The Master of Science in Nursing specialty for the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Acute Care (PNP – AC) prepares graduates to work in a wide variety of pediatric acute and critical care settings including inpatient acute and critical care as well as the emergency room and urgent care settings. Coursework, clinical field experiences, and evidence-based assignments allow students to acquire the knowledge, skills, and values necessary for certification by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB) as pediatric nurse practitioners in acute care. Students must complete the equivalent of one year of full time in-hospital pediatric nursing experience, preferably in an intensive care unit or other high acuity setting prior to beginning the advanced pediatric acute care nursing clinical practicum series of courses.
Core courses
- Nursing 7483: Quality Improvement and Informatics (3)
- Nursing 7780: Evidence Based Nursing Scholarship (3)
- Nursing Practice 8406: Leadership, Role, and Collaboration for the DNP (3)
- Nursing Practice 8490: Health Promotion, Theory, and Population Health (2)
- Nursing Practice 8500: Nursing Policy for Doctoral Nursing Practice (2)
Other required courses
- Nursing 7330: Advanced Pediatric Health Assessment (4)
- Nursing 7331: Assessment and Management of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Issues (3)
- Nursing 7415: Clinical Reasoning with Diagnostic Methods for Advanced Nursing Practice (2)
- Nursing 7450: Pathophysiology of Altered Health States (5)
- Nursing 7470: Advanced Pharmacology in Nursing (4)
- Nursing Practice 8895: Advanced Practice Nursing: Final Professional Seminar (1)
Clinical coursework
- Nursing 7218.01: Advanced Nursing Practice in Pediatric Primary Care Practicum I (6 credit hours; 3 credits didactic, 3 credits clinical which equals 112.5* precepted clinical hours)
- Nursing 7218.02: Advanced Nursing Practice in Pediatric Acute Care Practicum I (11 credit hours; 4 credits didactic, 7 credits clinical which equals 262.5* precepted clinical hours)
- Nursing 7218.03: Advanced Nursing Practice in Pediatric Acute Care Practicum II (10 credit hours; 4 credits didactic, 6 credits clinical which equals 225* precepted clinical hours)
Self-audit checklist
Use the hyperlinked list to ensure you have taken all of the courses required for your specialty. Your advisor will conduct a final review when you apply to graduate. Students must have completed these courses or have a Nursing Graduate Studies Committee-approved Course Waiver petition on file.
Pediatric Acute Care NP Self Audit Checklist
Standard curriculum plans