Pediatric nursing can be a fulfilling career, aiding children with medical challenges and developing relationships with their parents. Nurses have to maintain the stamina to work long hours and sometimes exhausting double shifts. With the adoration of children and wanting to help those in need, pediatric nursing can be an extremely rewarding career. You can work in a private office, a school, or even a children’s hospital. Working in a specialized area is another option for the nurse who wants to learn and help in a specific area such as childhood leukemia. Here are some benefits of becoming a pediatric nurse.

A great financial choice

Furthering your education through a nursing degree from Excelsior College can be as exciting as it is beneficial. A nursing career allows you to assist those in your community as well as help you pay back any student loans or debts you may have. In states such as Alaska, the average salary of an entry-level pediatric nurse can be around $52,000. For nurses in Mississippi, you may begin your career with a salary of about $75,000. In our nation’s capital, a pediatric nurse can find a place to work that pays close to $88,850. Money can be a big motivator, however, nursing is a career that can last a lifetime.

The median age of an American nurse is close to 44, and these women and men aren’t slowing down anytime soon. By the year 2022, these medical professionals will find a 19 percent increase in jobs. Nurses are in demand and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Every year, millions of children are born. Whether delivered at home or in the hospital, pediatric nurses are the individuals who help bathe and care for your little ones before going home.

Nurses can work anywhere

Many universities — such as Excelsior Colleges — offer online courses, enabling students to fit an education into their busy schedule. Online courses can allow you to obtain your degree in the healthcare field without having to give up your current job or relocate. In every healthcare facility you look into, there is a nurse getting test results, filing papers, and easing a patient’s nerves. These professionals are versatile, and key figures in the healthcare system. Pediatric nurses help keep matters in order, which is vital in both an office setting and a hospital.

A pediatric nurse practitioner can help explain medication or call needed prescriptions into the pharmacy while the doctor is seeing patients. This helps you obtain medication without waiting for the doctor after hours. Pediatric nurses have relationships with patients, helping children develop trust during stressful times such as during vaccine administration. Nurses are also relied on to give parents insightful information about certain medications or procedures.

Children with special needs

A developmental disability nurse (or sometimes known as a special needs nurse) specializes in working with patients who have special needs and disabilities. Nurses interact with hundreds of people a day, be it on the phone or in person. Such relationships develop a bond that can help children with special needs. Some children on the spectrum don’t always respond well to change. A familiar friendly face can ease a child when they need assistance with basic daily functions, care or training, and during certain stressful procedures performed using equipment such as the Pigg-o-stat.

Some medical devices and toys at the doctor’s office are designed with kid-friendly colors and patterns. Children who are on the (autistic) spectrum, for example, respond differently to medical exams and new nurses. A special needs nurse is trained to understand kids with who may react differently to situations. Even if this nurse is a new face, a qualified nurse in special needs may be able to calm an anxious child while giving a proper medical test helps immensely. This can be a relief to both the child and the parents.

A degree in nursing is exciting as it is rewarding. Not only will you be able to help those around you in countless ways, but you’ll be compensated well for all your hard work. Consider looking into online programs such as Excelsior College’s nursing program to take the first steps toward achieving your degree.