What Is A Pediatric Nurse?

A pediatric nurse cares for children from infancy through age 18, treating patients across a wide range of conditions and developmental stages. The work demands empathy, patience, and the communication skill to explain diagnoses and treatment plans to both children and parents. You need an ADN or BSN, an active RN license, and, for certification, at least two years of pediatric experience. Payscale puts the average pediatric nurse salary near $72,210 a year.

Quick facts:

• Time to become: 2 to 4 years
• Degree: ADN or BSN; certification recommended
• Job outlook: 5% growth, 2024 to 2034 (BLS)
• Average salary: $72,210 (Payscale, September 2025)

What a Pediatric Nurse Does

Pediatric nurses work with children from birth to age 18, and some clinics extend care to age 21. The focus is keeping patients as healthy as possible, and assisting physicians in building and carrying out care plans through childhood.

Most pediatric nurses work in primary care and see a broad mix of conditions. Those in a subspecialty, such as pediatric oncology, pediatric critical care, or neonatal critical care, see a narrower range tied to that focus.

Key responsibilities:

• Teach parents how to care for their child, in person and by phone
• Collect and record health information and vital signs
• Perform physical exams
• Give medication and other treatments
• Comfort children who are scared or confused

The role rewards strong communication, empathy, attention to detail, sound decision making, and the ability to stay steady under pressure.

Where Pediatric Nurses Work

Pediatric nurses work across healthcare settings: community and teaching hospitals, specialty hospitals, and outpatient centers.

Most work in community and teaching hospitals. Teaching hospitals tend to mean longer shifts, including nights and weekends. Nurses there care for patients before and after surgery, join rounds with physicians, and give IV medications.

In specialty hospitals, the hours and tasks are similar, but care is often more intensive, with patients who need end of life care or treatment for cancer or developmental disabilities.

In physician offices and outpatient centers, nurses usually keep regular business hours and see the same patients for routine primary or specialty care. Alongside clinical duties, they greet patients, schedule appointments, and field parents' questions by phone.

How to Become a Pediatric Nurse

Start by becoming an RN: earn a degree, pass the NCLEX-RN, and apply for licensure. An ADN takes about two years and qualifies you to sit for the NCLEX-RN. A BSN takes four years and tends to open more job openings.

After licensure, pursue certification. The Pediatric Nursing Certification Board reports that nurse managers prefer certified pediatric nurses 90% of the time. Two credentials to weigh: the Pediatric Nursing Board Certification from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and the Certified Pediatric Nurse credential from the PNCB.

Both require a current unrestricted license and at least two years of full time pediatric experience. The PNCB requires 1,800 hours of pediatric nursing within the past two years. The American Nurses Credentialing Center requires 2,000 hours within the past three years plus 30 hours of continuing education.

Pay and Job Outlook

Pediatric nurses average $33.93 an hour, or about $72,210 a year, per September 2025 Payscale data. The highest paid earn around $98,000 a year, the lowest around $54,000.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 5% job growth for all RNs from 2024 to 2034, faster than the 3% average across occupations. Pay rises with skill and experience, and nurses with specialized experience in neonatal intensive care, pediatric intensive care, and surgery often earn above average.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a pediatric nurse do? They work with physicians, parents, and patients to help children get and stay healthy into adulthood, handling exams, vitals, treatment, education, and comfort.

What skills do pediatric nurses need? A working knowledge of child development, including how children's bodies and common illnesses differ from adults'. They also need strong interpersonal skills to explain treatments calmly, and sharp objective assessment, since infants and young children often cannot describe what is wrong.

What is the job outlook? The BLS projects 5% job growth for RNs across all specialties from 2024 to 2034.

What is a typical day? There isn't one. Pediatric nurses examine patients, record vitals and health information, and treat, educate, and comfort families, but their patients vary so widely in age, health, and development that no two days look alike.