Have you ever wondered what being a Peds Nurse means? What skills you would need? Or what a typical day in the life would look like? Make sure you’re all caught up with Specialty Nursing: What Makes a Good Peds Nurse? And now let’s dive in to an interview with Nicole, a real life Peds Nurse!
Name and Education
Hi! My name is Nicole and I am a bachelor prepared nurse. I graduated from California Baptist University with my BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing).
Where Do You Work?
I work as an acute care Pediatric Nurse for almost 2 years.
What Made You Want to be a Peds Nurse?
I always wanted to work in the pediatric population. I went to nursing school for that exact reason. Before I was a nurse, I worked in the health offices of Alvord Unified School District for 8 years. I worked with the most inspiring school nurses who motivated and encouraged me to become a registered nurse.
What are the Most Common Skills Needed to be a Pediatric Nurse?
You might not think communication is a skill, but it is. It takes very good communication to explain the care that needs to be done at a child’s level of learning and the parents level of understanding.
Physical skills include IV’s, NG tubes, sterile blood draws, initiating O2 with a nasal cannula, g-tube care, central line dressing changes, TPN, straight catheterizations and many more.
What Personal Qualities does a Peds Nurse Need to Have?
Qualities that a pediatric nurse needs to have are a positive attitude and patience. Children can be very scared of vitals, IV flushes, and medications and just being in a new place. Staying positive and being patient will help ease the anxiety of the patient and their family as well.
What Does a Typical Day as a Peds Nurse Look Like?
It’s always different coming onto shift because we have such a vast population of ages and illnesses/injuries in our unit, but I always introduce myself to the child and their family. I then tell the family of the patient what meds I am giving, and what cares I will be doing during my shift (example dressing changes). However, we are in the middle of RSV and flu season, so our typical days have been looking like respiratory season. Many of our admissions are babies and infants on O2 having increased work of breathing.
What is Your Most Favorite Part About Being a Pediatric Nurse?
My favorite part of being a pediatric nurse is serving a population who fights so hard to get better and are so optimistic through it. Children believe in miracles and magic and as pediatric nurses we see miracles happen within their stay at the hospital. I love serving this community and I feel lucky to care for them.
What Should Students Looking to go into Peds Nursing Know about the Field?
Pediatrics is not for everyone and that’s totally fine. But if you have a passion for this community of patients, please be there for them. They are little fighters and they need nurses who truly want to help them. It doesn’t matter if you yourself don’t have children, what matters is the passion to be their nurse.
Anything Else You Wish to Share?
I hope this gives light to the best job in the whole world!
Thank you Nicole for your loving service to kiddos in need!
Be sure to check out the entire Specialty Nursing Series, and follow along with this new Specialty Nurse Interview Series!
- Meet Allie, a School Nurse!
- Meet Amber Leigh, a Maternity Service Nurse!
- Meet Jimmy, an ED Nurse!
- Meet Hannah, a PICU/Peds Nurse!
- Meet Briana, a Med Surg Nurse!
- Meet Nicole, an ICU Nurse!
- Meet Theresa, a Maternal Child Nurse!
- Meet Jordan, an ED Nurse!
- From Nursing School Straight to the ICU: Meet Rylee, a New Grad Nurse!
- From Nursing School Straight to the PICU: Meet Nahla, a New Grad Nurse!
- Meet Allison, an Oncology Nurse!
- Meet Sara, a Mental Health Nurse!