How Pediatric Nurse Practitioners Can Expand Their Career

The Nurse Practitioner (NP) is becoming a popular career choice in many countries. But a surprising fact is that only a few of them are specialized in pediatrics. What’s the reason behind this?

One major reason for such a less adoption of this career path is that the majority of NPs aren’t aware that it’s a domain which gives them several opportunities to grow and expand in their professional lives, even when it comes to serving on the board of the ever increasing domain of healthcare application developers. Let’s take a look at a few of these ways in which Pediatric Nurse Practitioners can expand their horizons and enjoy a state of personal prosperity:

1. Grab A Job As A Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP)

PNPs are specifically trained to treat pediatric patients and they have an advanced degree or certification for the same. Also, they can serve as a primary care provider to their pediatric patients.

How To Become One?

If you are a certified Pediatric Nurse and want to explore your career ahead as a PNP, you can take either of the following two steps:

a. Get an M.Sc degree in Nursing (MSN) and go through a specialized course in pediatrics. The majority of the established schools have this as a two-year program.

b. Grab a certification as an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) from your state board of nursing.

What’s The Career Scope For PNPs?

These nurses have advanced education and niche experience and because of this, they can expect a healthy remuneration as well. Also, by getting advanced specialization these nurses can cherish a well-paid career.

2. Become A Member Of An Academic Hospital

This alternative is best for nurses who are having a special interest in research, advancements, and treatments in the medical field. You just have to grab a job in academic hospitals which are also referred to as Academic Medical Centres (AMCs). These centres are teaching hospitals affiliated with a renowned medical school.

What Are The Benefits Of Working In AMCs?

It’s an exciting place which is the hub for medical research and education. These centres are a boon for people who have specialized training and are completely dedicated. These are the places where you can expect to work along with superior experts from the same domain.

Working in these hospitals gives you ample opportunities to grow. You can be a real part of all the medical experiments happening around you. Also, these institutes let you participate in different seminars and courses which you can’t afford to undertake otherwise. You are also blessed with robust support and refund for pursuing advanced degrees in the niche area of expertise.

In addition, working in such organizations can be a source of sheer satisfaction to the professionals who cherish being a part of change and development in medical care. It has been found out that most of the best hospitals for NPs are the AMCs.

3. Try Your Luck In Administrative Roles

The primary motive of many nurses is to supervise their colleagues and ensuring that the nursing department is functioning smoothly. If this is the case with you, then grab a supervisory role. There are several administrative roles for NPs such as Nurse Managers, Charge Nurses, Unit Managers, etc.

These positions require PNPs to focus primarily on hiring and mentoring of the nursing staff. They aren’t directly associated with providing medical care to pediatric patients and their parents. Also, delegating tasks to other PNPs is an integral job for these administrative NPs.

PNPs who enjoy being in the managerial department are responsible to handle all the queries of the concerned parents and providing them with appropriate solutions so that they can remain calm.

How Can You Grab A Supervisory Role As A PNP?

Exceptional leadership skills and the ability to communicate seamlessly are the two major qualities PNPs require to be in the supervisory positions. They should be perfect in all the clinical work of Pediatric Nursing.

These positions allow PNPs to have authority and command over the nursing unit. This is why the supervisory PNPs must act as teachers to others and practice disciplinary measures. Also, they must be well-organized in their work and should possess the quality to solve problems quickly and logically and mention these qualities in the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner resume.

In order to grab a supervisory PNP role, firstly you must complete three years of successfully serving as a PNP. And, apart from the above-mentioned skills, you should prove yourself as a consistent and exceptional performer.

What Is The Career Scope For Pediatric Nurse Supervisors?

The career scope for Pediatric Nurse Supervisors is really bright as they can earn up to $83000 in one year. Also, considering the current scenario, the demand for such nurses is continuously increasing and is anticipated to be even more in the coming few years.

4. Explore The Healthcare Realm As A Neonatal Nurse

The neonatal nurses are the caregivers who primarily work in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) where ill newborns and premature babies are kept. These nurses cater to such babies and provide them with hands-on care. Also, they act as counsellors for worried parents and help them in coping up with adverse conditions.

How To Grab A Job Of A Neonatal Nurse?

For becoming a professional neonatal nurse first of all you have to register yourself as a nurse. After this, you should work in a medical setting and gain a comprehensive experience of two or more years in providing primary care to the neonatal patients. Also, you can opt to work as a  PNP is the labour and delivery unit.

Once you have enough relevant experience, then you can take a certifying examination for neonatal nursing. It’s not mandatory to pass this exam, but it can be an added advantage for you when applying for advanced and higher positions. Also, to continue serving in the realm of neonatal nursing you can pursue various courses and gain higher education.

What’s There In Store For Neonatal Nurses?

It has been found out that neonatal nurses can earn 10% more than pediatric nurses that amount up to $63 K every year. Also, these nurses have ample opportunities for exploring and expanding their career ahead.

PNPs have numerous opportunities for spreading their wings out and experiencing the new working environment, advanced courses, and different positions. Irrespective of the path you pick, be sure that a rewarding and prosperous career is waiting down the line.

Author Bio:

Anubhuti Shrivastava is a content crafter at Arkenea, a custom software development company helping entrepreneurs and businesses build successful web and mobile apps. She is passionate about writing articles on topics related to design and the software development industry.