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If you've always wanted to work in a children's hospital, there are plenty of opportunities. Below are five distinct occupations in children's hospitals, as well as other options in pediatrics.

Pediatrician

A pediatrician is a medical professional who specializes in the care of children. To pursue a career as a pediatrician, you must first complete your undergraduate studies and then attend medical school. A pediatric residency program, which takes three years to complete, will be found for you after your application is approved. After obtaining the necessary state and federal licenses, you will be able to begin working as a pediatrician in your home state. Following their training in pediatrics, some pediatricians pursue further certifications in a variety of subspecialties, such as adolescent medicine, pediatric emergency medicine, and neonatal-perinatal medicine. 

Pediatric Nurse

Children's nurses carry out many of the same responsibilities as general registered nurses, including taking patient health histories, doing routine examinations, providing immunizations, ordering and interpreting laboratory testing, and other responsibilities. As a registered nurse, you must first receive either a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree and be certified in the state in which you wish to work as a pediatric nurse. After that, you must work for several years in order to get sufficient on-the-job experience to prepare for and pass the National Certification Examination for Certified Pediatric Nurse, which certifies you as official pediatric nursing professional. 

Psychologist 

Child psychologists are trained professionals who assess, diagnose, and treat children and adolescents who are suffering from mental health illnesses or developmental challenges. The patients they see range from young children battling with attention deficit disorder to teenagers grieving the unexpected death of a parent, among other things. While certain child psychology positions may just require a master's degree, the majority of positions require a Ph.D. or PsyD in clinical psychology, counseling psychology, or child psychology, among other degrees. The field of child psychology is divided into various different specializations, including aberrant child psychology and developmental psychology.

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner.

If you're ready to take your nursing career to the next level, you can pursue certification as a pediatric nurse practitioner. Nurse practitioners have a broader range of responsibilities and have greater autonomy in their practice. In many places, they have the same authority as doctors to diagnose ailments and prescribe prescriptions. If you want to become a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, you must first complete the requirements listed above for becoming a pediatric nurse. You can pursue an MSN with a Nurse Practitioner track or a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree once you have gained sufficient experience (DNP). 

Physical Therapists 

Pediatric physical therapists serve children and adolescents with developmental delays, neuromuscular disorders, and sports injuries or surgery. They work with young children to enhance balance, coordination, strength, flexibility, and endurance through a variety of exercises. Physical therapists must first complete a bachelor's degree in a related discipline (such as anatomy) before pursuing a Doctorate in Physical Therapy. After graduation, they must undergo one supervised internship with a clinician. They can also choose to do a post-professional clinical residency in pediatric PT. Finally, they must pass all state and federal exams.

Conclusion

The chances are good that there is a job waiting for you in a children's hospital if that is your dream. Get your pediatric stethoscope ready, and get ready to begin your pediatric medical career with one of the five positions listed above.