Children’s Nurse

Children’s nurses work with sick or injured patients up to 18 years old in a wide range of hospital and community settings, from specialist baby care units to adolescent services. They are specially trained to deal with the needs of children and young people. Their day-to-day tasks vary enormously but could include:

• taking a patient’s medical history and using this information to devise a care plan
• observing patients’ progress and recording any changes
• doing tests such as temperature, blood pressure and respiration rates
• treating patients, for example by giving medication, or cleaning and dressing wounds
• reassuring young patients who may be frightened or confused
• supporting patients’ families and carers and teaching them how to provide care
• liaising with other care professionals to make sure that patients have all the help they need – children may not be able to speak for themselves
• using dolls, puppets or role play to help children talk about their feelings.

Full-time nurses in the HSE work 37.5 hours a week. This may include early mornings, evenings, nights, weekends and bank holidays. Part-time work and flexible hours are often available. Children’s nurses work in children’s wards in general hospitals, specialist children’s hospitals and hospices, children’s health centres and day care centres. Many children’s nurses work in the community, visiting children in their own homes, as children are less frightened in familiar surroundings.

Salaries in the HSE range from €27,000 a year for a newly-qualified nurse up to €43,000 for those with greater experience and responsibility.

Besides having general nursing skills, a children’s nurse should:

• enjoy working with children
• be able to gain the trust of children and their families
• have the authority to deal with patients who are anxious or distressed
• have excellent communication skills to teach care techniques to people with no medical knowledge
• be open-minded about other people’s parenting methods.

Entry Requirements

To work as a qualified nursing professional, you must first successfully complete a programme of nursing education, and then apply to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI), the statutory body for regulation of the nursing profession in Ireland.

There are two routes to becoming a Children’s Nurse:

• BSc in Children’s and General Nursing (integrated) – Pre- Registration  or

• Childrens’ Nursing – Post Registration

2. Children’s Nursing – Post Registration Route

A nurse who has successfully completed their training and is a registered RNID, RPN, or RGN with the NMBI, may apply to the post registration RCN programme to become a Children’s Nurse.

The programme is twelve months full-time in duration. Successful completion of the programme entitles the applicant to apply for registration with NMBI (RCN) and the award of a Higher Diploma from a HEI.

The three HEIs and the three linked Dublin healthcare agencies offering the postregistration RCN programme are:

• DCU and Children’s University Hospital, Temple Street
• TCD and Adelaide and Meath Hospital incorporating The National Children’s Hospital, Tallaght
• UCD and Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin7

Useful Links:

Nursing & Midwifery Board of Ireland

Health Careers