Pediatric Nurse Specialists
Nurse specialists who work in pediatrics, as their title suggests, are specialists in delivering health care services to their pediatric patients. The main age range of children receiving care at this level goes from two-year-old babies up to their 18th birthday, throughout their years of development, based in a hospital or clinical setting. In their work in this position, these nurses may receive supervision or monitoring from a pediatric physician, much like other staff; however, this is not required everywhere, it depends on the current policy of your facility and state or community regulations, which can change often.
If you work in a doctor’s private practice, you may be providing primary healthcare to your pediatric patients. Working in this specialty, you may work in an emergency room, surgical theater, general hospital, pediatric oncology unit, neonatal unit, pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), or a pediatric oncology unit.
Neonatal Nurse Specialists
As a neonatal nurse specialist, you'll work with the sickest and smallest infants in the hospital from birth or delivery till they are ready to move to a pediatric unit. These newborn patients may be very premature, or they may have a health condition that requires specialized treatment. You'll be required to complete a degree at least at the master’s level and your professional focus is on the management and care of premature and full-term infants who are either critically ill or convalescent as they grow and regain full health. You'll also gain hours of experience on-site within a neonatal unit before you gain full licensure.
In your daily job, you will work side-by-side with neonatologists (medical doctors who specialize in working with this population). Neonatal nurses can expect to work in one of several acute and non-acute settings focused on the health of these tiny patients.