What is a "specialized nurse"?

Silverdragon102, BSN · Sep 30, 2004

Well, i mean I know WHAT it is, but how do I become one? I'll have a ADN and I would like to be a specialist in in child nursing. I don't know how to do it though. Are there special programs that either the US or UK offer? I know If I have a specialty before I come to the UK I can earn more money. right?

Specialist nurses usually have experience in the speciality concerned and have done alot of further courses to enhance their knowledge. They can be very few advertised and generally have alot of nurses going after them.

Pay is under change at the moment and will be based on experience and increased accordingly. Pay at the moment is graded and also varies on experience but to gain further up the ladder you have to apply for higher grades

purplemania, BSN, RN · Sep 30, 2004

In the USA it is a combination of years of experience and speciality certification through a professional organization (like American Nurses Credentialing Center). Some employers pay more for certifications, some only increase pay by the years of service and some do both together.

fluffwad · Oct 1, 2004

Well, i mean I know WHAT it is, but how do I become one? I'll have a ADN and I would like to be a specialist in in child nursing. I don't know how to do it though. Are there special programs that either the US or UK offer? I know If I have a specialty before I come to the UK I can earn more money. right?

I don't know how things work in the UK, but I have 2 certifications. I don't happen to get paid extra for these, but it looks good on the resume. First you have to get a certain number of years direct experience in what type of nursing you want, then find which organization offers a certificate in it. For example I have a CRRN (rehab) and RAC-C (mds). These certs were offered by ARN and AANAC. You have to test out / complete a certain # of courses / maintain the cert usually with CEUs etc. Each organization has different criteria.

uk_nurse · Oct 1, 2004

Here in UK you specialise from day one of training. I am a paeds nurse (RN) and all through my training all my placements were paediatric ones. No i dont get more money for doing paeds, unless i go into other area such as paeds respiratory nurse. We are graded.

ayndim · Oct 1, 2004

Well, i mean I know WHAT it is, but how do I become one? I'll have a ADN and I would like to be a specialist in in child nursing. I don't know how to do it though. Are there special programs that either the US or UK offer? I know If I have a specialty before I come to the UK I can earn more money. right?

No one mentioned that in the UK there is a registered general nurse and a registered children's nurse. If you want to work with children you must be a registered children's nurse. If you are coming from the US and want to be a children's nurse, be sure to get experience in peds the US first. And try to get a certification is peds here first. You won't earn more money as a peds nurse, as far as I know. I found this info, hopefully it will be helpful.

http://www.adevia.com/nmc.html#child_nurse

Children's nurse

Introduction

In order to be considered for registration by the NMC in the United Kingdom, you must either be:

registered / qualified as a Children's nurse in your own country or

registered as a general nurse in your own country and have undertaken further training in Children's nursing.

In order to be registered with the NMC in the UK, you must comply with minimum education and training requirements and post-registration experience:

Option 1

A minimum 3 year education and training programme in children's nursing

A theory / practical instruction balance of at least 33% theoretical training and 50% clinical / practical theoretical and clinical / practical training and experience in:

- paediatric and specialist medicine

- paediatric and specialist surgery

- care of the neonate

- operating theatre technique

- community nursing

After registration as a Children's Nurse you must have had a minimum 6 months continuous experience

Option 2

A minimum three year education and training programme in General Nursing (see above) and

A 6 month post-basic programme in children's nursing with a balance of minimum 33% theoretical training and 50% clinical / practical training which must have included theoretical and clinical / practical training and experience in children's nursing including:

- paediatric and specialist medicine

- paediatric and specialist surgery

- care of the neonate

- operating theatre technique

- community nursing

After registration you must have had a minimum 6 months continuous experience

uk_nurse · Oct 1, 2004

No one mentioned that in the UK there is a registered general nurse and a registered children's nurse. If you want to work with children you must be a registered children's nurse.
no one mentioned this because there is no longer a registered general nurse (RGN) here in the UK. All nurses, who have passed everything, come out of traininig with an RN. Then depending on the area they specialised in become a RN in that area. i.e i'm a RN (child branch) Yes you do have to be a registered as a childrens nurse before working as a paeds nurse. If you are adult trained you can do a conversion course to paeds which is 12 mths at uni. If you have no nursing registration behind you you can do a degree in nursing RN (child branch) which is 3 yrs and all your placements are paediatric. This is what i did.
good luck in whatever you decide to do :)

ayndim · Oct 2, 2004

No one mentioned that in the UK there is a registered general nurse and a registered children's nurse. If you want to work with children you must be a registered children's nurse.
no one mentioned this because there is no longer a registered general nurse (RGN) here in the UK. All nurses, who have passed everything, come out of traininig with an RN. Then depending on the area they specialised in become a RN in that area. i.e i'm a RN (child branch) Yes you do have to be a registered as a childrens nurse before working as a paeds nurse. If you are adult trained you can do a conversion course to paeds which is 12 mths at uni. If you have no nursing registration behind you you can do a degree in nursing RN (child branch) which is 3 yrs and all your placements are paediatric. This is what i did.
good luck in whatever you decide to do :)
Things are changing. I added up the years since I have been in the UK and it has been 7. How time flies. When I was there the had RGN. But from my understanding of your post is that you still have to do a peds course to work with children. Unlike here (in the US) where you can get trained in peds at the unit.

uk_nurse · Oct 2, 2004

. But from my understanding of your post is that you still have to do a peds course to work with children. Unlike here (in the US) where you can get trained in peds at the unit.

yes you do have to do a paeds course and it can be very intense.I have only been qualified 19 mths as apaeds nurse and i think the training is changing a little again. nurse training changes all the time. I was the last of the 'project 2000' nurse training.

UK2USA · Nov 4, 2004

To answer the question about increased pay....

There is a system whereby paeds nurses can get a 'specialised rate'. Unfortunately it does not come with contracted work. The only way that I know of to get this increased pay is to sign with an agency. This involves being posted for shifts in areas that need you (general paeds on Monday, paediatric respiratory on Tuesday etc). You are not based with a hospital, you work through a separate company. If a unit is short of staff they can contact the agency to hire you for a days work. If you are an RN (child branch) you often qualify for 'specialised rates'. It can be quite profitable, but if you are not needed to work anywhere for a given week you simply do not get paid. You can also be called at short notice (in some cases as late as 1/2 hour before the shift starts).

I overcame this problem by working part time for a PICU (8 shifts per month) and then worked 8 shifts for an agency. Mon - Thurs each week. The agency shifts usually paid 2 - 3 times more than my regular shifts, but I had my contracted pay to fall back on if the agency work dried up.

Try looking at NHS Professionals. They are a govt based agency which are gradually taking over the agency requirements nationwide.

By the way... you will earn alot more if you are based in a large city like London, where there are plenty of hospitals your agency can approach.