There are many different specific specialties that you can go into as a pediatric nurse. This will, however, require more training in whichever one you choose. If you become unsure of what you want to do, many healthcare facilities offer, “shadow days”. A shadow day is where you follow and assist a nurse or doctor and “shadow” them while they work. This will allow you to explore different options and see if you would be interested in many of the different specialties without completely committing to one in particular. These programs save a substantial amount of time, money, and energy. When choosing a specialty in the pediatric field, you are presented with a countless number of amazing options. These options vary from trauma to health and nutrition and all the way orthopedic care. Assisting in pediatric surgery is also a great fit for some. Every specialty is different when it comes to salary, working hours, health risks, education, and much more. After choosing your specialty, you are can begin to complete the new set of educational requirements needed for that field. It would also be beneficial to complete your internship early on to allow you to adapt to your new …show more content…
A pediatric trauma unit is designed to assist critically injured or ill patients. It deals with the acute care of children and is slightly different from an emergency department. A trauma unit often deals with cases of motor-vehicle collisions, assault, gunshot and stab wounds, and head injuries. A substantial part of a pediatric trauma nurse’s job is to stabilize his or her young patients. He or she needs to be able to recognize symptoms and determine a course of action in short periods of time in a high-speed environment. These decisions often determine if a patient survives the traumatic experience. Trauma nurses are expected to perform CPR if needed, administer emergency meds, handle code blue situations, administer IV fluids, perform wound care, communicate with other health physicians any much more (“Trauma Nurse”). Your course of action changes with every small patient and you will be presented with new challenges each and every day. The decisions that you make will determine if your patient survives so trauma nurses must be prepared for any situation. All of this occurs in a high-stress setting so trauma nurses are required to adapt immediately. You must be able to think fast and come up with life-saving solutions quickly. Before you are allowed to even step foot in a trauma center, you must first go through many more steps to become certified. To work in a pediatric trauma center, it’s