You love nursing. You love traveling. You love kids.
Put those three together, and you’ve found the perfect job — a pediatric travel nurse.
You really can have it all when it comes to travel nursing.
We’ve assembled a guide to answer all your questions about how to become a traveling pediatric nurse. Read below for those answers and more.
Table of Contents
- What Is Pediatric Travel Nursing?
- How Much Does a Pediatric Travel Nurse Make?
- How Long Are Pediatric Travel Nurse Assignments?
- 5 Common Pediatric Travel Nurse Jobs
- Who Is the Best Candidate for a Pediatric Travel Nurse Job?
- What Are the Pros (and Cons) of Pediatric Travel Nursing?
- How Do You Become a Pediatric Travel Nurse?
- Interested in Pediatric Travel Nurse Assignments? Let the Experts at Trusted Nurse Staffing Help You Find the Position That’s Right for You
What Is Pediatric Travel Nursing?
Are you a nurse who loves the thrill of adventure but also your career working in pediatrics? Travel RN jobs might be just what you’re looking for.
Pediatric travel nursing combines the expertise of a pediatric nurse with the benefits of being a travel nurse — new places, new assignments, and new experiences.
Pediatric travel nurses are a special breed of nurses, often requiring resilience, quick thinking, and the ability to hold back tears.
These specialized nurses usually complete advanced training in pediatrics and work closely with physicians and other health care providers. They collaborate together and are dedicated to the health of children.
As a pediatric nurse, you’ll perform many of the same duties as other nurses, such as:
- Measuring vitals
- Taking blood
- Performing other diagnostic tests
What separates pediatric nurses is that you’ll also be focusing on the special healthcare needs of children while communicating with their parents.
Pediatric nurses may be required to:
- Alleviate fears of children and parents.
- Tackle tough situations with a patient who doesn’t (and isn’t able to) understand what’s happening to them.
- Communicate at a high level with pediatric specialists.
As a pediatric travel nurse, you can work with a staffing agency (like Trusted Nurse Staffing) and do these things while also getting to:
- Explore new parts of the country.
- Make beneficial professional connections.
- Gain new resume-building medical experience.
Where Do Pediatric Travel Nurses Typically Work?
Traveling nurses specializing in pediatrics may find a position in a variety of facilities including:
- Children’s hospitals
- Acute care facilities
- Pediatrician offices
- Outpatient clinics
- Rehabilitation units
Positions may vary from working with perfectly healthy children visiting a facility for an annual well-visit to very sick children confined to pediatric intensive care units.
Pediatric nurses may also find positions in a subspecialty such as:
- Intensive care
- Step-down units
- Orthopedic care
- Oncology
- Cardiology
How Much Does a Pediatric Travel Nurse Make?
According to ZipRecruiter, some traveling pediatric nurses can make over $110,000 per year, but the national average annual salary for a pediatric travel nurse is $76,348.
Salaries can vary by state and facility. When you work with your pediatric travel nursing recruiter, you’ll have access to salary information for assignments to help you make an informed decision about your placement.
You can find current job listings for pediatric travel assignments with Pronto by Trusted Nurse Staffing. We value our team members and pride ourselves on leading the industry by providing benefits such as health and life insurance options, bonuses, stipends, and more.
How Long Are Pediatric Travel Nurse Assignments?
Pediatric travel nurse jobs typically last 13 weeks.
At the end of an assignment, you are free to:
- Accept another placement
- Take some time off between assignments; or
- Request an extension on your current contract
Top 10 Cities for Pediatric Travel Nurse Jobs
In addition to the high pay, traveling is one of the biggest perks of pediatric travel nursing.
Based on pay and demand, these cities are some of the best locations to pursue a traveling pediatric nursing position:
- Emerald Bay, TX
- San Buenaventura, CA
- Port Norris, NJ
- Frankston, TX
- Waterville, WA
- Deer Park, CA
- Northwest Ithaca, NY
- Lake Marcel-Stillwater, WA
- Apple Creek, OH
- Cameron, AZ
5 Common Pediatric Travel Nurse Jobs
#1: Pediatric RN
A pediatric RN usually works with children in doctors’ offices and hospitals.
Your primary role in a doctor’s office would be to contribute to routine checkups for children of all ages. In a hospital, your role would be administering care according to the child’s nursing care plan.
A pediatric travel RN’s duties may include:
- Taking and monitoring vital signs
- Communicating with parents
- Helping families cope with the stress of an illness
- Providing routine checkups for children
- Performing developmental screenings
- Giving immunizations
- Treating illnesses
#2: Neonatal ICU Nurse
A neonatal ICU nurse provides care and support for newborn infants who are born with often life-threatening challenges, including:
- Premature birth
- Birth defects
- Infections
- Heart conditions
Travel neonatal nurses usually work in a hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
Your duties as a neonatal nurse may include:
- Taking and monitoring vital signs of babies in the NICU
- Administering medications
- Working with premature babies and families, helping them to adjust to life outside of the mother’s womb
- Informing parents of their baby’s progress
#3: Developmental Disability Pediatric Nurse
Developmental disability pediatric travel nursing includes helping a wide range of pediatric patients. These children often have disabilities that affect a child’s ability to learn and perform basic life skills.
Developmental disability nurses work with children with disabilities such as:
- Down syndrome
- Autism
- Rett syndrome; and
- Asperger’s syndrome
Your duties as a developmental disability pediatric nurse may include:
- Assisting with feeding
- Assisting with bodily functions
- Educating and supporting parents
- Developing a child’s communication skills
- Educating children and their parents about medical equipment
- Helping children achieve independent mobility
#4: Pediatric Palliative Care
Pediatric palliative care nurses provide care for terminally ill children.
You’ll work to help relieve their suffering and ensure the best quality of care through the living, dying, and family grieving processes.
Pediatric travel nursing in this field includes duties such as:
- Communicating clearly to parents
- Coordinating care with other healthcare professionals
- Staying with the child to identify and maintain care
- Assisting with medical equipment
#5: Pediatric Endocrinology Nurse
Pediatric endocrinology nurses help children with a variety of endocrine disorders.
These disorders include:
- Diabetes
- Thyroid disorders (hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism)
- Early-onset of puberty
- Delayed puberty
- Growth hormone deficiency (short stature)
- Turner syndrome
- Tumors
You would often work with children and teenagers with delayed physical and mental developments.
Your duties may include:
- Working with doctors to develop, implement, and assess treatment plans
- Maintaining records to track progress
- Performing physical assessments
- Inserting catheters
- Drawing blood for lab tests
- Educating children and their parents
- Monitoring the effects of medications
Who Is the Best Candidate for a Pediatric Travel Nurse Job?
As a pediatric travel nurse, if you have a hunch something doesn’t look quite right, you don’t have time to sit on it.
To succeed in pediatrics, you must have:
- Quick critical thinking skills
- Good instincts
- The ability to follow your gut
But, possibly, one of the most valuable skills a pediatric nurse can develop is specialized communication skills.
Pediatric nurses work with children of all ages, many of whom are too young to communicate or understand everything happening around them. A successful peds nurse will be required to use a variety of techniques to help their patients understand as much as they can and create an environment where they will feel calm and safe.
If patients are older (such as teenagers), pediatric nurses will face different challenges such as making sure their patients truly understand their health issues and any obstacles they may face in their treatment plan. They’ll need to underscore the importance of following care instructions and the possible ramifications if they don’t.
Additionally, pediatric travel nurses will also have to communicate with their patient’s family members in a way that will make them feel calm, heard, reassured, and educated.
What Are the Pros (and Cons) of Pediatric Travel Nursing?
Looking for a rewarding career that offers both adventure and stability?
Pediatric travel nursing offers both. To help you determine if it’s the right career path for you, we’ve outlined several pros and cons below.
As a pediatric travel nurse, you can pursue an in-demand career, while also enjoying:
- Great pay and benefits
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- May be a con for those who want a traditional, predictable annual salary
- Endless adventure
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- May be a con for those who prefer staying in one place
- Making many new professional connections
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- May be a con for those who prefer one long-stint employer
- Freedom and adventure for your family
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- May be a con for those who don’t want to travel with family
- High demand locations
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- May be a con if these areas don’t appeal to you
- Avoiding work politics
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- May be a con for those who don’t like to be the “new nurse”
- Affordable housing
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- May be a con for those who like to pack heavy and want to have a forever home right away
- Resume building
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- May be a con because it takes more effort to keep up to date with new experiences and places of employment
- Meeting new people
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- May be a con because you may miss your hometown friends and family
- Trying new specialties
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- Knowledge is power and never a con
If you love these pros, then a pediatric travel nurse lifestyle might be a great fit for you.
Trusted Nurse Staffing can help you find the best travel nurse path for you. Contact us today, and we’ll help you get started on your new adventure.
How Do You Become a Pediatric Travel Nurse?
Becoming a pediatric travel nurse has never been easier.
There are four basic steps to becoming a pediatric travel nurse:
- Earn an RN nursing license from an accredited nursing school.
- Pass the NCLEX-RN.
- Gain experience in a professional setting.
- Obtain any specialty certifications for your desired role.
- Work with an experienced and supportive travel nursing agency.
Step #1: Become a Registered Nurse
If you’re just beginning your career search and wondering how to become a traveling pediatric nurse, know that the first step is the same for any nursing position — become an RN.
You need to graduate from an accredited nursing program with an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree in nursing.
Your schooling may take 2-4 years depending on the requirements and your commitment.
Then, begin studying to get your license.
Step #2: Pass the NCLEX-RN
You’ve graduated from nursing school. You’re one step closer to becoming a pediatric travel nurse.
The next step — pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN).
Good study habits and techniques are key for passing the exam.
Check out these tips from fellow nurses on how to pass the first time:
- Understand the NCLEX-RN format.
- Don’t self-evaluate during the test.
- Find ways to manage test stress.
- Know your NCLEX-RN study style.
- Make a study plan.
- Hone your test-taking skills.
- Invest in test prep resources.
- Go beyond the practice questions.
- Prepare for exam day.
- Believe in yourself.
Step #3: Gain Experience
You’re a licensed RN. Next up — experience.
Find an internship that allows you to work alongside a pediatric nurse practitioner or a pediatrician. A peds internship is usually about 12 weeks long and involves both practical training and classroom learning.
Once you have practical experience working alongside a pediatric specialist, begin applying for pediatric nursing positions.
You’ll typically need at least one year (and possibly up to two) of pediatric nursing experience before applying to pediatric travel nursing positions.
Whether you’re new on your travel nursing job search or you’re a seasoned professional, Trusted Nurse Staffing is here for you. We can help you find your dream job as a pediatric travel nurse.
Step #4: Obtain Special Certifications
When it comes to pediatric travel nursing, special certifications are often required. When not required, it’s often a good idea to have certain certifications to boost your resume and to prepare for different areas of pediatric nursing.
In particular, a Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN) certification greatly increases your employability, enhances career mobility, and may raise your compensation. You can apply for this certification once you have over 1,800 hours of career experience as a pediatric nurse over 24 months.
Step #5: Connect With a Travel Nursing Agency
A pediatric travel nursing career starts with making a connection with a reputable agency. When researching agencies to work with, you want to look for one that participates in thorough and honest communication and is transparent with you.
Avoid agencies that don’t feel purpose-driven, have overly complex contracts, or connect you with a recruiter who isn’t genuinely invested in your career growth.
A solid travel nursing agency will help you feel prepared to start or continue your travel nursing journey by taking care of many of the planning aspects and helping you understand your contract and obligations.
Interested in Pediatric Travel Nurse Assignments? Let the Experts at Trusted Nurse Staffing Help You Find the Position That’s Right for You
Pediatric travel nursing is a dream job — and we can help turn that dream into a reality.
At Trusted Nurse Staffing, we:
- Help you fully customize your resume for the position you want.
- Listen to your goals, interests, and availability.
- Create a tailor-made list for you of possible assignments.
- Submit your resume to your top choices.
- Consult with you on all offers to ensure you get what you want.
- Act as a go-to for any needs or questions during an assignment.
- Continue to assist with negotiations and extensions.
- Help you choose your next adventure when it’s time.
Are you ready to begin a great adventure in pediatric travel nursing? Click below to search for job openings. We’re waiting to help make your travel nursing dreams a reality.
