Topic > Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Essay - 1015

You must first obtain a bachelor's degree in nursing and pass the licensing exam to become a registered nurse (RN). The degree-granting curriculum relies heavily on the sciences; mainly biology, chemistry, anatomy and physiology. After receiving the RN license, the person must have at least 1 year of pediatric nursing experience to begin the process of becoming a pediatric nurse. Once an RN has obtained the required experience, he or she must obtain a Master of Science in Nursing and take the licensing exam to become a nurse practitioner. The master's program has a strong focus on health sciences such as health promotion, advanced pathophysiology, advanced pharmacology, nursing theory and any other specialized courses. (“Educational requirements for nurses”). With the multitude of pediatric nursing specialties available, the student may need to take many different courses. For example, if the person wants to specialize in pediatric oncology, they may need to take courses in nutrition, microbiology, reproductive health, oncology, and child and adolescent health. They would also need approximately one thousand hours of pediatric oncology training and clinical work to prepare (“How could I become an expert in pediatric oncology?