Looking to be a pediatric nurse

xtxrn, ASN, RN · Sep 6, 2011

Hi,
Sorry if this seems like I am rambling but it just frustates me. I have been a nurse for over a year and currently work in a post acute rehab center. Yes techniquely our other two floors are LTC but I am starting to feel that hospitals look at my resume and see LTC as my current job and think that is the only experience I have. Our unit has basically turned into a medical surgical floor taking acutely ill patients. We do trachs, PICC lines, IV administration and insertions, caths, PEG tube feedings and TPN, wound care including wound vacs and many more things above just med administration. We deal with code blue scenarios (mind you no MDs on the premises) and other emergency situations. We constantly make decisions on patient care and are expected to give good suggestions to the doctor when we do call them for orders. I also have pediatric home care experience and being the only reason I didn't stick with that was the company itself. I don't know what else to do to try and get a pediatric job, I have been trying for over a year now. I got into nurses to work with pediatrics and I just can't seem to get a leg up. I enjoy my current job but the age population is just not the right fit for me. I have gotten the suggestion of a PALS cert to help boost the resume but anyone else have any suggestions or places to look into (live in PA). Thanks for listening and any suggestions would be great

Pediatric nurses often stay in pediatrics. Openings aren't that common. I went into nursing for NICU/pedi and it took me 17 years to get a pedi- only job....units I worked on took pedi patients, so had some experience w/babies >30 days old on up.... But it took a while. And it wasn't all I thought it would be.

I'm very thankful for the experience, but also think about how sick people are who are in the hospital....now put that on a baby or kid.... or the NICU babies that didn't have great outcomes but lived. And the kids you hear about on the news.... who die...and all you can hear from the adjoining PICU is the guttural wail of a grief-stricken parent. And the kids removed from their homes d/t abuse (a 10wk old should not have a cast on its leg because mom's boyfriend got tired of it crying). Or the kids who need livers, but won't get them, and then you hear their parents' cry that same horrible cry. Pediatric nurses are a special group- and the good ones don't "give up" their place at work. It wasn't about just getting kids well after appys and T&As... it was about watching horrific circumstances, frequent fliers who would never get well, and very young babies die. :crying2:

Use the time until a position opens up to figure out how you'll handle it. I'd seen some nasty stuff working neuro, head injury rehab, psych (those folks got messed up from something), etc....and it was still a LOT to soak in.

If you keep at it, something will open up- but be prepared. In the meantime, be glad for the experience you're getting- and get ready to forget how to do half of it because you have to do it differently on kids. :)

Career2_BSN, BSN · Sep 6, 2011

I'm a wanna-be-nurse so have no experience to speak of but have you possibly considered other fields that happen to have a lot of ped patients? Osteo perhaps? Lots of breaks/resets, etc in that field, I would imagine.

Maybe look for a pediatric Dr's office instead of hospital setting?

Something in respiratory perhaps? My middle child was hospitalized with RSV when he was 4 months old. The nurses working with him were FABULOUS. So many kids these days have asthma and other issues you may encounter more children in this field.

Granted, these fields will have many adult patients as well, but it may give you a chance to work with children at least on an occasional basis.

Just a thought....

sunshine1216 · Sep 6, 2011

First of all you have awesome critical care experience which would help you become a great peds nurse! Anywhere would be lucky to hire you! I would suggest listing on your resume a section that says skills or areas of expertise....then list everything you do at work...all that stuff you just put in your post. That way potential employers will see what you have experience in.

misswhitney · Sep 6, 2011

You sound like me. My old job I would with vents, dopamine, cardizem, and versed drips, unstable vital signs, PICC lines, trachs, long term antibiotics, wounds, etc. but all anyone on the outside world sees is nursing home (even though it is an LTAC). Including peds.

I knew I wanted to do peds before I got out of school, so I have every single nurse manager's card that is at our only children's hospital. I managed to get a job interview 4 times, but they would hire either someone with more experience or a new grad. My suggestion is to volunteer at the local peds hospital. You can meet nurses and nurse managers and show them how much knowledge you have.

wooh, BSN, RN · Sep 7, 2011

The job market sucks right now. And peds hospitals don't turn kids away, so they're very dependent on donations, which aren't coming in, so staff isn't being replaced when people DO leave.

You'll have to give it time to turn around. That's really the biggest thing you can do. The experiences you're gaining will serve you well when you finally get there.

PediNurse3 · Sep 7, 2011

Really jazz up your resume to reflect your experience! I would couple that with one heck of a cover letter and apply at all pediatric places around. Network off of your home health connections.

Keep at it...good luck!