Nurse with child patient in UK Accident and Emergency
Advanced degrees can set lead to specialty careers like pediatric nursing
The short answer to our title question is “yes.” But it doesn’t end there. Nurses come to their professions in many different ways and through many different channels. If you’re looking to become a pediatric nurse, you’ve got options. You may choose to enter a nursing college and get started right away or go back to school and earn your RN to BSN online. King University offers an online Bachelor of Science (BSN) in Nursing program to help you reach your nursing goals.
If you’re just starting your nursing education, you’ve got a lot of choices to make. You’ll need to ask yourself a few key questions. Questions like:
- How soon do I want to enter the workforce?
- Is it worth it to prolong starting work in order to get the education I need to be in the area of nursing I want?
- Where do I want my nursing career to take meäóîpatient care, teaching, administration?
What you want out of your career is going to influence the choices you make about education. By earning your BSN at King University Online, you will have the skills and knowledge necessary to increase your income and increase your career opportunities in nursing and other related fields.
The Road to Pediatric Nursing
Increasingly, employers are requiringäóîor at least strongly preferäóîthat nurses obtain a bachelor’s degree. If you have the luxury of time on your side, it is advisable to enroll in a four-year college and obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from the get-go. Understandably, this is not always doable for all nurses. Once you’ve graduated, you may sit the NCLEX-RN. If you’re worried about adding experience to your resume, don’t be alarmed. All accredited bachelor’s programs for nurses require clinical experience and/or practicums as part of the curriculum. King University’s online BSN program includes a clinical aspect, which requires participation in a community service assignment, as well as an assignment in which the student must implement a change project in their work environment. After graduating and amassing experience in your field, you may wish to earn an additional certification from Pediatric Nursing Certification Board and become a Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN).
LPN to Pediatric Nurse
If you’re already working as an LPN, there are steps you can take to further your career and become the pediatric nurse you’d like to be. Hopefully you earned your nursing certification or diploma at an accredited institution. If so, and if you’ve earned your certification or diploma relatively recently, you should be able to transfer the college credit you’ve already earned toward a nursing degree. You may wish to take this process a step at a time, by first earning your associate degree and then enrolling in a degree complete program. Once you’ve finished your BSN, it is advisable to earn your CPN certification, as well.
RN to Pediatric Nurse
If you’re already working as an RN, odds are you’ve got an associate degree or some college. If you’d like to become a pediatric nurse and take your career up a notch, the best way to do so is to enroll in an RN to BSN program. Online RN to BSN programs in particular cater to working adults, so you can finish your degree without putting your life on hold. These programs allow you to turn your life experience as an RN into college credit. After completing your degree, you can earn your CPN certification to make your resume as attractive as possible to employers!
Why Pediatric Nursing?
According to explorehealthcareers.org, pediatric nurses earn $48,000 to $68,000 yearly. However, pay rates depend on your education level, experience, location and work environment. Those pediatric nurses with more experience can earn $100,000 or more yearly. In addition, pediatric nurses have a wealth of choices in their work environment. They can choose to work in clinics, doctors’ offices, hospitals, private practices, schools surgical centers and more.
The job outlook for nursing professionals is looking bright, with the Department of Labor reporting that the demand will increase by 26% by the year 2020, with pediatric nursing as no exception. Also, the nursing industry will have an added 700,000 jobs by the end of this decade, according to nursejournal.com.
King University’s fully accredited BSN program prepares students to reap these benefits, equipping them with the personal and professional skills to meet the needs of today’s registered nurses. The online courses offered at King University are the same courses delivered on campus, ensuring a quality educational experience that is sure to provide students with the professional development they desire.