Frequently asked questions
Paediatric Nurse Jobs
Discover Paediatric Nurse roles nationwide with staffing agencies and private healthcare providers. Scroll down for insights into what Paediatric Nurses do, how to become one, typical employers, pay bands, and FAQs.
What Does a Paediatric Nurse Do?
Paediatric Nurses, also known as Children's Nurses, provide specialist care for babies, children and young people from birth through adolescence. Working in paediatric wards, outpatient departments, operating theatres, emergency departments, intensive care units and community settings, they assess patients, administer treatments and support recovery while helping families understand their child's care.
Paediatric Nurses work closely with a multidisciplinary team (MDT), including paediatricians, surgeons, healthcare assistants, physiotherapists, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals. They care for children with a wide range of needs, from minor injuries and routine procedures to complex medical conditions, chronic illnesses and critical illness. Opportunities are available across NHS hospitals, private healthcare providers and community services, with responsibilities varying by speciality and setting.
Key responsibilities of a Paediatric Nurse include:
- Assessing children's health and monitoring their symptoms, vital signs and progress.
- Administering prescribed medication and delivering treatments safely.
- Supporting children before, during and after medical procedures or surgery.
- Providing emotional support and clear information to parents and carers.
- Working with multidisciplinary teams to plan and coordinate patient care.
- Maintaining safeguarding standards, accurate clinical records and infection prevention measures.
I may be biased but I think Children’s Nursing is the best job in the world.
Not only are you supporting children through a difficult time but you’re supporting their families too.
Helen Thompson, Children's Nurse
Read Helen's full blog on what she loves about Children's nursing after 3 years in the job here.
How to Become a Paediatric Nurse
To become a Paediatric Nurse in the UK, you will usually need to complete an approved children's nursing degree and register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Approved nursing programmes typically take at least three years, combining academic study with supervised clinical placements in settings such as hospitals and community services. Entry requirements vary by university, so check the relevant course information for academic qualifications and any additional admissions criteria.
Alternative routes may include an approved nursing apprenticeship or a recognised conversion programme for nurses who are already registered in another field. Your previous qualifications and experience may affect the routes available to you, so check with an approved education provider and the NMC before applying. Internationally trained nurses must meet the applicable NMC registration requirements before practising as registered Children's Nurses in the UK.
Once qualified, you can apply for Paediatric Nurse jobs in NHS trusts, private hospitals, community services and specialist children's units. Additional training in safeguarding, paediatric life support and specialist clinical care may be required for particular positions. Newly qualified nurses can also look for employers offering structured preceptorship and professional development.
My experience and my advice to you that if you do want to get into sort of Paediatric Children’s Nursing, I would recommend building your foundations of experience up. Expose yourself to areas where you're going to be around families, children, young people, babies, you know, things like youth work services.
Angie Jay, Paediatric Nurse
Read Angie's complete blog on how to become a Paediatric Nurse here.
Our Paediatric Nurse Career Guide
This information comes from our own Paediatric Nurse Career Guide which you can jump into for a full, deep dive into everything you need to know about becoming a Paediatric Nurse - career pathways, education, qualifications and registration details. It also includes insights from people who do this job so you can hear directly from those who have gone before you.
Typical Employers of Paediatric Nurses
Paediatric Nurses can find employment in a variety of healthcare settings across the UK, depending on their clinical interests, qualifications and experience. Common employers include:
- NHS trusts: Children's wards, emergency departments, paediatric intensive care units, outpatient clinics and community nursing services.
- Private hospitals: Independent hospitals and specialist providers offering paediatric inpatient, outpatient, surgical and critical care services.
- Nursing recruitment agencies: Agencies advertising temporary, contract, permanent and, where available, flexible nursing opportunities.
- Community healthcare providers: Children's community nursing teams, specialist home-care services and integrated healthcare services.
- Specialist clinics and services: Children's clinics, rehabilitation services and other specialist settings supporting young patients.
Paediatric Nurse jobs are currently being advertised by:
Pay and Benefits for Paediatric Nurse Jobs
Paediatric Nurse salaries in the UK depend on experience, seniority, clinical speciality, location and employer. The National Careers Service gives an indicative salary range of approximately £32,000 a year for starters to £48,000 for experienced Children's Nurses. Actual salaries vary, and specialist or senior positions may offer different rates.
In the NHS, many Paediatric Nurse roles follow the Agenda for Change pay structure. Newly qualified nurses commonly enter at Band 5, while experienced, specialist and senior nurses may progress to Band 6 or Band 7, depending on the responsibilities of the post. Pay arrangements differ across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
London weighting or other location-related payments may apply to eligible NHS roles. Private healthcare employers set their own pay and benefits packages, while agency rates can vary according to the assignment, shift pattern and experience required.
Benefits may include pension arrangements, paid annual leave, professional development, training opportunities and enhanced payments for eligible night, weekend or bank holiday shifts. Always check the advertised salary and employment terms for the specific vacancy.
Our Paediatric Nurse Pay Guide
This information comes from our own Paediatric Nurse Pay Guide which you can jump into for a full, deep dive into salary and pay rates for this job role. We keep all of our pages up to date, using trusted sources and humans, so this is accurate information.
Career Progression for Paediatric Nurses
Paediatric nursing offers opportunities to progress into specialist clinical, education and leadership roles. After gaining experience as a staff nurse, you could move into a senior staff nurse or Band 6 specialist position, depending on the role and your development. Further progression may include becoming a ward manager, clinical nurse specialist, advanced clinical practitioner, practice educator or senior nursing leader. Specialist pathways include paediatric intensive care, emergency nursing, oncology and complex community care. Additional qualifications, relevant experience and ongoing professional development may be required.
Even though I am qualified as a Children's Nurse I am now competent to practice with Adults needing total parental nutrition via central lines or picc lines and also to look after adults with complex care as long as my clinical skills match their requirements.
Mel Gettings, Complex Care Nurse
Read how Mel can practice in Adult Nursing as a registered Children's Nurse here.