Can pediatric nurse practitioners prescribe to adults?

Pediatric nurses are professionals trained to provide care to children and adolescents, at any level of care. These specialists must help prevent and assist the child whenever needed.

Now, pediatric nursing has a similar education to general nursing, but the branch of specialization makes an important difference. If the pediatric nurse is required to care for an adult, he or she must understand each specialization in order to advise an adult where a physician requires it.

However, pediatric nurses can only prescribe over-the-counter medications, but it is recommended that an adult physician is responsible for prescribing medications or treatment to an adult person.

Now, we will explain you the working conditions in pediatric nursing, how you can become a pediatric nurse, what are the tasks of nurses and many relevant facts. If you are interested in becoming a professional, we invite you to continue reading.

Working conditions of pediatric nurses

The conditions that apply to pediatric nurses depend on the area of work in which they work. However, nurses can work in schools, hospitals, clinics, doctor’s offices, sports activity centers, among many others.

It is worth noting that the larger the place, the more potential you will develop. Within clinics and hospitals there are other specialties, such as emergency units, oncology units, neonatal units, etc.

Also, the size of the facility will determine the units that a clinic or hospital may have.

The work schedules of pediatric nurses in hospitals can be difficult, remembering that illnesses or accidents are present 24 hours a day. So, if you are interested in studying pediatric nursing, you may work shifts, nights and weekends.

Pediatric nurses must have a lot of vocation and passion for their knowledge and possibilities to help many children. There are even international schemes where nurses serve in developing countries.

This specialization requires hard work, but later we will talk about the skills, abilities and profile needed by each person who wishes to study this specialization so demanded and important all over the world.

What are the tasks to be performed by pediatric nurses?

The tasks of pediatric nurses are very varied, as well as any type of nurse, specialized individuals must provide health care. Although we see at first glance that the job of a nurse is to assist the doctor, perform physical examinations and administer injections, it is not the only function.

Their tasks are very diverse and they must develop useful skills to ensure confidence in each child and family member. The tasks of pediatric nurses are as follows:

• Organize the schedules of care for each of the patients attending for consultation.
• If any child arrives with discomfort or pain, they must act by administering some medication and improving their mood.
• It is important for nurses to be attentive to any type of mistreatment.
• Intervene in emergency situations and collaborate with their knowledge of the affected child.
• Must communicate confidently towards the child and family members to understand their condition, prevent future illnesses and know how to administer medications correctly.
• The pediatric nurse should take the temperature, in other cases blood pressure, of the child attending for consultation.
• Administer injections when necessary in children, in addition, she must dress wounds and change bandages in many cases.
• Education must be continuous, as innovations with technology emerge from time to time. Nurses must continue their education to provide better services to children.

How much does a pediatric nurse make?

Pediatric nurse practitioners earn 5 times more than the U.S. federal minimum wage, making it one of the highest paid and most in-demand professional careers. It is important to note that the salary of pediatric nurses will depend on their certifications and professionalism.

Now, we will explain in detail the salaries of pediatric nurses as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, below:

• Certified pediatric nurses can earn between: $74,647 – $75,218 annually.
• Non-certified pediatric nurses can earn: $52,185 – $75,000 annually.

We can see that pediatric nurses with certification earn more money than those who are not certified. It is important to always consider certification in the United States as the advantages with the Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner credential can increase the chances of being hired and other workplaces.

Summary

To conclude, it is important to emphasize the first point of this article: can pediatric nurses prescribe to adults, and for that reason, we have explained in detail the roles of pediatric nurses in their training and work.

Pediatric nurses can only prescribe over-the-counter medications, but adults require other types of care, which is why there are so many specialties. If medication assistance is required, it is best to consult with a specialist physician.