Top 12 Pediatric Nurse Skills to Put on Your Resume
Crafting a standout resume as a pediatric nurse means spotlighting the technical know-how and the calm, family-centered touch needed to care for infants, children, and adolescents. A sharp, well-balanced skill set signals competence, judgment, and empathy—exactly what hiring teams look for when lives are small and high stakes.
Pediatric Nurse Skills
1. Pediatrics
Pediatrics covers care for infants, children, and adolescents. Pediatric nurses deliver developmentally appropriate, family-centered care across preventive, acute, and chronic needs.
Why It's Important
Pediatrics centers on growth, development, and health during formative years. For nurses, that means tailoring interventions to a child’s physiology and psychology while supporting families through fear, decisions, and recovery.
How to Improve Pediatrics Skills
Blend evidence, communication, and steady practice.
Continuing education: Keep certifications current and pursue pediatric-specific CE from organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board.
Age-smart communication: Use child-friendly language, visuals, and play. Coach caregivers with clarity and warmth.
Holistic care: Weigh physical, emotional, social, and developmental needs. Build care plans that fit real family life.
Technology fluency: Stay current on pediatric monitoring, EHR workflows, and decision-support tools.
Preventive focus: Master vaccine schedules, screenings, anticipatory guidance, and safety counseling.
Mental health awareness: Recognize anxiety, depression, and behavioral concerns early; know referral paths and de-escalation techniques.
Small gains compound. Consistent practice turns knowledge into instinct at the bedside.
How to Display Pediatrics Skills on Your Resume
2. Neonatal
The neonatal period spans the first 28 days of life. Nurses support healthy newborns and stabilize premature or ill infants adjusting to the outside world.
Why It's Important
Neonates are fragile. Timely, precise care safeguards growth, neurologic outcomes, and survival—core work in pediatric nursing.
How to Improve Neonatal Skills
Stay educated: Seek neonatal-focused CE, unit in-services, and journal updates from neonatal nursing associations.
Evidence-based practice: Follow neonatal guidelines and bundles for thermoregulation, feeding, infection prevention, and pain control.
Family-centered care: Involve parents in routines, skin-to-skin care, and decision-making.
Clear communication: Translate complex concepts simply; use teach-back with families under stress.
NRP proficiency: Keep Neonatal Resuscitation Program skills sharp with simulation and frequent refreshers.
Infection control: Be meticulous with line care, hand hygiene, and equipment cleaning—every time.
Tech literacy: Understand incubators, ventilators, phototherapy, and neonatal monitors so adjustments are confident and safe.
How to Display Neonatal Skills on Your Resume
3. CPR
CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) supports circulation and oxygenation when a child’s heart or breathing stops, using chest compressions and rescue breaths.
Why It's Important
Seconds matter. High-quality CPR preserves brain and organ function until advanced care arrives.
How to Improve CPR Skills
Maintain certification: Keep pediatric-specific training current through recognized courses.
Deliberate practice: Use manikins to dial in compression rate, depth, and recoil.
Feedback tools: Train with devices that report metrics to correct technique in real time.
Scenario simulation: Practice team roles, airway management, and defibrillation under pressure.
Peer drills: Rotate team leads, critique calmly, and repeat until rhythm and roles click.
Keep up with updates: Review current pediatric resuscitation science and algorithm changes.
Repetition builds muscle memory. Muscle memory saves lives.
How to Display CPR Skills on Your Resume
4. ACLS
ACLS (Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support) outlines protocols for life-threatening cardiovascular emergencies. In pediatrics, its concepts pair closely with pediatric-focused training and adaptations.
Why It's Important
Advanced skills—airway management, rhythm recognition, medication use, teamwork—drive rapid, appropriate responses during pediatric emergencies.
How to Improve ACLS Skills
Study current guidelines: Review updates from recognized resuscitation bodies and align with unit protocols.
Take PALS alongside ACLS: Pediatric Advanced Life Support translates core concepts to infants and children.
High-fidelity simulation: Run code scenarios that stress-test communication, leadership, and clinical judgment.
Microlearning: Use algorithms, flashcards, and case quizzes to keep details crisp.
Team debriefs: After drills or events, dissect what worked and what needs refinement.
How to Display ACLS Skills on Your Resume
5. PALS
PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) trains clinicians to assess and treat critically ill or injured infants and children using algorithms, teamwork, and time-sensitive interventions.
Why It's Important
PALS closes the gap between recognition and action. That speed shrinks risk and improves outcomes.
How to Improve PALS Skills
Refresh regularly: Keep PALS current and practice between renewals.
Run mock codes: Rotate through roles—compressor, airway, meds, leader—to build fluency.
Target weak spots: Focus on rhythms, drug dosing, and post-resuscitation care.
Communication drills: Use closed-loop communication and clear role assignments.
Debrief and document: Capture lessons and turn them into action items.
How to Display PALS Skills on Your Resume
6. EPIC
Epic (electronic health record software) is widely used across hospitals and clinics to document care, place orders, track results, and coordinate teams—core workflow for pediatric nurses.
Why It's Important
Efficient, accurate documentation and smart order entry reduce errors, speed care, and keep the whole team aligned around the child and family.
How to Improve EPIC Skills
Role-specific training: Complete pediatric-focused Epic modules and tip sheets offered by your organization.
Practice with purpose: Chart mock scenarios, build smartphrases, and refine order sets you use daily.
Learn from peers: Share shortcuts, favorites, and workflows that cut clicks and prevent misses.
Feedback loop: Report friction points to inform build updates; request pediatric-friendly templates.
Stay current: Watch for release notes and enhancements; join user groups if available.
Customize wisely: Create patient lists, navigator shortcuts, and smartlinks that match your routine.
How to Display EPIC Skills on Your Resume
7. Triage
Triage is the rapid assessment and prioritization of pediatric patients so the sickest receive care first.
Why It's Important
Early recognition saves time, and time saves kids. Efficient triage funnels resources where they matter most.
How to Improve Triage Skills
Structured assessment: Use pediatric tools like the Pediatric Assessment Triangle to gauge appearance, work of breathing, and circulation at a glance.
Communication finesse: Gather history from caregivers with empathy; use child-appropriate language and observe nonverbal cues.
Know the big hitters: Be fluent in common pediatric emergencies and red flags by age group.
Standard protocols: Apply evidence-based triage systems such as ESI and escalate promptly.
Simulation reps: Drill scenario-based triage to hone speed and accuracy.
Continuing education: Keep pediatric emergency knowledge fresh through courses and certifications.
How to Display Triage Skills on Your Resume
8. Immunization
Immunization primes the immune system—usually with vaccines—to prevent infectious diseases before they strike.
Why It's Important
Vaccines prevent serious illness, protect vulnerable children, and build community immunity.
How to Improve Immunization Skills
Education
- Inform parents: Explain benefits, side effects, and timing in plain language with evidence to back it up.
- Address hesitancy: Listen first, then respond with respectful, data-grounded guidance.
Accessibility
- Expand access: Offer convenient hours, community clinics, and streamlined workflows.
- Outreach: Support mobile or school-based programs for underserved families.
Follow-up and Reminders
- Recall systems: Use EHR prompts, texts, and calls to keep children on schedule.
Continuous Education
- Stay current: Review pediatric vaccine schedules, contraindications, and catch-up guidance routinely.
How to Display Immunization Skills on Your Resume
9. Phlebotomy
Phlebotomy is drawing blood for tests or treatment—done gently and efficiently when the patient is tiny and scared.
Why It's Important
Accurate labs guide diagnoses and therapies. A calm, skilled draw minimizes trauma and repeat sticks.
How to Improve Phlebotomy Skills
Child-centered communication: Set expectations, use distraction, and recruit caregivers as partners.
Right tools, right size: Choose the smallest appropriate needle; warm limbs and position well.
Technique mastery: Practice anchoring, swift entry, and smooth collection to preserve samples.
Distraction and comfort: Bubbles, tablets, toys, guided breathing—match strategy to age.
Reflect and refine: Seek feedback, note successes, and adjust for next time.
Ongoing training: Attend pediatric-focused venipuncture workshops and supervised practice sessions.
How to Display Phlebotomy Skills on Your Resume
10. Ventilator
A ventilator supports or replaces breathing for infants and children in respiratory distress or failure.
Why It's Important
When lungs need help, ventilation ensures oxygenation and carbon dioxide removal while the underlying problem is treated.
How to Improve Ventilator Skills
Vigilant monitoring: Track vitals, waveforms, blood gases, and comfort; adjust settings based on the whole picture.
Synchrony matters: Tweak triggers, modes, and sedation to match the child’s effort and reduce dyssynchrony.
Humidification and filtration: Maintain airway humidity and circuit hygiene to protect mucosa and lower infection risk.
Education and drills: Practice mode selection, weaning, and troubleshooting; know alarms cold.
Family inclusion: Explain equipment and goals in plain terms to ease fear and build trust.
How to Display Ventilator Skills on Your Resume
11. IV
IV (intravenous) therapy delivers fluids, medications, and nutrition directly into a vein for fast, accurate treatment.
Why It's Important
Children decompensate quickly. IV access allows rapid resuscitation, precise dosing, and reliable hydration.
How to Improve IV Skills
Know the standards: Review infusion therapy guidelines and your institution’s pediatric policies.
Simulation first: Practice insertion on task trainers to sharpen dexterity without risk.
Ultrasound assistance: Use ultrasound for difficult access when appropriate and trained.
Workshops and mentoring: Seek supervised reps, observe experts, and ask for tips.
Pain control: Use topical anesthetics, comfort positioning, and distraction to reduce distress.
Infection prevention: Scrub the hub, maintain aseptic technique, and monitor sites consistently.
How to Display IV Skills on Your Resume
12. BLS
BLS (Basic Life Support) covers lifesaving care for infants and children in emergencies—CPR, rescue breathing, AED use, and airway positioning.
Why It's Important
BLS skills bridge the gap to advanced care. Quick action keeps oxygen flowing when it matters most.
How to Improve BLS Skills
Keep certifications current: Renew on time and practice between courses.
Hands-on practice: Use manikins and simulation for compressions, breaths, and AED use tailored to pediatric patients.
Update knowledge: Review guideline changes and refine technique accordingly.
Peer feedback: Drill with colleagues, debrief constructively, and correct errors fast.
Micro-drills: Short, frequent refreshers make responses automatic under stress.
How to Display BLS Skills on Your Resume
