Description of Practice

Pediatric nurses provide comprehensive physical and psychosocial care in a variety of settings, including hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities, appropriate community sites, and the home. The practice focuses on facilitating children, adolescents and their families in recovering from and/or adapting to their illness or disability in a growth-producing modality. The theoretical bases for this nursing practice are the physical and psychosocial growth and development of children/adolescents; the dynamics and development of families; and the concepts of crisis, coping, and adaptation. Pediatric nursing care requires knowledge of the acute and chronic illnesses and disabilities of children and adolescents; management of the conditions, including case management; and application of the nursing process.

General Requirements for Initial Certification

1. You must meet all of the requirements, basic eligibility and any practice-specific eligibility requirements listed below for an examination. Failure to meet all of the application eligibility requirements can result in an applicant being deemed ineligible to take the certification examination.

2.  Hold a current, active, unrestricted professional RN license in the United States or its territories, have practiced the equivalent of two years full time as a registered nurse in the United States or its territories, and have a minimum of 2,000 hours of clinical practice in the specialty area within the last three years. All practice requirements past and/or present must have been met while holding an active registered nurse (RN) license in a U.S. state or territory. Any hours of practice as a licensed practical nurse or a licensed vocational nurse do not qualify as part of the practice hours requirement.

3.  For practice occurring while in the military, in the Department of Veterans' Affairs system, or outside the United States, an active RN license in the United States or its territories is required.

4.Have completed 30 contact hours within the last three years.

5. Verification Request (optional). ANCC, on request, will make a statement verifying your eligibility to take a certification examination and/or verify your current certification status. This information may be required by an employer or state board of nursing.