How to move from Med/Surg Nursing into Pediatrics?

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Hello everyone, I am in big need of advice for my nursing career as I want to move from Med/Surg Nursing into Pediatrics. Ever since nursing school, I have always wanted to get into pediatrics. However, due to the competition, I never got the chance to get into a pediatric new grad program. Nursing is just so competitive, that I barely got the chance to get a job in an acute care med/surg floor after working in a SNF for 6 months. I am very lucky and grateful to be given the opportunity to work in a med/surg floor (in which I've been doing for 3 years now), but I truly want to work with children or neonates. All the jobs that I apply to, don't consider me at all because I don 't have any pediatric experience. Any yet, I am not sure how I would get it if I'm not given the opportunity. Is there any advice out there as to what I can do to land a Pediatric Nursing job?

Is there a pediatric unit in the hospital where you currently work? I would think the easiest way would be to meet with the peds charge nurse at your current hospital. Tell her of your interest. Ask her what classes, CEU's, in-services, etc., you can be taking. Ask if you can shadow a peds nurse. Ask if they use floats and can you float to their unit, etc.

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