As a health and pediatric nurse, you look after sick children and babies who are in need of care , but also young people up to a certain age. Tasks of care and nursing are carried out and the medically prescribed therapies are implemented. Assisting with treatments and examinations is just as interesting as documenting the treatment data of individual patients. In the case of small patients, it is important to have good observation in order to notice the rapid changes and to be able to react. In contrast to the care of adults, infants and children are usually not yet able to communicate properly.
Personal requirements at work
The profession demands a lot of observational skills and the desire to devote yourself to people. There must be a will to help the little people and to be able to do the shift work that goes with it. There should also be no shying away from blood and excretions, as you have to treat injuries and take care of basic care. The attitude should be social and be able to deal with losses. Children can also become ill and die at an early age.
Prerequisites for the job / training / studies
As an important prerequisite, you should have sufficient empathy. A good knowledge of math and spelling is required. A certain talent for planning should be part of the skills as well as a good power of observation. The basic requirement is an intermediate school leaving certificate, but a secondary school leaving certificate is also accepted under certain conditions. An important condition for admission is medical suitability through the confirmation of a medical certificate. Completing a free social year in the care sector is an advantage. Young trainees must submit an additional examination before starting and under the age of 18 due to the Youth Employment Protection Act. Some institutions insist on a corresponding denomination and affiliation.
Training
During the training to become a health and pediatric nurse, theoretical and practical school training is carried out. The trainees complete the practical training part directly in the hospitals and clinics. You have to reckon with the training with a duration of 3 years full-time. It is to be added to full-time nursing training with an additional qualification with a total duration of 3 to 3.5 years . As in other apprenticeships, the training period can be shortened. The trainees receive instruction in children's nursing schools with direct affiliation to the specialist departments of the clinics. It is taught weekly or in blocks in the vocational schools. The final exam consists of a written, oral and practical part.
The Qualification
After completing the training, you have to decide on a qualification in a specialist area. In most cases, it is possible to switch to hospitals for ward care or intensive care. The classification into the various specialist areas offers more variety in the profession. You can switch to surgery, dermatology or even internal medicine. There are also different options for specializing in the outpatient service sector. You can also get involved in different ways in the area of nursing advice.
locations
The locations of the health and pediatric nurses are essentially the infirmaries of hospitals, clinics and specialist practices. You are mainly busy in the patient rooms, treatment rooms and examination rooms. However, use is also required in dormitories or health centers for children. Sick children and young people are also accommodated in nursing homes or short-term care facilities and must be cared for there. As a service provider in the outpatient sector, the place of work is directly at the home of those in need of help. Activities for the documentation of patient data are carried out in the offices.
career development opportunities
As a pediatric nurse, you can constantly develop yourself in order to be technically up to date. On the one hand, you have the opportunity to continue your education in home and family care in order to look more closely at the topic of hygiene or to do better medical documentation. There are always new developments in medical technology that you have to face up to. Professional advancement can be achieved with further training to become a specialist pediatric nurse. With further training, you can also acquire leadership qualities and advance to the position of station manager or business administrator. With the higher education entrance qualification, you also have good opportunities to complete a degree after completing your training. The ways of setting up a business are also open and can be entered into.
The everyday life of the health and pediatric nurse
A health and pediatric nurse spends the day waking and caring for the patients until they go to bed. A lot can happen during the day, because every child needs their own individual care. Depending on how sick they are, the little patients are supported with basic care and food intake. Therapy and examinations are then carried out, which are prepared and accompanied by the nurses. At the end of the shift, the individual patient data is documented. The instructions of the doctors are always followed. (Image source: Federal Employment Agency)
