Healthcare Careers Working with Children: Explore 30+ Professions
Want to work with children and families in your healthcare career? From obstetrics, infant care and pediatrics, to adolescent medicine, there are a wide and diverse number of healthcare careers that involve working with children of all ages. Read on to discover some of the many options for working with children you have to consider in your future healthcare career, and see if any of them appeal to you.
Jennifer Duran
Jennifer Duran, RN, is a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit nurse who has worked at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) for over 21 years. Throughout her time, she has conducted many professional educational courses for clinical staff and is very passionate about providing education to families or caregivers in the care of their neonate. In November 2018, Jennifer traveled to Mbarara, Uganda as a nursing fellow to work with neonatal staff at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital. While there, she worked alongside nurses and other clinical staff members and provided daily educational sessions, with a noticeable improvement in practice.
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Prenatal/Perinatal Care
Working with expectant parents can be one of the most rewarding types of child healthcare, as it sets the stage for the rest of a child’s healthy development. Healthcare workers in prenatal and perinatal care play a critical role in the health of moms and babies before and after birth. Here’s a look at some of the top careers in this important field.
Obstetric Sonographer
Role & Responsibilities: Obstetric sonographers offer expectant parents the first glimpse of their new baby inside the womb. Using ultrasound, or high frequency soundwaves, obstetric sonographers scan a pregnant woman’s uterus and ovaries. Sonograms are used to monitor the baby’s growth and development. They are also used to screen for birth defects and health conditions. Obstetric sonographers work in hospitals, clinics, and doctors’ offices.
Earnings: $80,850
How to Get Started: Obstetric sonographers must earn an associate or bachelor’s degree in sonography. Alternatively, some colleges and hospitals offer a one-year certificate program. Most employers, as well as insurance companies, require obstetric sonographers to have earned a Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer credential with OB/GYN specialty along with basic lifesaving.
FIND PROGRAMS NEAR YOU:
Certified Nurse Midwife
Role & Responsibilities: Most certified nurse midwives work in hospitals or as part of a clinic, birthing center, or private group practice. CNMs provide routine prenatal care including exams, nutrition counseling, and education, and even support in family planning. CNMs work with pregnant women as they deliver, then provide follow up care for mothers and babies including lactation support.
Earnings: $129,480
How to Get Started: CNMs must hold a graduate degree from an accredited program, pass a national certification exam and be licensed by their state’s board of nursing. CNMs are required to complete supervised clinical education as part of their degree program. Prior to or concurrent with that program, they must also be licensed as a registered nurse.
Obstetric Physician Assistant
Role & Responsibilities: Obstetric Physician Assistants or OB/GYN PAs support women and families throughout pregnancy and birth. They may help guide couples through family planning or infertility treatments prior to a pregnancy. OB/GYN PAs offer patients a full range of prenatal and postpartum care, including lactation support. They may perform or assist routine deliveries, as well as assisting cesarean deliveries.
Earnings: $130,020
How to Get Started: A combination of education and experience is required for admission to a physician assistant graduate program. Many PAs come out of nursing or a similar medical field prior to entering the program. Specializing in obstetric care requires PAs to at least complete a clinical rotation in obstetrics and gynecology. All OB/GYN PAs must pass a national certification exam in order to practice.
More Careers to Consider
Doula: A doula is a non-medical professional who provides help and guidance to women giving birth, without having any formal obstetric qualifications. Doulas provide emotional support as well as material, and may act as a “coach” or support team member during the labor and delivery process.
Labor & Delivery Nurse: Labor and delivery nurses are specialized nurses who work in the delivery room during and immediately after the labor and delivery process. Labor and delivery nurses may monitor vital signs, provide doctors with supplies and medication, and help in the cleanup process of both mother and infant after delivery.
Obstetrician: Obstetricians are physicians who specialize in pregnancy and childbirth. Obstetricians may work with patients from the very beginning of the family planning process, including with fertility treatments, through pregnancy and childbirth, and providing care to immediately postpartum women and infants. Many obstetricians are also qualified to work as gynecologists.
Perinatal Nurse: Perinatal nurses are nurses who specialize in working with women in the leadup to, during, and immediately after giving birth. In addition to assisting with the birth process, they may help families develop a plan for their newborn and provide health information for use after leaving the hospital with the baby.
Infant (0 to 1 Years)
What could be better than a job caring for newborn babies? Child healthcare professionals working with children from birth through their first year share the joys of a child’s first major milestones. In addition to monitoring babies’ health, they also educate families on how to keep their babies safe and support their development. Generalists working in pediatrics such as pediatric medical assistants work with babies as a natural part of their scope of practice. Medical professionals who specialize in infant care are more often supporting babies and families who face serious medical challenges in their first year of life.
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Nurse
Role & Responsibilities: No one wants their baby to wind up in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit or NICU, but when they do, families rely heavily on specialized care from NICU nurses. Often, these are preterm babies, but others may be born with health conditions or birth defects and may have trouble breathing, heart problems, or serious infections.
Earnings: $86,070
How to Get Started: NICU staff nurses are registered nurses and must hold an undergraduate degree from a campus or accredited nursing program. As NICU nursing is highly specialized, NICUs require nurses to have specialized training in NICU procedures and policies, and pass a national certification exam before officially practicing as a neonatal nurse.
Neonatal Pediatric Occupational Therapist
Role & Responsibilities: Neonatal Pediatric Occupational Therapists work with babies in the NICU. Babies are admitted to a NICU for a variety of reasons including premature birth, respiratory issues, infections, or congenital or birth defects. A neonatal OT works to identify an infant’s potential developmental issues and they create a treatment plan to address those needs.
Earnings: $96,370
How to Get Started: Neonatal pediatric occupational therapy careers begin with a master’s degree in occupational therapy. Some practitioners will pursue a doctoral OT degree. The National Association of Neonatal Therapists recommends a minimum of three years’ experience, mentored NICU and neonatal practice, and additional coursework in neonatal therapy. Credentialing through the Neonatal Therapy National Certification Board may be required by employers and a state license is also mandatory.
Infant Massage Therapist
Role & Responsibilities: Infant massage can be an integral tool for bonding between parents and babies, whether their babies are typical, full-term babies or special needs babies. Infant massages can be uniquely beneficial within the stressful environment of the NICU. NICU nurses may also teach these techniques to the families of babies in the NICU.
Earnings: $55,310
How to Get Started: Massage therapists can earn general certification through accredited massage therapy programs. Specialty training and certification in infant massage, neonatal infant massage, and infant massage education is also available from several organizations, and may be required depending on massage therapy licensing requirements in your state.
More Careers to Consider
Neonatologist: Neonatologists are specialized physicians who work with the care of newborn babies. They may be particularly focused on the care of infants born prematurely, or with congenital disabilities. Neonatologists may also help those who have just given birth, especially after a complex birth, develop an antenatal care plan.
Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP): Neonatal nurse practitioners are specialized nurse practitioners who work with newborn infants, either on their own, or alongside a physician. Neonatal nurse practitioners work in hospitals, especially in the NICU, as well as in doctor’s offices and other clinical settings specializing in infant care.
Neonatal Respiratory Therapist: Neonatal respiratory therapists help newborn infants who are having trouble with breathing. Neonatal respiratory therapists can be especially important when an infant is born prematurely, as their lungs may not have fully developed at the time of birth, and may need both machines to help breathing, and therapy to start breathing independently.
Lactation Consultant: Lactation consultants help new parents who want to breastfeed their children. Lactation consultants monitor the impact on both parent and child of breastfeeding, and provide advice on latching, use of supplementary bottles, pumping, and more. Lactation consultants may work in hospitals, or visit patients at home.
Toddlers and Preschoolers (Ages 1 to 5)
This age is all about play and imagination—and high anxiety for parents trying to keep one step ahead of their curious little explorers. Most healthcare professionals at this stage are charting a child’s growth and teaching them and their parents how to keep their bodies (including those new teeth!) healthy and safe.
From crawling to hopping on one foot, toddlers and preschoolers race from one developmental milestone to the next. When parents and pediatricians become concerned about toddlers and preschoolers not achieving like their typically developing peers, they call in the specialized services like those of speech-language pathologists. Early intervention with physical or social-emotional differences can set kids up for long term success.
Pediatric Dental Hygienist
Role & Responsibilities: Pediatric dental hygienists protect the tiniest teeth. The ADA recommends baby’s first visit to the dentist is around their first birthday. Usually, these first visits help kids feel comfortable at the dentist and introduce them to good oral hygiene practices for home. Some pediatric dental hygienists work in public health, or travel to Head Start classrooms to teach kids about how to take care of their teeth.
Earnings: $87,530
How to Get Started: Dental hygienists must be licensed in every state in order to practice. An associate degree from an accredited campus-based or online dental hygiene school is the minimum requirement for licensure. To specialize in pediatrics, you may complete Advanced Professional Certificate for Expanded Function Dental Hygiene (EFDH) in Pediatrics or have completed continuing education in pediatric dentistry including those with special needs.
Speech-Language Pathologist
Role & Responsibilities: Speech and language pathologists help unlock the world of communication for the youngest children. Speech and language pathologists integrate play in their therapeutic interventions. They may help children from birth through age 5 develop their voices and improve their fluency, understand language, or correct swallowing or communication disorders.
Earnings: $89,290
How to Get Started: A graduate degree is generally required to practice as a speech and language pathologist. Most states require speech and language pathologists to hold a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP). Teaching certification may be required for speech and language pathologists working within schools.
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Role & Responsibilities: Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (PNPs) care for patients from birth through age 5 (and beyond) in clinical or specialty care settings. State regulations determine the scope of a PNP’s practice and whether they are able to practice independently from doctors. PNPs may also direct specialty care for patients with special medical needs, both chronic and acute.
Earnings: $129,480
How to Get Started: Registered nurses with a BSN can apply to traditional or online MSN or DNP nurse practitioner programs that offer pediatric specialty. Programs will include clinical supervision in addition to didactic learning. PNPs can be certified as Primary Care PNPs or Acute Care PNPs through the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board.
More Careers to Consider
Developmental Psychologist: Developmental psychology is a branch of psychology that deals with how the brain grows and changes as children age and grow. Children may work with developmental psychologists to test for either disabilities or certain hyper abilities, and in either case, develop strategies to best suit the child’s needs.
Pediatric Physical Therapist: Physical therapists work to help patients recover from injury, or develop a stronger body in the face of physical disabilities. Pediatric physical therapists are specialized physical therapists who work with children who have been injured, or have disabilities or chronic conditions that could benefit from physical therapy.
Pediatrician: Pediatricians are the primary physicians who work with children. Aspiring pediatricians need to specialize in medical school, starting with a rotation in pediatrics, and going on to a pediatric residency after graduation. Pediatricians work in doctor’s offices and hospitals, and may specialize even further, as seen in pediatric cardiologists.
Grade-Schoolers (Ages 5 to 12)
Grade-schoolers make major strides in growth and independence. Friends and activities begin to take on a larger role in their lives. Typically developing children benefit from regular checkups with pediatricians and dentists to monitor their health and development.
Children whose bodies aren’t developing normally or kids who have faced illness or injury, may work with pediatric occupational therapists to help them gain (or regain) strength and mobility. When increased academic and social demands exacerbate emotional and behavioral issues, pediatricians and parents can turn to professionals like behavioral analysts to help teach lagging skills and develop strategies for success.
Pediatric Medical Assistant
Role & Responsibilities: Pediatric medical assistants most often work in doctor’s offices or clinics. Medical assistants who work with grade-schoolers carry out typical medical assisting duties like taking patient histories, checking vital signs, and entering medical records. Perhaps the most important part of their job is their ability to connect with grade schoolers and help them feel comfortable prior to exams or procedures.
Earnings: $42,000
How to Get Started: Most medical assistants have a degree or certificate in medical assisting and many employers prefer to hire certified medical assistants. Advanced credentials including a specialty certification in pediatrics may also be required. Some states do not require any formal training beyond a high school diploma and on-the-job training.
Pediatric Occupational Therapy Assistant
Role & Responsibilities: Pediatric occupational therapy assistants work with children in their homes and schools, clinics, hospitals, or physical and occupational therapy offices. Pediatric patients may need occupational therapy because of an accident or illness, or physical or developmental disabilities. Pediatric OTAs collaborate with occupational therapists to develop plans that integrate play. Pediatric OTs may also help children learn to use adaptive equipment that allows them a fuller range of experiences.
Earnings: $65,450
How to Get Started: Pediatric OTAs typically need an associate degree from an accredited school and most states require OTAs to be licensed. OTAs who have already obtained the licensure required by their state, who want to specialize in pediatrics should pursue undergraduate coursework and continuing education in pediatric occupational therapy interventions.
Behavior Analyst
Role & Responsibilities: For kids who struggle with behavioral, emotional, or developmental disorders, working with a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) can be helpful. BCBAs may work with grade schoolers in private practice, schools or specialized facilities, and help them to develop strategies and apply skills they can use to learn more effectively.
Earnings: $92,740
How to Get Started: Becoming a BCBA requires graduate-level education, approved coursework, and passing a national certification exam. One of the most common paths is to earn a master’s degree in applied behavior analysis. Those who already have their graduate degree in a related field like education or psychology can pursue a graduate certificate in behavior analysis. Experience or supervised fieldwork is also required.
More Careers to Consider
Recreational Therapist: Recreational therapists help patients, frequently including child patients, use recreational activities to improve their physical and/or emotional wellbeing. This can include therapy based around swimming, tennis, and other physical activities, as well as activities like arts and crafts or board games and card games.
Pediatric Registered Nurse: Pediatric registered nurses are a specialized type of nurse who work with child patients. Pediatric RNs may assist in checkups, vaccinations, diagnostic tests, treatment of minor injuries, and more serious medical procedures. Pediatric RNs work in doctor’s offices, hospitals, and other clinical settings.
School Nurse: School nurses are at the front line of children’s health in schools. A school nurse will generally need to be trained as a registered nurse, and then seek a job with a school or school district. School nurses diagnose sick or injured students, and may administer medication in some circumstances.
Pediatric Dental Assistant: Pediatric dental assistants are a specialized type of dental assistant, who work alongside pediatric dentists specifically. While the education needed to become a pediatric dental assistant is generally the same as a dental assistant who works with adults, you may also want to take on a specialized course or internship to work with children.
Adolescents & Teenagers (Ages 12 to 18)
Teenage years are an incredible time of self-discovery. Teens can engage with adults on a whole new level and interact with their healthcare providers in more complex and mature ways as well.
You may have heard the adage that little kids have little problems and big kids have big problems. For many parents of teens this rings all too true. Puberty ushers in a whole new wave of moods and physical growth. Athletic teens may rely on pediatric physical therapy assistants to help them recover from a sports injury and registered dietitian (RD) to fuel themselves for improved performance. Teens struggling with self-esteem, weight, or body image issues may also work with RDNs or clinical psychologists.
Pediatric Physical Therapist Assistant
Role & Responsibilities: Some call it the Bambi effect, or maybe it’s just a teenager’s natural proclivity for risk-taking; whatever the cause, teens are twice as likely as adults to get injured. Growth, sports, illness, and physical differences are other reasons teens wind up needing physical therapy. Pediatric PTAs help teenagers recover from injury or overcome physical challenges.
Earnings: $58,740
How to Get Started: PTAs must earn an associate degree from an accredited program to be licensed or certified, which is required in all states. Education generally includes supervised clinical work. PTAs looking to specialize in pediatrics should seek out coursework and continuing education specific to pediatric physical therapy.
Registered Dietician
Role & Responsibilities: Teenagers have very specific dietary and nutritional needs. Childhood obesity remains a national epidemic. On the flip side, children and teens can develop disordered eating like anorexia, bulimia, or even orthorexia. Whatever the issue, teens struggling with their relationship to food can work with an RD to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. RDs may work in hospitals, clinics, or private practice.
Earnings: $69,680
How to Get Started: RDs must have at least a master’s degree and complete a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics. RDs must also complete a Dietetic Internship of 1,200 hours of supervised practice in order to be eligible to sit for the credentialing exam. Acquiring a license is also required in many states.
Clinical Child Psychologist
Role & Responsibilities: Clinical child psychologists often work with adolescents suffering from mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, and behavioral issues, such as oppositional defiance or obsessive-compulsive disorders. Clinical psychology practice can span from teens dealing with relative minor adjustment issues to severe psychopathology including schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.
Earnings: $92,740
How to Get Started: Clinical child psychology is a recognized specialty in professional psychology. Clinical child psychologists must be licensed in their state order to practice. You must at least have a doctorate in psychology, pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology exam, and have between 1,500 and 6,000 hours of supervised practice.
More Careers to Consider
Athletic Trainer: Athletic trainers who work with adolescents help teen athletes stay in top physical condition for their sport of choice. This can include ensuring that gymnasts stay limber and avoid muscle strain, or football players build muscle and maintain the endurance to run throughout the game. Athletic trainers will generally train with athletes one-on-one or with a whole team.
Dermatologist: Dermatologists are doctors who specialize in the skin. Teenagers commonly deal with skin changes, including hormonal acne. Dermatologists working with teenagers help diagnose and treat skin complaints including acne, eczema, rashes, and allergic reactions. They may also help teen patients develop hygiene and skin care routines.
Pediatric Sports Medicine Physician: Sports medicine is a specialized medical subfield that deals with the injuries and health needs of athletes. Physicians specializing in pediatric sports medicine help teen athletes avoid injury, treat existing injuries and strains, and develop training and stretching routines to stay healthy and safe while playing their sport of choice.
Professional’s Perspective: Q&A with a NICU Nurse
Jennifer Duran, RN, is a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit nurse who has worked at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) for over 21 years. Throughout her time, she has conducted many professional educational courses for clinical staff and is very passionate about providing education to families or caregivers in the care of their neonate. In November 2018, Jennifer traveled to Mbarara, Uganda as a nursing fellow to work with neonatal staff at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital. While there, she worked alongside nurses and other clinical staff members and provided daily educational sessions, with a noticeable improvement in practice.
Did you always know you wanted to be a pediatric nurse?
As a kid, I always loved math and science. I always gravitated to that. As the oldest of 8, I was naturally a caretaker. When I was in 7th grade, one of my younger siblings had cardiac surgery. It was pretty serious and we had to wait several days before we could visit him. I was really nervous. I remember so clearly when I walked into his room, there was a nurse sitting on his bed playing a video game with him. That was the moment I knew, right then and there, that I wanted to be a pediatric nurse.
In nursing school, I hoped to get on the toddler-pediatric rotation. It was the hardest one to get and I didn’t get it. I wound up in Labor and Delivery rotation, and later accepted a position there. It was tough. I learned a lot about how not to treat people. When I was just out of school, the mentality was that nurses would “eat their young.” It’s a much more supportive atmosphere now.
Was there anything that made you nervous when you started out?
Early on as a nurse, I felt nervous about public speaking. So, I challenged myself to take a course in becoming a Basic Lifesaving Instructor that let me teach staff and families. I created the first CPR Safety program for expecting parents at MGH. I love working with expecting families during their pregnancy. It is such an exciting time of their lives and I loved being a part of it.
Talk a little more about becoming a NICU nurse.
I had been observing the childbirth educator who was teaching next door. I like challenges, so I took a course to become a childbirth educator. I really gravitated to that role as an educator. As a Labor and Delivery nurse, I was always really interested in high-risk newborns. When I joined the NICU, I had to let the childbirth education go, but continued on with the Basic Lifesaving. I took a course in Pediatric Advanced Life Support, but I still wasn’t satisfied. So, I took a course to become an instructor. Every year, I teach the intern pediatric residents. I get to see them later on in their first year when they come into the NICU. I get to be a friendly face.
What would you tell someone starting out in the pediatric nursing profession?
I’d tell them that nursing has an amazing work-life balance. You can really do a full-time job and raise your family. There is so much flexibility about when you work with day, night, and weekend shifts.
To be a nurse, you need strong organization, critical thinking, and strong analytical skills. You have to be able to evaluate things quickly. You also need to trust your intuition. That doesn’t come right away. If you think something is not right, you have to speak up. You have to advocate for your patients.
Another huge thing is compassion. There are a lot of successes, but they don’t always end up with the baby living. You have to stay strong and appreciate that quality of life matters and to advocate for a baby not to suffer. Young nurses may want to fight to the very end, but it’s important to have a compassionate death. It’s so hard, but it can be so beautiful.
What do you do for self-care?
We talk to each other a lot to process. Sometimes we cry. It’s okay to cry with families, as long as you can stay professional. We use humor, too. Weird humor. It’s not always appropriate outside of a medical setting, but it really helps. On my days off, I exercise and do yoga. Good self-care is really important.
What do you love about your job?
I am always learning. Even after 24 years as a nurse, I’m learning something every day. I learn things from the new nurses all the time, especially about technology. I love working with people. I get just as much from my patients as they do from me. People think nurses just give and give. But we share all our families’ joys and sorrows. It’s such an emotional journey. It’s so worth it. I love being a nurse.
