YourLastNamei 1
Valcin Saintilien
prof Leon
ENC1102
5 April 2017

Pediatrician And Pediatric Nurse

Introduction
Pediatrician and Pediatric nurse are careers in the medical field. The pediatric nurse is healthcare professionals who are highly skilled, and they devote their career in taking care of children from the time they are born until later in life when they become teenagers. The pediatric nurses work very closely with other health care workers and the doctors who are committed to the health of children. Just like other nurses, the pediatric nurse can also measure the vital signs, do a physical examination, take a sample of urine and blood and also can conduct other diagnostic tests. Besides, the pediatric nurses are highly trained to have the ability to interpret the results of the test and also establish a diagnosis. The pediatrician, on the other hand, are the medical doctors who diagnose, treat, evaluate and also prevent injuries and diseases in patients and that takes place from infancy to early adulthood. Just like other physicians, the pediatrician record the medical history of a patient, make diagnostic tests, and also they can recommend some treatment strategies (Ladd and Forman, pg. 65-67). Pediatrician career is a better investment for students compared to pediatric nurse career. Despite students spending many years in school and incurring high college fees, they are less likely to struggle in finding employment. Besides, they will get a better salary compared to those pursuing the pediatric nurse career.
There are various differences between the pediatric nurse and pediatrician career based on education qualification, job outlook, licensing, college costs, salary, etc. The pediatrician career requires many years of schooling as well as the specialized training. Concerning the academic qualification, the pediatrician should have a doctor of osteopathic medicine or doctor of medicine from a medical osteopathic or medical school that is recognized. For an individual to be admitted to a medical school, they should have a bachelor degree from a college that is recognized for four years. During the four years, students are taught various healthcare and medical practices. The courses that individuals take include; medical ethics, psychology, biochemistry, pharmacology, anatomy, etc. and in the final years the students focus on the clinical training. Furthermore, after a person graduates from the medical school, they are required to complete the pediatric residency that takes 3-7 years. The years taken in residency depends on the specialization. After the residency programs and the medical degree, an individual can obtain a medical licensing. In the U.S, an individual is required to undertake the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) for them to be allowed to practice medicine within the United States. The optional certifications are normally given by the American Board of Pediatrics.
In contrast, for a person to become a pediatric nurse, they are first required to be registered nurses. A person should have a diploma or an associate degree in nursing. If as a nurse a person wants to want to be in the department of pediatrics, they should seek training in the development as well as the health of children. After an individual has acquired the needed experience in both the nursing and the pediatric that is when they qualify to become a pediatric nurse. Moreover, for an individual to work as a nurse, they require being registered and licensed. The students aspiring to be the pediatric nurses have an obligation to undertake the NCLEX-RN exam, and they must pass the exam. The exam plays an essential role in proving that an individual has an understanding of the fundamental principles and the skills needed for providing the patients with the quality care. Regarding licensure, various states within the U.S have more requirements that a person should attain for them to get the license.
Generally, the costs of college for the pediatrician career are higher compared to pediatric nurses. The pediatricians spend many years in school learning and doing research and hence the reason for the increased costs. The pediatric nurses spend lesser years in school, and their college fees are cheaper compared to the pediatrician. Although an individual pursuing a pediatrician career will pay more, it is a worthwhile investment since after completing the course they will be getting a higher salary.
Typically, the job description of the pediatricians entails working in hospitals or private practices whereby they make rounds to the adolescent and the child patients. Pediatricians can perform the annual checks up and also perform surgery depending on their working environment. In contrary, the pediatric nurses generally check the patients prior to the pediatrician seeing the patient. The pediatrician can take measures, ask patients the routine question and can also fill the initial reports. Besides, they also help in keeping the developmental records of the patients and also assist in giving the immunization. The work environment for the pediatric nurses is in hospitals, nursing care facilities, physicians’ offices, as well as in home health care services.
Regarding salary, the pediatricians are paid far much better compared to the pediatric nurses. According to the department of labor, by 2015 the median wage for the pediatrician was $ 168, 990 per year while per hour the median wage is $81.24. The pediatric nurses in contrary their median salary is $67,180 per year while the median wage per hour is $ 32.20 (Department of Labor, 1). The differences in payment in these two careers are linked to job responsibilities differences, education as well as the demand. Individuals that have qualified to be pediatricians are few, and hence their demand is very high. Therefore, they are paid highly compared to others. Both occupations and careers are essential for the health of a child. Nevertheless, the need and demand for the pediatrician have proven to be higher.
According to the bureau of statistics, the employment for the pediatrician is expected to grow by 10.3 percent by 2024 and which is greater since the majority of the fields their average growth for the employment is expected to grow by 4.6 percent. The pediatrician occupation has grown and resulting too many jobs. Similarly, the employment for the pediatric nurses is expected to grow by 16% by 2024 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, pg. 1). The growth is attributed to preventive care, increased rates of chronic conditions, etc. The growth in the employment rates an indicator that if an individual pursue a career in this field, they will not experience unemployment since their demand will be high
In a nutshell, when the pediatric nurse and pediatrician careers are compared, pediatrician career is a better investment compared to the pediatric nurse. Despite the pediatric career being too demanding and requiring many years of schooling, it is worth the investment since after completing an individual is guaranteed to secure employment. Individuals pursuing the pediatrician career are lucky compared to others since the employment rate is higher in this profession. Besides, the job outlook indicates that the demand for the pediatrician will increase in the future. Furthermore, pursuing a career as a pediatrician is worthwhile since it guarantees an individual a better salary compared to becoming a pediatric nurse.

Works Cited
Ladd, R. E., and E. N. Forman. “Ethics for the Pediatrician: Pediatrician/Patient/Parent Relationships.” Pediatrics in Review, vol. 31, no. 9, 2010, pp. e65-e67.
U.S Department of Labor. “Nurse Practitioners.” 2016, www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291171.htm.
“U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov/home.htm.