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HOW TO BECOME A ...

Pediatric Intensive Care Nurse

If you plan to join a Belgian PICU-unit, you must have a bachelor diploma in nursing (or a foreign recognized equivalent). An additional specialization in pediatrics or emergency/intensive care is highly valuated. Beside this theoretical formation, you must show particular skills in technical care, empathy and the will to always improve your knowledge, as the PICU environment is in constant evolution. For more information about those formations, you can visit nursing school websites or professional nursing associations:

Pediatric Intensivist

In Belgium, no formal recognition of ‘Pediatric Intensive Care Medicine’ exists. However pediatricians, amongst other specialists, are eligible to follow a postgraduate course which is required for certification in intensive care medicine. Promotion of a specific and high-quality training program for Pediatric Intensivists is a primary aim of our society.

Taking into consideration the current criteria for general training in intensive care, and looking forward to the future needs of the job, the Belgian Pediatric Intensive Care Society (Be-Pics) has put forward a specific proposition how this is best filled out for doctors training to be a pediatric intensivist.

The Be-Pics community commits itself to support exclusively training programs in compliance with this Memorandum of Understanding for any future trainees.

Below you will find

  • the text presented by the Be-Pics to the Dutch speaking Certification Commission for intensive care (Erkenningscommissie voor artsen-specialisten met de bijzondere beroepstitel van intensieve zorgen) in June 2021
  • the original legal texts specifying current intensive care training and certification in Belgium (MB 1995 & 2015)
  • both texts in their respective Dutch and French versions

As candidates are allowed to spend 1 year of the 2-year clinical training abroad (as part of a recognized internship plan), many pediatric intensivists spend part of their training in countries where formal pediatric intensive care training programs do exist (e.g. The Netherlands, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, France…). As many PICU’s in Belgium are in direct contact with these centers abroad, they can offer help when looking for training opportunities abroad.