Nursery nursing jobs have a dual meaning relative to the United Kingdom (U.K.) and the U.S. In the U.K., nursery nursing jobs usually refer to people who work for a nursery school, hospital, or an educational facility, but are not skilled nurses. Some of the common nursery nursing jobs in the U.S. might include neonatal or pediatric professional nurses. These U.S. nursing jobs require specialized medical training to work with infants and children.
Under direct supervision, U.K. nursery nursing jobs typically involve providing assistance to trained professionals. Generalized duties are often associated with the care of infants and children. Most functions involve assisting teachers in a nursery or school responsible for the daily care of children. These duties may consist of feeding children, as well as helping the teacher with learning enrichment activities. These types of duties are synonymous with a teacher’s assistant in the U.S.
Other responsibilities of people who work in U.K. nursery nursing jobs may include working with social workers or other educational professionals that work with children. They may provide administrative support in caring for a child’s social well-being. While nursery nursing jobs in the U.K. may primarily center on education, a few jobs are also in the health care field.
Nursery nursing jobs in the U.S. are usually associated with the medical profession and do not include a learning environment. Registered nurses who have obtained specialized credentials in neonatal or pediatric medical care may work in hospitals or other types of health care facilities. They may have self-directed duties in caring for infants and children.
Neonatal nursing jobs are normally with infants who might be either healthy or ill at birth. Generally, a neonatal nurse cares for an infant who might be born with an illness or deficiency, or who is born prematurely. The fragile condition of these infants requires close monitoring and care, which a neonatal nurse is trained to provide. Healthy infants are also monitored by neonatal nurses, but may require less attention while in the hospital.
Pediatric nursing jobs are generally held by nurses trained to provide medical care to toddlers, young children and adolescents. They may work in a hospital, doctor’s office, or community health center. Some pediatric nurses may also work in acute care facilities.
One of the primary duties of a pediatric nurse is to conduct routine physical exams. These nurses may also be responsible for treating common childhood diseases. Specialized training for pediatric nursing jobs may also focus on a medical specialty related to oncology. In this position, an oncology pediatric nurse would primarily treat children who have cancer.
