

^Thank you again, janfrn!

If I may bug you for the last time hehe, did you have a BSN?

I'm looking into the ASN, but someone told me that you can't become a Pediatrics Nurse if you do that ?

[Redhead28]

I went into Pediatrics as a new grad with my ADN. I now have a BSN but that had more to do with my desire than any work reasons. I work in a children's hospital here in TX now that routinely hires new grads ADN or BSN both make the same money.

[NotReady4PrimeTime, RN]

No, I don't have a BSN. Just my diploma. In Canada we don't have the ADN, or the hopsital-based diploma anymore, all nurses have to have their degree. But we "old" folks were grandfathered in. I have no interest in obtaining my degree because I'd never be able to recoup the money it would cost or the lost wages. Of course I'm a bit limited in what I can do with just a diploma... I can't teach even as a unit educator, I can't be a manager (not that that was EVER a consideration), I can't work in primary care. But I can and do provide highly complex care to critically ill children.

[annabeap, MSN, APRN, NP]

If you think you're called to peds and want to make your resume more competitive, there's always volunteering you can do- either at a hospital or even for a special needs children's respite camp. I was lucky and found myself in peds without much prep on my resume.

And not to say don't be a nurse, but I have a good friend who loves her job as a Child Life Specialist! She works at a Children's Hospital and provides age-appropriate activities and teaching for any type of pediatric patient. So much fun! :)

[CLC172]

I was hired as a new grad to a Magnet teaching hospital with an ADN. I didn't work as a CNA prior to graduating, but I did volunteer at this hospital, to get my foot in the door. Good luck!