What is a nurse practitioner?

A pediatric nurse is a nurse who works with kids--they do nursing tasks. A NP is no longer a floor/bedside nurse. They have additional training and are int he "mid level practitioner" category (or advanced practice). They along with midwives, CRNAs, AAs, and PAs practice medicine: they treat , examine, diagnose patients, interpret tests etc. Goggle search on NPs and you will get a wealth of info.

a nurse practitioner has to obtain a masters degree or greater with the specific 'concentration' of becoming a nurse practitioner. A masters in nursing (MSN) does not make one a nurse practitioner. Many nurse practitioner programs require significant experience as an RN prior to entering a program. A pediatric nurse is simply a nurse who has decided to specialize in children's medicine. Nurse practitioners have some autonomy to prescribe and treat on their own - not under the guidance of a physician. A closer comparison is between a nurse practitioner and a Physician's assistant. Their roles are more similar, but there are many advantages and disadvantages to both. If pediatrics is your interest, especially neonatology, nurse practitioners are more common than PA's.

a nurse practitioner has to obtain a masters degree or greater with the specific 'concentration' of becoming a nurse practitioner. A masters in nursing (MSN) does not make one a nurse practitioner. Many nurse practitioner programs require significant experience as an RN prior to entering a program. A pediatric nurse is simply a nurse who has decided to specialize in children's medicine. Nurse practitioners have some autonomy to prescribe and treat on their own - not under the guidance of a physician. A closer comparison is between a nurse practitioner and a Physician's assistant. Their roles are more similar, but there are many advantages and disadvantages to both. If pediatrics is your interest, especially neonatology, nurse practitioners are more common than PA's.