Paediatric (Children) Nurse

Child nursing involves everything from nursing a sick newborn to an adolescent road accident victim. You’ll need to consider the care and support needed by the wider family, including parents and carers.

Working life

Nursing a child is not just a question of caring for a small adult. Children have very specific health needs and you need to understand how a healthy child develops towards adulthood to minimise the impact of illness. This involves working in closely with the parents or guardians.

Communication is also factor when treating children. Adults can express their feelings and can identify the severity and nature of pain. A child may not be able to communicate this in such detail and the nurse needs to interpret child’s behaviour and reactions. Children’s nurses need to be able to spot when a child’s health takes a turn for the worse, which can often happen rapidly.

How to become a children’s nurse

To become a children’s nurse you’ll need to train and study at a degree level. Entry requirements vary depending on where you’d like to study.