Pediatric nursing or child health nursing is the specialty nursing care of infants, children and adolescents. A nurse who specialises in this area is usually referred to as a pediatric nurse, though there are many regional and sub-specialty variations in title. The spelling paediatric nursing is more common in English-speaking countries outside the United States.
The breadth of this field of practice may be considered as similar to that of adult nursing, with an equivalent sub-specialty for most adult illnesses and some unique areas of practice. For example, pediatric cardiology and oncology are both established sub-specialties in most major pediatric facilities.
Training of Pediatric Nurses.
Pediatric nurses often receive general exposure to pediatrics during their undergraduate degree or other basic qualification before gaining additional experience and "in-service" training once they start work in their chosen area. A wide range of post-graduate qualifications in various pediatric sub-specialties are available.
In the past more specific pediatric nursing training programs existed which prepared nurses to care for infants and children only, and not for a more general patient population which included adults. The increasing popularity of general or "comprehensive" training has seen a decline in such programs, though they still exist in some parts of the world.
The breadth of this field of practice may be considered as similar to that of adult nursing, with an equivalent sub-specialty for most adult illnesses and some unique areas of practice. For example, pediatric cardiology and oncology are both established sub-specialties in most major pediatric facilities.
Training of Pediatric Nurses.
Pediatric nurses often receive general exposure to pediatrics during their undergraduate degree or other basic qualification before gaining additional experience and "in-service" training once they start work in their chosen area. A wide range of post-graduate qualifications in various pediatric sub-specialties are available.
In the past more specific pediatric nursing training programs existed which prepared nurses to care for infants and children only, and not for a more general patient population which included adults. The increasing popularity of general or "comprehensive" training has seen a decline in such programs, though they still exist in some parts of the world.