Pediatric

Global AIDS Report Shows Continued Gains in Preventing Mother-to-Child Transmission, Reinforces Momentum Toward Elimination of Pediatric HIV and AIDS

Washington, DC (Vocus) September 28, 2010

Nicholas Hellmann, M.D., Executive Vice President of Medical and Scientific Affairs for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, releases statement in response to global AIDS report.

“The 2010 report on universal access to HIV prevention, care and treatment released today by WHO, UNAIDS, and UNICEF shows continuing progress in scaling up global HIV/AIDS interventions. We are particularly encouraged by increased access to treatment for both pregnant women and children living with the virus, as well as ongoing expansion of programs to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT), which accounts for more than 90% of new infections in children.

“In the countries hardest hit by the pandemic, the global health community is together reaching more than half of pregnant women (53%) in need of PMTCT services with antiretroviral drugs. The fact that only 15% of women had access to PMTCT drugs just five years ago shows the clear results of global commitments to scale-up this prevention method, which has been proven to dramatically reduce new infant HIV infections.

“The report also shows a dramatic increase in the number of children receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART), with a 29% increase from the previous year. Yet in many countries, children still lag far behind adults in access to treatment – less than a third of children in need of treatment are receiving it, and only a small fraction of HIV-exposed infants are being tested soon after birth. We clearly know that early diagnosis of HIV infection and rapid initiation of treatment are vital to saving young lives – and without treatment, approximately half of infected children will die before the age of two.

“The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation works closely with many governments in sub-Saharan Africa, the region hardest hit by this disease, and we have seen the critical importance of national political commitments in fighting the pandemic. As more countries implement new WHO guidelines for prevention and treatment – such as shifting away from single-dose nevirapine to more efficacious HIV prophylaxis regimens, and starting effective treatment earlier for pregnant women living with HIV – we will continue to see dramatic progress.

“Reaching more mothers and children with high quality HIV prevention and treatment services is also vital to improving overall maternal and child health and survival, two important aspects of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals. At a time when governments and global health leaders are rallying behind these common goals, this progress report shows that we are on the right path – but without sustained political and financial commitments, we are putting progress at risk.

“We welcome the report, and look forward to continuing to work together with WHO, UNAIDS, UNICEF, and other partners to realize the virtual elimination of pediatric AIDS worldwide. We cannot afford to slow our progress or lose momentum toward this achievable goal.”

About the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

The Foundation is a global leader in the fight against pediatric HIV and AIDS, and has reached nearly 10 million women with services to prevent transmission of HIV to their babies. It works at 5,000 sites in 17 countries to implement prevention, care, and treatment; to further advance innovative research; and to execute strategic and targeted global advocacy activities to bring dramatic change to the lives of millions of women, children, and families worldwide.

###

Tags: Aids, Continued, Elimination, gains, Global, Momentum, MothertoChild, Pediatric, Preventing, Reinforces, Report, Shows, Toward, Transmission

Thursday, February 17th, 2011 Aid For Single Mothers No Comments

Pediatric Nurse Salary Range

Dealing with children and taking care of their health and wellness on a professional level is not a ‘child’s’ play’!! This requires an understanding of child’s psychology, tolerance towards their childish behavior and activities, etc. Frankly speaking, not everyone has the skills to handle children and tackle with them effectively! Well, but who are those people, who are God gifted with all these skills? Certainly, the answer is pediatric nurses! Pediatric nurses could be defined as registered nurses who are indulged in working with young children, toddlers and infants. They also hold the authority to conduct physical tests, advice appropriate medications and provide relevant treatments to the patients. Read more on different types of nursing careers.

With advent of expansion of the medical industry in the United States, many medical jobs for pediatric nurses are estimated to emerge. This therefore constitutes an excellent career outlook and also enormous career opportunities in this area of nursing. Therefore, the good news is that, nurses getting trained right now in pediatric nursing can expect a lot of hospital job opportunities for themselves, once their training is completed. Reading the career outlook, must have increased your curiosity to know about the duties of a pediatric nurse, pediatric nurse salary range and also its educational requirements! The text written below is a fruitful enough to satisfy your curiosity! Read on…

Pediatric Nurse Job Description

Pediatric nurses basically work in the pediatric department of the health care organization and are involved in many other operations included in pediatrics. Some of the duties and responsibilities of pediatric nurses are discussed below.

Performing physical, medical and diagnostic tests and further providing appropriate medications and treatments, forms the basis of the job of a pediatric nurse.
Children mostly are not used to see medical equipments and medications around them and hence they might get afraid of the treatment and therefore would not respond properly to it. In such cases, communicating with them effectively, by making them understand the importance of it, is another important duty of a pediatric nurse.
Measuring blood pressure, body temperature, heart beat rate, collecting urine samples, etc. of the patient, on a regular basis.
Monitoring the patient’s progress, entering it into the medical records and reporting the same to the pediatrician.
Developing patient care plans with the help of other members of the health care team.
Communicating with the child’s parents and keeping them updated on the progress, complications and providing tips on caring for their child’s health.
The job description depends upon the area of specialization. For instance, pediatric nurses who have specialized in emergency services, then their duties, would slightly differ from the regular pediatric nurses.
Pediatric Nurse Requirements of Education

The most basic requirement to become a pediatric nurse practitioner is to become a registered nurse! You can opt for a bachelor’s degree in nursing, which broadens your career path, or an associate degree program or even a diploma course in nursing. Once you complete the basic formal education in nursing, you need to clear the NCLEX-RN examination, which will earn you the Registered Nurse (RN) certification. Further, you can start working as a nurse in the pediatrics department of any hospital and after 1 year, apply for the the certification of pediatric nurse. This involves the successful completion of Certified Pediatric Nurse examination, governed by Pediatric Nursing Certification Board. You can specialize in some areas of pediatric nursing after getting certified as pediatric nurse. To earn the specialization certification, you need to complete the examination and training program held by the concerned board or authority. Read more on pediatric nurse requirements.

Salary Range for Pediatric Nurses

Definitely, the employer size, educational qualification and experience have a vital role in deciding the pediatric nurse salary range. However, the median earnings of pediatric nurses with 1 year or less experience is around USD 68,000 – USD 70,000. The median salary for nurses with a bachelor’s degree in nursing, get paid around USD 48,000 – USD 50,000. But after two to four years of experience, the salary could be anywhere around USD 85,000 – USD 90,000!

With this discussion, you must have at least got a fair idea of the pediatric nurse salary range, job description and educational requirements. Remember, proper knowledge, on the job training, caring nature and effective communication skills are the keys to attain success in a pediatric nurse career. I’m sure you have all this in you!!

Tags: Nurse, Pediatric, Range, Salary

Wednesday, January 12th, 2011 Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) No Comments

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Salary

As said before, nursing is one of the noblest professions which involves selfless service to sick or unhealthy patients. Many people want to pursue their career in nursing but after thinking that it is not much of a rewarding job in terms of money, they opt out. But the truth is there are so many different types of nursing careers nowadays which apart from giving an inner contentment, also offer quite a decent nurse salary. So anyone who has a zest of doing some humanitarian work, pediatric nurse practitioner is one of the best job profile they can opt for. Well, holding on to this though, here in this article we will discuss about the pediatric nurse practitioner salary range but before that let’s first have a brief idea about this job profile.

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Job Description

Nurse Practitioners (NP) are basically registered nurses who have completed master’s level education in nursing and clinical training in a specific health care domain like acute care, oncology, community health, prenatal care, pediatrics or psychiatric health. A pediatric nurse practitioner is a nurse who has received a master’s degree and clinical training in pediatrics (a branch of medicine related with the treatment of infants and children). A pediatric nurse primarily provides nursing care to his/her patients but under a physician’s supervision.

The main role of the nurse is to observe and monitor the patient’s condition and maintain a record of the condition and reactions of the drugs or medications on the patient. Apart from these nurse duties or responsibilities, a pediatric nurse performs physical examinations and preventive health care measures but only under his/her physician’s recommendations. The roles of a pediatric nurse practitioner does not end here, hence, he/she also has to arrange referrals, references, therapeutic services, and consult with other specialists on course of care and treatment. However, in future a pediatric nurse practitioner can also consider starting an independent practice but only if the State law permits.

To become a full time pediatrics nurse practitioner, one has to first complete a master’s degree in nursing. He/she has to attend a nursing school to attain a Baccalaureate degree in nursing. In order to become a certified pediatric nurse, the candidate first has to be a registered nurse which requires a degree of nursing and some experience of treating patients. After this, to certify as a pediatric nurse, he/she has to enroll for an NP program which usually takes 3 to 4 years to complete. For more assistance you can also read the article on the requirements to become a nurse.

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Salary

Though according to the 2008 data from an AANP, nurse practitioners concerning all specialties earn on an average a base salary of $84,250 and an average full time income somewhere around $92,100 per annum. However, for a more clear idea check out the below given tables for pediatric nurse practitioner salary.

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Salary in Different Cities
City
Salary (per annum)
Miami, FL
$100,572
Chicago, IL
$98,379
Houston, TX
$95,577
Phoenix, AZ
$95,359
Dallas, TX
$94,967
Atlanta, GA
$89,709
Indianapolis, IN
$89,361
Orlando, FL
$83,269
Cincinnati, OH
$87,469
Charlotte, NC
$78,964

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Salaries
Job Title
Salary (per annum)
Nurse Practitioner Correctional Facility
$121,000
Hospitalist Nurse Practitioner
$116,000
Nurse Practitioner Cardiology
$109,000
Nurse Practitioner (NP)
$106,000
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
$105,000
Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
$101,000
Physician Assistant Nurse Practitioner
$91,000
Nurse Practitioner Psychiatric
$83,000
Nurse Practitioners Physician Assistant
$81,000
Family Nurse Practitioner
$78,000
Dental Hygienist Assistant Training
$54,000

A pediatric nurse practitioner job is not a 9 to 5 job, hence it is an extremely demanding work wherein one has to take care of his/her patients even after normal working hours and may require to do rotating shifts during anytime of the day in order to serve the patients in the hospital. To sum up, we can say that it a diverse, demanding and challenging job that holds a huge responsibility on the person doing it. However, whatever may be the stress or anxiety level, after serving and curing sick patients the amount of satisfaction one gets is unbeatable. Well, I hope the information given in this article on pediatric nurse practitioner salary and other job related parameters proves to be helpful in having a better understanding of this noble profession.

Tags: Nurse, Pediatric, Practitioner, Salary

Friday, October 29th, 2010 Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) No Comments

How to Become a Pediatric Nurse

The medical job of a pediatric nurse is one of the most prominent careers in the health care sector. A pediatric nurse practitioner is a medical expert who is proficient in taking care of children’s health in clinical facilities. This career is in demand due to a good amount of per annum remuneration and also because it is related to emotional satisfaction. The demand for nurses in pediatric care is expected to grow in the years to come. If you are wondering how to become a pediatric nurse; along with education, you are also required to obtain the license for practicing your profession. The following paragraphs will tell you more about the job description of a pediatric nurse.

Pediatric Nurse Job Description

Pediatric nurses work in a variety of medical settings from large public hospitals to small clinical child care facilities. They are medical experts who specialize in taking care of patients who are children and adolescents. The duties of a pediatric nurse include getting the medical examinations done on children and recording the progress in health. A pediatric nurse has to diagnose and treat any disorders in children. She also has to inform the parents of patients about what steps are to be taken to maintain good health in children. Let us get to know about the pediatric nurse requirements.

How to Become a Pediatric Nurse?

To become a pediatric nurse you most importantly need to have a desire to help and work with children. Coming to the education, the first step you need to take is to become a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). For this you will be required to complete a vocational nursing program which is around a year long. After obtaining the LPN license, you will then need to become a Registered Nurse (RN) or go in for the Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.

Aspiring pediatric nurses will have to obtain the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) which usually is a two year course. The next step is to move on to obtain the BSN degree, which lasts for around four years. The first year consists of prerequisite study related to nursing jobs; whereas in the other three years, you will be taught about actual nursing responsibilities. After completing these educational requirements, you will need to become licensed by sitting for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX).

This examination is a multiple choice test; which determines the candidate’s knowledge about patient care, healthy living practices, psychosocial integrity, and other clinical aspects. Moving on being certified, you may opt for enrolling in three-month pediatric nursing trainings offered by some hospitals. Or else, you can even find a nursing job in the pediatrics field. You will obtain the certification after you successfully pass the Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN) exam. This certification is quite important to increase the salary range for job as a pediatric nurse.

In order to further increase your salary prospects, you do have the option of attending advanced courses such as Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) and Emergency Nurse Pediatric Course (ENPC). You can even check some relevant courses and trainings with the Society of Pediatric Nurses (SPN). These advanced courses will enable you to gain better understanding about the latest advancements going on in pediatrics. If you intend to become a teacher of pediatrics, you can choose to do a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN).

As you can see that along with the basic educational requirements, there are several different advanced courses that help to increase the pediatric nurse salary range. The average pediatric nurse practitioner salary comes to a decent $60,000; which may differ according to the location of employment, type of certification, and experience in pediatrics. Those wondering how long does it take to become a pediatric nurse should remember that the duration depends on the fundamental degrees required. Hopefully, by now you might have got a basic idea about how to become a pediatric nurse.

Tags: Become, Nurse, Pediatric

Tuesday, September 7th, 2010 Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) No Comments

Pediatric Dentist Salary

Tooth problems are one of the most aggravated forms of health problems, faced by kids in the recent years. Well, the reason behind this is improper dental care! Kids are not that aware of tooth care, as much as adults and therefore they tend to ignore it and as a consequence face tooth problems. In some children the problem is so serious, the only option their parents are left with is visiting a pediatric dentist!

Now, who is a pediatric dentist? You must have got an idea of it, however, let me define it in a detailed manner. A pediatric dentist is an expert dealing with dental problems faced by teens, young children and very young kids. The core job a pediatric dentist is to diagnose the problem and suggest treatment measures over it. This also includes providing tips on better dental care. Here’s a brief text on the job description, educational requirements and pediatric dentist salary range.

Pediatric Dentist Job Description

Pediatric dentist is the head of his department and therefore, apart from treating dental problems in children, he has to perform many duties and tasks. Some of them are mentioned below.
The most important job is to carry out an overall check up of the patient’s teeth and then try to identify the problems through diagnostic procedures and generating X-rays.
It is not that every time there is a problem with the patient’s teeth, some of them come to clean their teeth. Therefore, in such cases, the pediatric dentist has to clean their teeth and suggest some measures for maintaining good dental health.
Filling cavities, placing bridges and dentures and pulling out damaged and irreparable teeth also form an important part of the pediatric dentist job description.
Preparing case documents and preserving medical records associated with patient history, treatment measures, etc. for future references.
Work on tooth care developmental plans, in order to render a good level of patient care.
Using specialized lab equipments and taking proper care by maintaining and repairing them, whenever necessary.
If employed in a health care organization, then going out for kids dental check up campaigns is also an important duty of the pediatric dentist.
Communicating and counseling in an effective manner to the child and his parents about the problem and inculcate the importance of regular tooth care.
Managing day to day appointments and looking after administrative work in the office.
Pediatric Dentist Educational Requirements

Pediatric dentistry is a specialized branch and therefore requires expert training on the subject. The first step is to successfully complete the Dental Admissions Test (DAT) and then seek admission in a dental school. Before entering the specialized field of pediatric dentistry, you need to complete a four year program in general dentistry from a reputed college or university and earn a degree of Doctor of Dental Medicine (DDM) or Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS). The next step is to pursue continuing education into pediatric dentistry from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. This should be done to maintain the license of working as a pediatric dentist and also keep self updated on the latest trends and advanced dental procedures. Pediatric dentistry includes training and education on child psychology, craniofacial anomalies in children, child development, dealing and caring for children needing special care and attention, child-related pharmacology and detailed study of oral diseases and problems in children. To obtain a license, it is necessary to pass the state board examination.

Pediatric Dentist Average Salary

Pediatric dentist salary range depends upon the location, size of the employer, volume of practice, knowledge and experience. However, the average salary of a pediatric dentist in the United States is around USD 135,000 – USD 140, 000 annually. Oregon so far is the highest payer for pediatric dentists with an average salary around, USD 200,000 – USD 215,000. While they are paid around USD 180,000 in Virginia and around USD 165,000 – USD 170,000 in Wisconsin! Moreover, the career opportunities in this field also are excellent, as there are many health care organizations and hospital job openings estimated in the near future. Read more on medical jobs.

Towards the end of this discussion on pediatric dentist salary, I would like to say that a job or career in pediatric dentistry is not an easy one! It requires a special understanding towards child psychology and a knack of dealing with children. So if you are really interested and think you have everything in you, then just follow your heart!!!

Tags: Dentist, Pediatric, Salary

Sunday, May 9th, 2010 Government Student Grants No Comments

Duties of a Pediatric Nurse

Pediatric nursing is a field where the nurses are involved in the treatment and care of infants, children and teenagers. It has become one of the most sought after nursing field among the different types of nursing careers. People who are of a compassionate nature and love to be with children are fit to become pediatric nurses. The major duties of a pediatric nurse is to look after the overall health of the patient.

Educational Qualifications

There are no specific courses one can take to become a pediatric nurse. Any person who wants to specialize in pediatrics has to first do a diploma or degree in nursing. It is also important to become a registered nurse (RN) to further a career in the field of pediatric nursing. To be a certified pediatric nurse, one must do an internship at a pediatric department of any hospital or work in the clinic of a pediatrician and then pass an examination given by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB). Receiving one’s training at a pediatric hospital will help the candidates gain practical experience which will help them in their future career.

Responsibilities of a Pediatric Nurse

A pediatric nurse works in the pediatric department of a hospital, children’s clinics or at their homes. The basic duties of a pediatric nurse involve performing physical examinations and giving medicines administrated by the doctor to hospitalized patients. As little children are usually afraid of medical settings, it is the duty of the pediatric nurse to make them comfortable with encouraging words, so that they can conduct the necessary tests and treatment procedures smoothly.

Responsibilities of a pediatric nurse involves taking temperature, blood pressure, respiratory rate and heart rate of the patient. He/she also has the duty of starting intravenous medications, performing head to toe examinations and also collecting samples of patient’s urine and stools for laboratory tests.

Pediatric nurses can also specialize in certain areas like neonatal care, pediatric or neonatal ICU, surgical and medical unit, hematology and oncology, etc. Some nurses also specialize in certain diseases, for instance treating patients suffering from cancer, diabetes, etc. Many pediatric nurses also work at emergency department of the hospital. This course trains nurses in giving immediate treatment to children who are injured and those who are seriously ill. For this, they would have to do an emergency nursing pediatric course from Emergency Nurse Association. They can also specialize in Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Basic Trauma Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, etc.

As pediatrics is based on the treatment and care of children, nurses have to deal with depressed and tensed parents, especially if their wards are suffering from some critical illness. It is the pediatric nurse’s duty to inform the condition of children to their parents truthfully, and at the same time offer them emotional support and strength. Pediatric nurse duties also include educating the parents about how to take care of their children once they are discharged from the hospital. This includes diet restrictions, how and when to give the medicines, changing the dressing or bandages, and also about the everyday care of children.

A pediatric nurse is trained to diagnose a patient’s disease and also to prescribe medications as well as administer emergency treatment, without the help of the pediatrician. Moreover, they also have the ability to interpret X-rays and lab tests. One can also become a pediatric nurse anesthetist, where one is entitled to administer anesthesia to children before an operation.

The duties of a pediatric nurse also involves supervising the regular check up of healthy children and make sure that they are given immunizations on time. Besides medical knowledge, a good pediatric nurse requires qualities such as patience and understanding, as dealing with children is no easy task!

Tags: Duties, Nurse, Pediatric

Monday, February 15th, 2010 Government Student Grants No Comments

Pediatric Nurse Requirements

Pediatric nurses perform nearly all the duties of a regular nurse. The pediatric department is associated with health of children till the age of 16. A lot of patience and excellent communication skills – as you need to deal with children – are just a few of the qualities required to be a good nurse. There are two types of nurses; Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) or a Registered Nurse (RN). Registered nurses are preferred over licensed practical nurses as they are more qualified. Being a registered nurse is beneficial in a long term career.

The pediatric nurse education requirements in order to work as a registered nurse (RN), are a diploma in nursing, associate degree in nursing, bachelor of science in nursing and a master’s course. The program structure may vary from state to state. There are many different nursing schools that offer specialized courses for people aspiring to become nurses.

What are the Requirements to Become a Pediatric Nurse?

There are various courses and studies one must complete in order to become a pediatric nurse. In addition to the study material and courses, certification exams also need to be given. The degrees and diplomas one needs for a successful career in nursing include:

Diploma in Nursing: Diploma programs are held in hospitals that may or may not be affiliated to school and colleges. These programs last for 2-3 years. Securing a diploma makes you eligible for the NCLEX examination. Diploma course is considered the first step in a nursing career.

Associate Degree In Nursing (ADN): If you do not wish to spend many years and a lot of money in completing a bachelor’s degree, the Associate Degree course is just for you. It is considered to be equivalent to the bachelor’s degree and it even makes you eligible for the NCLEX exam.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN): Having a bachelor’s degree is the best educational option if you wish to be a certified pediatric nurse. The college fees for bachelor’s degree program are quite high. A bachelor’s degree is not only preferred, but is even required in most states.

Master’s Degree in Nursing: One can opt for a Master’s degree after completing a bachelor’s degree. Master’s degree in nursing are offered by senior colleges or universities. Having a master’s degree is beneficial as it gives one the qualification and opportunity to explore the various branches of nursing.

There are other advanced and specialized programs for qualifying as nurse anesthetists, nurse practitioners or clinical nurse specialists. The eligibility criteria for these include a master’s or a bachelor’s course in nursing and 2 years experience as a registered nurse. There are also programs available in certain colleges that help registered nurses who have completed ADN and wish to pursue BSN. Nursing degrees can even be secured online.

Certification Needed to Work as a Pediatric Nurse

NCLEX or the National Council Licensure Examination is the examination undertaken to provide certification for nursing in United States of America. There are two exams, NCLEX-RN for registered nurses, and NCLEX-PN for practical nurses. It is mandatory to pass these exams to get a nursing license.

The Certified Pediatric Nurse exam is conducted by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board. This exam is essential to become a certified pediatric nurse. One needs to have at least 2 years of experience to be eligible for the exam. Becoming a certified pediatric nurse is beneficial as it can make finding a job easier, escalate your salary and boost your career. There is a great demand for certified pediatric nurses.

On completing the necessary pediatric nurse requirements, there are different types of nursing careers available. One can work in clinics, hospitals, children wards, public health departments or even with home health agencies. If you wish for a long term and successful career as a nurse, it is always beneficial to have a bachelor’s or a master’s degree. Once the course is completed, an internship program at a pediatric clinic or a hospital should be undertaken. Practical and clinical experience is more important than your academic curriculum. As you complete master’s course, you can go for specialization in emergency areas, cancer care, or burn department. You need to have a minimum experience of 5 years to opt for further specialization.

The salary for a registered nurse ranges from $40,000 to $70,000 on the basis of qualification and experience. If you are seriously thinking of pursuing a career as a pediatric nurse, you need to complete these basic pediatric nurse requirements. If you have the knack of dealing with youngsters, and wish to pursue a career in the medical field, being a pediatric nurse is the perfect option for you.

Tags: Nurse, Pediatric, Requirements

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010 Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) No Comments