Nurses who enjoy practicing independently and who wish to diagnose and prescribe while still utilizing nursing skills can progress to the field of advanced practice nursing. Patience is also a key attribute of pediatric nurse practitioners, as children are often less than cooperative with various aspects of care. PNPs should also be unbiased and accepting, as parenting styles and family values may differ from their own. Pediatrics focuses on family-centered care, which means involving parents, grandparents, and siblings when caring for a patient. Those interested in the field of pediatrics should enjoy working with both children and families.
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Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Education Requirements and Training Nurses are encouraged to weight the pros and cons to decide which program is best for them. There are online MSN/DNP programs as well as traditional classroom programs. Based on the starting point of the RN, it can take two to four years to obtain an MSN or DNP.
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Pediatric nurse practitioners are advanced practice registered nurses ( APRNs) who have completed a master's program in nursing ( MSN) or doctoral degree program ( DNP). Successful completion of the NCLEX-RN is needed for licensure. Students can either earn an associate's degree in nursing ( ADN) or a bachelor's degree in nursing ( BSN). Those interested in working in the specialty of pediatrics should first complete an accredited nursing program and obtain a degree in nursing. They also tend to have high patient satisfaction. Additionally, they help to fill the gap with the primary care physician shortage in the United States.
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They are skilled in education and therefore can spend time teaching patients and caregivers about disease processes, treatments, and healthcare prevention as well as diagnosing acute health issues.Īccording to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, nurse practitioners can also help lower the cost of health care, as patients who use nurse practitioners as their primary care provider have fewer emergency room visits, and shorter hospital stays. Being nurses, they gather information about a patient not only to include physical symptoms, but psychosocial and environmental information as well. They differ from physicians in that their patient care approach is more holistic. Pediatric nurse practitioners can diagnose and treat patients as well as perform procedures. They are the eyes and ears of physicians and provide valuable patient education, comfort, and reassurance to parents and children in specific aspects of care. Pediatric nurse practitioners are essential to the healthcare team because they improve patient outcomes by utilizing the nursing processes of assessing, analyzing, planning, implementing, and evaluating various facets of care. Why Are Pediatric Nurse Practitioners So Important?