How to Become a Pediatric Nurse
A degree may open the door to a variety of opportunities and diverse career paths. The degree programs offered at CTU will not necessarily lead to the featured careers. This collection of articles is intended to help inform and guide you through the process of determining which level of degree and types of certifications align with your desired career path.
Pediatric nursing is a specialty focused on providing care to children, from newborns to young adults. Pediatric nurses may work in doctor’s offices, hospitals, clinics or other healthcare settings that deliver healthcare services to children. To ensure that they are prepared to meet the needs of younger patients, aspiring pediatric nurses must satisfy a combination of education, experience, licensure and certification requirements relevant to the specialty.
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Pediatric nursing is a specialty focused on providing care to children, from newborns to young adults. Pediatric nurses may work in doctor’s offices, hospitals, clinics or other healthcare settings that deliver healthcare services to children. To ensure that they are prepared to meet the needs of younger patients, aspiring pediatric nurses must satisfy a combination of education, experience, licensure and certification requirements relevant to the specialty.
What Do Pediatric Nurses Do?
The pediatric nursing specialty is dedicated to providing healthcare services to infants, children and adolescents (state boards of nursing set upper age limits for scope of practice,1 so there is no universal cut-off age for pediatric services). Pediatric nurses may focus on primary, acute or long-term care. They may work in hospitals, urgent care centers, clinics, private practices or any other setting where children receive healthcare services. Pediatric nurses may have a subspecialty, for example, pediatric oncology, cardiology or emergency care. Some may focus on a particular age group (e.g., neonatal care), while others may see patients across the full pediatric age range (e.g., primary care).
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not provide information on registered nurses (RNs) by specialty area. However, the general tasks that registered nurses typically perform can be applied in the pediatric context:
- Assess the patient’s condition
- Record the patient’s medical history and symptoms
- Make and record observations about the patient
- Administer medications/treatments
- Set up or add information to the patient’s care plan
- Operate and monitor medical equipment
- Help perform and analyze diagnostic tests
- Educate the patients and their family on how to manage illnesses or injuries2
According to the BLS, nurses should possess a number of important qualities: critical-thinking skills, communication skills, compassion, attention to detail, emotional stability organizational skills and physical stamina.2 In the context of pediatric nursing, having good communication skills and being compassionate might mean something different than in other specialties because children are still developing physically and cognitively. As a consequence, pediatric nurses must be able to adjust how they interact with their patients and “meet them where they’re at.” For example, pediatric nurses have to know how and what to communicate to younger patients who may not have the capacity to understand their medical status or needs (or know how to cope with this knowledge even if they do understand). Pediatric nurses also need to know how to effectively communicate with their patients’ caregivers (i.e., parents or guardians): showing compassion may manifest itself differently when dealing with a toddler versus a young adolescent versus an older adolescent.
How to Become a Pediatric Nurse: Education and Licensing Requirements
Nursing Education Pathways: Nursing Diploma, ASN/ADN and BSN Programs
There are currently no undergraduate nursing degree programs specific to pediatric nursing.3 As a result, the foundational pediatric nurse education requirements closely match those for registered nurses in general.
Aspiring registered nurses (RNs) have several different nursing education pathways to choose from: a nursing diploma program, an associate degree program (Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN)) or a bachelor’s degree program (Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)). Notably, however, while some BSN degree programs are designed for aspiring RNs, many of these programs are actually structured as RN-to-BSN degree completion programs intended for current, actively licensed RNs. Because RN-to-BSN degree programs may only be pursued by registered nurses, they are not an option for those looking to become a registered nurse.
Nurses who wish to specialize in pediatrics typically must also gain experience working in a setting that serves pediatric patients specifically.3 This pediatric nursing experience may take the form of an internship or residency.3 Pediatric internships/residencies offer classroom or clinical experience relevant to the unique characteristics of children.3 All accredited nursing programs require completion of a certain number of supervised clinical hours, and so an aspiring pediatric nurse may be able to gain some of this specialized, hands-on pediatric experience while pursuing their nursing diploma or degree.
NCLEX-RN Exam
In addition to meeting education requirements, aspiring RNs must pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). The passing standard for the NCLEX-RN reflects the amount of nursing ability currently required to practice competently at the entry level, and this standard is reevaluated every three years.4
State Licensure
The final step toward becoming an RN is to obtain state licensure. The requirements for RN licensure vary by state because they are set by individual state boards of nursing. As a result, it is important to thoroughly research and familiarize yourself with the RN licensure requirements for the state in which you plan to practice. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)5 provides state-specific nursing license guidance.
How to Become a Pediatric Nurse: Pediatric Nursing Certification
Becoming a pediatric nurse typically entails obtaining pediatric nursing certification. Common eligibility requirements to sit for such certification exams include holding an active, clear, and unencumbered RN license and satisfying a certain number of hours of pediatric nursing experience (perhaps in a given subspecialty), though there could be others. It is therefore important to confirm all eligibility requirements on the individual certifying entity’s website. Certifications also require periodic renewal, which may involve completing a certain amount of continuing education and paying a fee. The following are examples of pediatric nursing certifications:
- Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN®): The Pediatric Nursing Certification Board’s (PNCB) CPN credential validates the knowledge and expertise of pediatric nurses beyond basic RN licensure. It is considered the gold standard for the pediatric nursing specialty.6
- Certified Pediatric Emergency (CPEN®): The Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing’s CPEN credential signifies possession of pediatric emergency nursing experience, knowledge and abilities beyond basic RN licensure for every pediatric age and stage, from infancy through adolescence.7
- Pediatric CCRN®: The Association of Critical-Care Nurses’ CCRN® (Pediatric) is a specialty certification for RNs or APRNs (Advanced Practice Registered Nurses) who provide direct care to acutely/critically ill pediatric patients. Nurses who wish to pursue this certification may work in areas such as intensive care units, cardiac care units, trauma units or critical care transport/flight.8
- Pediatric Nurse-Board Certified (PED-BC™): The American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) PED-BC credential signifies that an RN has achieved board certification in the pediatric nursing specialty. The exam assesses entry-level clinical skills and knowledge of RNs in pediatrics after initial RN licensure.9
- Certified Pediatric Hematology Oncology Nurse (CPHON®): The Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation’s (ONCC) CPHON credential signifies that the nurse possesses specialty knowledge and advanced practice in hematology oncology nursing and can competently provide care for children with cancer.10
Continuing Education for Pediatric Nurses
Becoming a pediatric nurse, or any type of registered nurse, means committing to a lifetime of learning. Nursing continuing education (CE) is ongoing learning designed to ensure high standards of nursing practice. This ongoing learning can take the form of courses, workshops or conferences. Most states require a certain number of continuing education hours (or units) to maintain an active RN license, and these requirements are set by each state’s board of nursing.
But nursing continuing education applies to more than just maintaining RN licensure. Employers and credentialing bodies often require nurses to meet certain CE requirements. All of the pediatric nursing certifications listed above, for example, must be renewed, and part of the renewal process involves satisfying a certain number of CE hours or credits.CTU’s Online RN-to-BSN, MSN and DNP Degree Programs
Colorado Technical University’s RN-to-BSN online degree program offers nurses with an active, clear, and unencumbered RN license the opportunity to advance their nursing education, skills and knowledge, potentially opening up a greater number of opportunities.
At the graduate level, we offer a Master of Science in Nursing degree program, which offers the option to choose from among the following concentrations: Family Nurse Practitioner, Nursing Administration or Nursing Education. We also offer a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program that is designed for licensed RNs with a master’s degree in nursing. All of our online degree programs in nursing are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (https://www.aacnnursing.org/ccne-accreditation).
Explore all of CTU’s accredited online nursing degree programs today, or apply now.
1 Pediatric Nursing Certification Board, “Age Parameters,” https://www.pncb.org/age-parameters (last visited Feb. 24, 2025).
2 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, “Registered Nurses,”
at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm (last visited Feb. 24, 2025).
3 Society of Pediatric Nurses (SPN), “Becoming a Pediatric Nurse,” https://www.pedsnurses.org/becoming-a-pediatric-nurse (last visited Feb. 24, 2025).
4 NCLEX, “Passing Standard,” https://www.nclex.com/passing-standard.page (last visited Feb. 24, 2025).
5 NCSBN, https://www.ncsbn.org/index.page (last visited Feb. 14, 2025).
6 PNCB, “Certified Pediatric Nurse,” https://www.pncb.org/certifications/certified-pediatric-nurse (last visited Feb. 14, 2025).
7 BCEN, “CPEN,” https://bcen.org/cpen/ (last visited Feb. 14, 2025).
8 AACN, “CCRN (Pediatric) – Direct Care Eligibility Pathway,” https://www.aacn.org/certification/get-certified/ccrn-peds (last visited Feb. 14, 2025).
9 Nursing World, “Pediatric Nursing Certification (PED-BC™),” https://www.nursingworld.org/our-certifications/pediatric-nurse/ (last visited Feb. 14, 2025).
10 ONCC, “Certified Pediatric Hematology Oncology Nurse (CPHON®),” https://www.oncc.org/certified-pediatric-hematology-oncology-nurse-cphon (last visited Feb. 14, 2025).
CTU cannot guarantee employment, salary, or career advancement. Not all programs are available to residents of all states. REQ2119455 3/2025