A pediatric nurse practitioner is a licensed nurse practitioner who is also a registered nurse. He or she has also completed advanced studies in pediatrics, so his or her primary focus will be on children under the age of 18. These specialists are employed by many pediatrician’s offices and hospitals because they can usually work without the assistance of a doctor and provide a wide range of services.
A pediatric nurse practitioner, unlike a registered nurse, can diagnose conditions, discuss them with family members, and prescribe medications. She can also order tests to confirm the diagnosis, such as x-rays or blood tests. Typically, these practitioners work alongside or directly under the supervision of a doctor, with whom they can consult if a case appears to be particularly difficult. In doctor’s offices, however, the pediatric nurse practitioner frequently works independently and sees patients without the need for physician consultation.
In many cases, the pediatric nurse practitioner will see a large number of patients on a daily basis. She can perform well-child exams, obtain patient histories, diagnose illnesses, prescribe treatments, refer children to specialists, and even perform minor surgical procedures such as stitches. Nurse practitioners are increasingly being hired by pediatricians to assist them in meeting the demands of a busy practice. This makes a lot of sense to me. Nurse practitioners are paid less, but they are usually well compensated, and they can work independently.
It’s a common misconception that pediatric nurse practitioners only work in doctor’s offices. They may run free clinics, work as school nurses or directors of nursing programs, and, of course, provide care in hospitals. They can also run their own private clinics and set up a pediatric practice without the involvement of doctors. In hospital settings, some pediatric nurse practitioners have further specialized and may work in a specialty pediatrics practice, such as pediatric cardiology or endocrinology. Hospital work may entail significantly more procedures, depending on the specialty.
Nurse practitioners who work in hospitals may also do a lot more family counseling. Most families do not take their children to hospitals for routine care, and a child’s hospitalization is stressful. Nurse practitioners working with these families will try to provide them with as much information as possible about the proposed care so that they can make informed decisions. Because of the complexities of the conditions that can cause children to be admitted to the hospital, the nurse practitioner may or may not be able to diagnose without the help of a doctor, but they frequently do so.