Nurses and technicians in the Pediatric Emergency Department (PED) work as a team with physicians and other health care providers, to deliver specialized, compassionate, and skilled emergency care to the children of New Mexico from newborns to 18 years of age.

The nursing staff are experienced and bring a variety of expertise and skills to the PED ranging from:

• Pediatric Intensive Care
• Pediatric Sub-Acute
• Pediatrics (Inpatient and Outpatient)
• Newborn Intensive Care
• Emergency Medicine
• Pediatric Emergency Medicine

UNMH is a Level I Trauma Center and the Pediatric ER will see pediatric trauma patients up to 12 years of age and pediatric resuscitations to 18 years of age. This intense level of medical care require that nurses receive ongoing continuing education, certifications and competencies.

Required National Certifications and Competencies

• Basic Life Support
• Pediatric Advanced Life Support
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support
• Emergency Nurses Pediatric Course
• Trauma Nurse Core Course
• Emergency Department Annual Competencies

Recommended Courses offered at the UNMH Education Department

• Advanced Procedural Sedation
• Rapid Sequence Intubation
• Pediatric Oncology: Fundamentals of Practice
• Triage in the Emergency Department

There are more courses available based on individual needs and interest.

Technicians who work in the Pediatric ER are required to have their Emergency Medical Technician Intermediate (EMT-I) license. Preferred is an experienced ER technician who has advanced to the Tech II level as they will be working independently as the only technician on the unit each shift. They must have completed the following classes:

• IV module
• Wound Care
• Splinting