My opinion.. work in a stepdown unit for a few months, then cardiac ICU, then transfer to peds. But first get ACLS and PALS
Well Im an old nurse lol.... I retired 2 yrs ago... but... in my days I got sent to ICU /CCU to help out and was sent out there a lot!!!! so I learned a lot on the unit..... of course I took courses for monitoring them..... but once you get out there you watch the monitors all night and you get to know what the different things are that people have commonly and the ones that are most dangerous that need treatment immediately!!! so you have to know what is not normal!!!! it is critical!..... so if you havent taken a course in intensive care /critical care you should take that. Something to remember is..... when watching monitors..... your eyes see a pattern with whos doing what on the monitors ...... even though theres lots of people eyeing them all the time .... you could miss some things... but good to know as you watch them the second someone say .....throws a pvc...... the pattern you have been watching .... changes..... so immediately!!! you will know because the pattern is gone that you have been watching... so your focus will go to where you saw something change!! as you are orienting to being an ICU/CCU NURSE... you will know what I mean AND THEN ..YOU WILL SAY.... OK I GOT WHAT SHE MEANT!!!!! Remember to be well rounded!!! patients in this area can get scared ..esp if all of a sudden a lot of people suddenly come flying in to help even if the patient has not even started having pain or has not become unresponsive...... things can happen veryyyyy fast.... so you have to be able to change what you have been doing and help if there is a code or someone comes in with cpr going on....I worked in a unit one night and there was a fire at a local prison.... so we were full in ICU AND HAD TO MOVE 3 PEOPLE THAT WERE AT THE END OF THE HALL BY ICU TO OTHER BEDS DOWN THE HALL...THEN TO GET THE LESS CRITICAL ICU/CCU PTS IN THE ICU MOVED TO THE END BEDS SO WE CAN STILL MONITOR THEM ........ ANDDD THEN .... TO GET 3 CRITICAL PEOPLE COMING IN FROM A FIRE.... to put in ICU...BUT EVERYONE HELPED DO IT ALL EVEN THE DRS.... WE WORKED RAPIDLY AND TOGETHER WE GOT BEDS OPEN... AND REPLACED WITH MORE CRITICAL PEOPLE .... AND MANAGED TO GET THEM ALL STABLE AND RELAXED !!! ITS SOMETHING YOU JUST WILL REMEMBER FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE....NOW FOR PEDS ITS DIFFERENT A BIT CAUSE YOU ARE HANDLING LITTLE BABIES OR KIDS.... SOMETIMES ITS EASIER..OTHER TIMES.... THEY JUST FREAK OUT!!!! IVE BEEN LUCKY BECAUSE I HAVE TAKEN CARE OF LITTLE KIDS ALL MY LIFE SO IT DOESNT BOTHER ME AT ALL... AND I HAVE ALWAYS GOTTEN ALONG WELL WITH BABIES AND KIDS!!!! CAUSE THAT IS MY LOVEEEEE ...... TAKING CARE OF KIDS..... I KNOW WHEN TO BE SERIOUS WITH THEM AND WHEN TO JUST RELAX AND HELP THEM PLAY.... MY MOST LOVE IS ROCKING AND FEEDING AND SINGING SOFTLY TO GET THEM TO SLEEP NEVERRRR HAVE I HAD A HARD TIME SOOTHING BABIES!!! IF YOU RELAX AND SHOW LOVE THEY SUCK IT UP AND SNUGGLE RIGHT DOWN AND GO TO SLEEP IN YOUR ARMS AS YOU ROCK THEM.... I CAN DIAPER CHANGE AND BATH A BABY AND NOT HAVE THEM WAKE UP... BUT ITS JUST BECAUSE I HAVE TAKEN CARE OF KIDS MY WHOLE LIFE.. MOM HAD 10 KIDS TO CARE FOR.. I WAS HER SECOND HAND WOMAN!!!! LOL FROM THE TIME I COULD TALK !! SO IF YOU WANT TO WORK IN PEDS.......... YOU NEED TO BE RELAXED AND KNOW HOW TO SOOTH KIDS THAT ARE NOT SICK BEFORE YOU HANDLE SICK KIDS!!!! WITH EXPERIENCE YOU WILL LOVE IT ...IF YOU LIKE KIDS!!!HOPE THIS REASSURES YOU AND MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE TAKING CARE OF KIDS IS FOR YOU!!!
This aspect of nursing is a specialty and usually requires CCRN certification.
If already a RN, who works in intensive/cardiac care units, ICU/CCU, medical surgical ICU, trauma care, transport/flight, you would be eligible to prepare for and obtain the certification.
If you are planning to become a RN, usually most hospitals will require you to have at least one year experience working in one of the ICU units prior to providing direct care to acutely/critically ill pediatric patients.
Hope this information is helpful. Ena-Lorraine
