2024 Career Planning Guide
NURSING SPECIALITIES KEY : n Minimum Education required n Certifications required n Experience needed n Certification credential n Possible employment n Professional Organization n References / Resources
Palliative Nurse
Palliative care nurses focus on relieving pain and other debilitating symptoms of chronic illness . This evidence- based nursing practice includes assessment , diagnosis , and treatment of human responses to actual or potential life- limiting illnesses . Palliative nurses lead the comprehensive interdisciplinary collaborative care of the patient with person-centered care through coordination of care , and pain and symptom management . The essence of palliative nursing honors the individual patient in her / his journey .
n RN ( BSN preferred ) n Hospice and Palliative Licensed Nurse certification exam
n Hospice and palliative nursing practice of 500 hours in the most recent 12 months or 1,000 hours in the most recent 24 months prior to applying for the examination n CHPN , ACHPN , CHPPN
n Hospitals , ambulatory care , continuing care , community health settings , correctional facilities , hospice facilities n Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association ( www . hpna . org )
Also see “ Hospice Nurse ” section .
Pediatric Nurse
A pediatric nurse specializes in the care of children from infancy through adolescence .
Pediatric nurses are very knowledgeable about growth and development as they adapt their interactions and care to the individual ch developmental needs . In addition , they acknowledge the expertise of the family and work collaboratively with them to provide patient and family centered care to the child .
Pediatric nurses may further specialize in a variety of practice settings such as primary pediatric or pediatric sub-specialty clinics and inpatient departments , including general medical / surgical and intensive care . Diseases , equipment and treatments for pediatric patients are either different or vary in presentation from those of adults . Nurses working in facilities that care for children receive specialized orientation .
n ASN / ADN or BSN ( preferred ) n Certified Pediatric Nurse
n A minimum of 1,800 hours of pediatric clinical experience completed within the past 24 months as an RN , or a minimum of 5 years as an RN in pediatric nursing and 3,000 hours in pediatric nursing with the last 5 years with a minimum of 1,000 hours within the past 24 months .
n CPN , RN-BC
n Hospitals ( acute care settings ), Ambulatory care centers , Out-patient surgery centers , Medical / physician offices , Military service , Community health settings , Schools , Retail clinics n Society of Pediatric Nurses ( www . pedsnurses . org ); Pediatric Endocrinology Nursing Society ( www . pens . org )
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