If this is something that you deal with on a regular basis – especially if you’re in an oncology unit – you have to be able to leave the sadness of the day behind when you go home, or you will quickly burn out. For starters, it’s a physically demanding job in which you’re on your feet most of the time, and you have to stay mentally sharp through it all to ensure patients are cared for appropriately. If you need more job interview materials, you can reference them at the end of this post. This demand has led to a major shortage that can benefit anyone willing to work in a chaotic and emotionally-fueled environment. Earn up to $2,300 a week at top-tier hospitals across the country! Beyond these aspects, there are some challenges that are common to all types nurses. The average salary that PICU nurses earn is $60,000 annually though according to Glassdoor.com hourly wages can fluctuate from $25-$52 per hour. Of course, if you’re going into nursing, you are already aware of most of these challenges. Children who wind up in the PICU usually have a serious condition, have experienced some sort of trauma, are facing a tough recovery after a complex surgery, or might be suffering from a chronic illness or disease. On the flipside, however, it’s hard to find a more rewarding career. Ask yourself: Can I make health care decisions without letting emotions get in the way? As a follow-up to last week’s interview with NurseFly about the current career outlook for pediatric travel RNs, DailyNurse asked Bethany for a first-hand account of her experience as a PICU nurse during the pandemic. The role of a Paediatric Nurse is both versatile and rewarding. For pediatric ICU nurses, however, workplace pressures can feel that much more intense. Nurses are trained to perform life-saving, invasive interventions to stabilize patients and apply crisis management techniques. Sometimes a patient’s outcome is totally out of your control. Travel to your favorite city while getting paid! Pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) nurses are registered nurses (RNs) who observe and care for children of all ages in hospital intensive care units. And, sadly, some patients – even innocent children – may not make it. The nurses who work in the PICU are experienced in caring for the sickest children in the hospital. If you think that you can do what an ICU nurse does, start to get experience and looking for openings. And, you, as the health care professional have to do your best to keep your emotions in check, which can be difficult, especially if you are a parent yourself. Ask yourself: Do I have strategies in place for coping with seeing suffering and death happen before my eyes? Picu nurse interview questions & answers. Bethany Macchi, BSN, RN-CCRN has worked in a pediatrics cardiac ICU unit for nearly five years, and also worked as a travel nurse earlier this year. It’s important not to take any outbursts personally, but also know how to deal with them appropriately. Still, you need the child to be still and calm in order to get through whatever it is you need to do. They might also be there because of social factors such as a drug overdose. 1. The average salary that PICU nurses earn is $60,000 annually though according to Glassdoor.com hourly wages can fluctuate from $25-$52 per hour. No one ever said that a nursing career was easy on the mind, body, or soul, but one specialization in particular – pediatric ICU (PICU) nursing – comes with a unique set of challenges. The PICU also tends to have a higher nurse-to-patient ratio than other parts of the hospital (in other words, each nurse cares for fewer patients, which gives them more time with your child). The 2012 Nursing Salary Survey from ADVANCE for Nurses does not provide specific information on PICU nurse salary rates, although it found that ICU nurses make an average of $75,800 annually, while pediatric nurses average $72,600. If you’re considering becoming a PICU nurse, you should be aware of some of the emotional and physical tolls of the job, so you can determine if you have the right temperament to give it your all. Like other nurses, ICU nurses monitor patients, administer medications, assist patients with basic needs, chart care and respond to emergencies. There’s nothing more uplifting than knowing that a child is in good health because you did a great job. PICU Nurse Salary. As such, it’s easy to become attached, and likely that you’ll get to know the family members who are visiting. But then again, the feel-good moments that come from nursing a child back to good health, or telling a family that their child is going to be OK after a difficult experience can outweigh the negatives. Unfortunately, as with all aspects of nursing, illness, pain, and sometimes death is the outcome for some patients, and that can be especially tough to take when the patient is a child. Take a look at some of the workplace stressors that pediatric ICU nurses have to deal with on a daily basis to figure out if it’s a good career match for you. Many experienced PICU nurses make substantially more. With the right expertise and a caring nature to go along with it, PICU nurses can really impact a child’s hospital experience, and help aid in his or her recovery. Take a look at some of the workplace stressors that pediatric ICU nurses have to deal with on a daily basis to figure out if it’s a good career match for you. Ask yourself: Are you able to diffuse difficult situations and deal with a range of personalities? These nurses care for one to three patients per shift. Unlike some other nurses, their patients are often intubated, ventilated, and have multiple IV drips at a time. If you work as a PICU travel nurse, or in a large metropolitan specialty hospital, you will have the opportunity to take advantage of higher compensation rates. In this post, you can reference some of the most common interview questions for a picu nurse interview along with appropriate answer samples. If you work as a PICU travel nurse, or in a large metropolitan specialty hospital, you will have the opportunity to take advantage of higher compensation rates. They're the people most closely involved with the minute-to-minute care of the kids. What Does A Paediatric Nurse Do? They collaborate with families, physicians, and other healthcare professionals to create a plan for patient recovery and care. The more people working together to help the patient improve, the better. Ready to start making a difference – find PICU travel jobs here. Ask yourself: Are you able to administer patient care that might be painful or scary to the child without feeling guilty about it? Does monitoring blood glucose 4 times a day (I) improve blood glucose control (O) in people with Type 1 diabetes (P) during the first six months after being diagnosed with the condition (T)? Many experienced PICU nurses make substantially more. Since ICU nurses have a limited number of patients, the demand for specialists is on the rise. Pediatric ICU nurses are often the saving grace in the midst of a family health crisis, helping young patients and their loved ones through physically and emotionally difficult times. This is where your bedside manner skills come into play. Meaning: How do teenagers (P) diagnosed with cancer (I) perceive chemotherapy and radiation treatments (O) during the first 6 months after diagnosis (T)? The death of a child can be particularly hard to deal with, as can delivering bad news to family members. Keeping your cool and using a kid-friendly approach can make all the difference. Not every adult is a good patient, for sure, but routine medical diagnostic exams or basic procedures like running an IV or changing bandages can be traumatic for small children; and sometimes these tests and treatments are painful. What is your greatest weakness for the position: […] What do ICU nurses do? What Does a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Travel Nurse Do? If you’re considering becoming a PICU nurse, you should be aware of some of the emotional and physical tolls of the job, so you can determine if you have the right temperament to give it your all. Make an impact – start your travel career today! The nature of all nursing positions is that sometimes things go wrong. On the other hand, with stress levels running high, sometimes family members are difficult to deal with and may project their anger and sadness onto you and your staff. 12th October 2018 | Posted in Blog, Nursing | Tags: career, nurse, nurse practitioners, nursing, nursing career, Paediatric Nurse. Pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) nurses take care of critically ill patients ranging from infants to adolescents, up to the age of eighteen. PICU nurses have three main duties: monitoring patients, providing appropriate care and informing patients and their families on the status of procedures. For Medical Professionals who love working with babies, children and teens, paediatric nursing is an excellent career choice. This can work to your advantage, in which you can comfort the families and help educate them about the child’s condition. 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