Children’s Nursing involves providing nursing care to a child and their family with a resulting positive impact on children’s health and wellbeing. You will care for children of diverse abilities, ethnicities, backgrounds and ages from birth to 16 years.
Work Environment
Childrens / Paediatric Nurses typically work in the following Career Sectors:
Videos & Interviews
Videos on the Web
- Childrens / Paediatric Nurse- from: Youtube Search
The Work
Children’s Nurse training is different from other college courses. From the start of your training you will actively participate in giving care to children appropriate to your level of knowledge and practical experience, with the supervision and direction of a registered nurse.
Throughout your undergraduate training, you can expect to learn new skills and knowledge that will help you support and care for children and their families.
Children’s nurses help children and parents to understand their illness and teach the child and families the knowledge and skills to manage their illness, so that they can live as normal a life as possible.
Children’s Nurses not only care for the child's physical condition but also reduce the anxiety and confusion a child may feel when faced with unusual surroundings. Children’s nurses support children’s emotional, physical and intellectual development by building trust through activities such as play.
Where Will I Work?
When you qualify, you could work in the National Children’s Hospital in Dublin or in Children’s Wards in other regional hospitals, Emergency Departments, Operating Theatre, Intensive care and you may also work in the community including a child’s home setting.
You will work with other professionals such as doctors, occupational therapists, pharmacists, radiographers and healthcare assistants.
It is a time of exciting transformation for children’s nursing in Ireland with the building and opening of new national Children’s Hospital in the coming years and publication of Strategy for the future of Children’s Nursing in Ireland 2021-2031.
Further Information
- Childrens / Paediatric Nurse - from: N.C.S. [UK]
Qualities - Childrens / Paediatric Nurse
Children’s nursing will appeal to you if you have an interest in healthcare and in caring for and interacting with children and their families.
If you have some of the personal qualities outlined below then children’s nursing is an excellent career choice for you:
- a caring, kind, empathetic and understanding attitude
- being able to get on well with people from a wide range of social and cultural backgrounds
- being a good communicator and listener
- having resilience
- being able to act on own initiative
- willingness to take responsibility
Skills and competencies that you will develop during your training and as a children’s nurse include:
- Clinical knowledge, clinical reasoning skills and evidence-based practice to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the role
- Clinical and interpersonal skills to deliver child and family centred, high-quality and safe nursing care in collaboration with the child and family respecting the child’s rights to make decisions
- The ability to plan and organise yourself and your care for children and their families effectively
- Effective communication skills.
- A commitment to providing a quality service and the chance to make a difference from day one.
No two days are the same in children’s nursing and with ongoing training and the support of your team, you will be able to deal with a variety of situations.
Children’s nursing is hugely rewarding with excellent career opportunities. You will be a highly educated professional, with an honours degree. You are guaranteed to make a real difference to people’s lives, through difficult and sad situations.
Interests - Childrens / Paediatric Nurse
This occupation is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests:
Social
The Social person's interests focus on interacting with the people in their environment. In all cases, the Social person enjoys the personal contact with other people in preference to the impersonal dealings with things, data and ideas found in other groups.
Many will seek out positions where there is direct contact with the public in some advisory role, whether a receptionist or a counsellor. Social people are motivated by an interest in different types of people and like diversity in their work environments. Many are drawn towards careers in the caring professions and social welfare area, whilst others prefer teaching and other 'informing' roles.
Investigative
The Investigative person will usually find a particular area of science to be of interest. They are inclined toward intellectual and analytical activities and enjoy observation and theory. They may prefer thought to action, and enjoy the challenge of solving problems with sophiscticated technology. These types prefer mentally stimulating environments and often pay close attention to developments in their chosen field.
Realist
Realists are usually interested in 'things' - such as buildings, mechanics, equipment, tools, electronics etc. Their primary focus is dealing with these - as in building, fixing, operating or designing them. Involvement in these areas leads to high manual skills, or a fine aptitude for practical design - as found in the various forms of engineering.
Realists like to find practical solutions to problems using tools, technology and skilled work. Realists usually prefer to be active in their work environment, often do most of their work alone, and enjoy taking decisive action with a minimum amount of discussion and paperwork.
Entry - Childrens / Paediatric Nurse
There are two pathways to becoming a Children’s nurse in Ireland:
- The undergraduate route. The undergraduate route is a 4.5 year integrated General & Children’s Nursing degree BSc Honours Degree in Children’s & General Nursing, consists of both clinical placements and theory. On completion you can apply to register as both a children’s and a general nurse to the Nursing & Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI).
- The postgraduate route which is a 12 month Higher Diploma in Children’s Nursing Programme and is available to nurses who have a BSc degree in General, Psychiatric or Intellectual Disability Nursing.
Entry requirements for these courses can vary depending on where and how you would like to study, so it is important to check with the particular college.
CAO Entry:
Higher Education CAO Entry: These programmes are offered through Education Bodies (EB’s) in association with the main Healthcare Agencies (Hospitals/Clinical Sites) Search our CAO coursefinder - just put in the word "Nurse or Nursing" in the search filter and all nursing courses at CAO level will be presented.
Further Education & Training Entry Pathways:
FET Centre PLC Courses: Certain Specific QQI Level 5 Certificate Programmes can provide links to Nursing Degree Programmes.
- Nursing Studies (5M4349)
- Healthcare Support (5M4339)
- Community and Health Services (5M4468)
In all cases places are limited and applicants must have achieved distinctions in five components including;
- Anatomy and Physiology (5N0749)
- Introduction to Nursing (5N4325)
- Human Growth and Development (5N1279) or Biology (5N2746)
You can check our QQI progression route course finder for options Search our progression routefinder
Always contact the Admissions Office of the individual (EB’s) Education Bodies or visit CAO Nursing FET- QQi places. You can check our Admissions Officers contact list, or alternatively www.nursingcareers.ie to check for any changes. Courses completed at FET PLC level, if meeting subject criteria, students can apply via CAO under the HELS Higher education links scheme for a place in Nursing programmes.
Mature Entry:
All candidates are required to apply through CAO. Mature Entry is for those that are 23 years of age or older by 1st January in the year of entry, applicants are also required to sit a test. The Nursing Careers Centre (NCC) of Bord Altranais agus Cnáimhseachais na hÉireann (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland, NMBI) assesses candidates.
Places are limited and mature applicants must satisfy the minimum entry requirements for the Nursing programme and will also be assessed, and based on each Colleges [RPL] Recognition of prior learning.
For more information on the mature entry route visit https://www.cao.ie/ and/or NMBI https://www.nmbi.ie/Home.
Career / Professional Development
Once you have qualified as a Registered Children’s Nurse (RCN) you may choose to stay in the general setting (Medical/Surgical) or you may choose to move into a specialised area like Intensive Care or Emergency Departments. There are many leadership and management career opportunities such as ward/hospital management, clinical nurse specialist, advanced nurse practitioner.
You may decide to move to an area such as Public Health Nursing/ Midwifery/Mental Health Nursing/Intellectual Disability Nursing.
There are many opportunities for ongoing education and development for nurses. The National Office of Nursing and Midwifery will provide further information and guidance on supporting your nursing career options.
Postgraduate study options: NFQ level 9-10
- Grad Dip in Children’s Cardiac Nursing
- Grad Dip in Emergency Nursing (Children’s)
- Grad Dip in Child Health and Wellbeing
- Grad Dip in Critical Care Nursing (Children’s)
- MSc Advanced Leadership
Last Updated: April, 2023
Pay & Salary - Childrens / Paediatric Nurse
Salary Range (thousands per year)* €37k - €51k
Your standard working week will be 37.5 hours on a shift pattern, which can include nights, early starts, evenings, weekends and bank holidays.
Data Source(s):
HSE.ie
Last Updated: July, 2024
* The lower figures typically reflect starting salaries. Higher salaries are awarded to those with greater experience and responsibility. Positions in Dublin sometimes command higher salaries.
View Salary information from Indeed.ie
Note: data not aways available
Labour Market Updates - Childrens / Paediatric Nurse
This occupation has been identified as a Job in Demand by the most recent National Skills Bulletin.
This information has been derived from the Solas National Skills Bulletin (2023).
The Slaintecare Action Plan 2023 highlights that an additional 4,592 nurses/midwives were employed in the health service since 2020; funding for an additional 149 posts for advanced nurse and midwife practitioners has also been secured. In addition, the Minister for Health has announced funding for 854 additional nursing posts.44 Over 3,000 new employment permits were issued for nurses in 2022, primarily for staff nurses. This reliance on supply from outside of Ireland has resulted in an increasing share of nurses who are non-Irish citizens (at over 30% in quarter 4 2022).
Vacancies for nurses appeared frequently in the vacancy data in 2022 (both DSP and OVATE) and difficult-to-fill vacancies in the Recruitment Agency Survey included for staff nurses, theatre, ICU, oncology, nurse managers. Supply from the higher education system is expected to increase, with the announcement in Summer 2023 of an additional 208 places on nursing courses to be made available in Irish higher education institutions and a further 200 places reserved for students from the Republic of Ireland, to be delivered in Northern Ireland. Nonetheless, given the duration of training programmes, demand for nurses is likely to continue to outweigh supply leading to a continued shortage, with replacement demand alone for such a large occupation contributing to continued job openings.
Useful Contacts - Childrens / Paediatric Nurse
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Nursing & Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI)
- 18-20 Carysfort Avenue, Blackrock, Co. Dublin.
- (01) 639 8500 LoCall 0818 200 116
- [email protected]
- Click Here
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Office of the Nursing and Midwifery Services Director, HSE Dr Steevens’ Hospital
- Dublin DO8 W2A8
- 01 635 2471
- Click Here
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Regional Nursing and Midwifery Planning & Development Units
