Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
The primary goal of the Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner specialty is to prepare graduates for professional opportunities in the care of unstable acutely ill children. Graduates are prepared to provide healthcare services in hospital inpatient and outpatient settings, including the Emergency Room and pediatric intensive care, as well as mastering the urgent and emergent care of a wide range of clinical problems seen from infancy through young adulthood.
Post-baccalaureate applicants to the program must have completed 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 admission. Coursework, clinical training and evidence-based practice activities allow students to acquire the knowledge, values and skills necessary for certification as a certified pediatric nurse practitioner in acute care (CPNP-AC) through the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB). Students may attend full-time or part-time. There is a Post-Master's option for certified nurse practitioners or clinical nurse specialists with a plan of study tailored to the applicant’s previous accomplishments in graduate study. Our specialty meets both the acute care and pediatric nurse practitioner curricular guidelines of the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties.
Faculty
Available Degree Programs
This specialty can be completed on campus through the following programs:
Skills
Graduates enter the workforce with the skills and competencies to:
- Provide direct healthcare services to children and their families in a variety of settings, apply evidence-based practice to the care of children from birth to young adulthood and their families in the clinical setting and their communities
- Design, implement and evaluate plans of care for children from birth to young adulthood
- Utilize leadership skills to create positive change for children and families at the local, regional and national levels
- Contribute to the advancement of the pediatric nursing profession through innovative quality improvement efforts, interventions and scholarship
- Assume active roles in professional organizations within and outside of the nursing profession
Curriculum
- Nursing 7260 Concepts in Advanced Family Nursing
- Nursing 7330 Advanced Pediatric Health Assessment
- Nursing 7331 Assessment and Management of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Issues
- Nursing 7338.01 Advanced Nursing Practice in Pediatric Primary Care Practicum I
- Nursing 7218.01 Advanced Nursing Practice in Pediatric Acute Care I
- Nursing 7218.02 Advanced Nursing Practice in Pediatric Acute Care II
- Sample Full-Time Traditional MS Curriculum
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Year 1
Autumn Credit Hours N7450 Pathophysiology of Altered Health States 5 N7483 Quality Improvement and Informatics 3 N7491 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention 3 Total credit hours 11 Spring N7403 Innovation Leadership in Advanced Nursing Practice 3 N7330 Advanced Pediatric Health Assessment 4 N7470 Advanced Pharmacology in Nursing 4 N7780 Evidence Based Nursing Scholarship 3 Total credit hours 14 Summer N7338.01 Advanced Nursing Practice in Pediatric Primary Care Practicum I 6 NRSPRCT 8500 Nursing Policy for Doctoral Nursing Practice 2 N7260 Concepts in Advanced Family Nursing 2 Total credit hours 10 Year 2
Autumn N7218.01 Advanced Nursing Practice in Pediatric Acute Care I 11 Total credit hours 11 Spring N7218.02 Advanced Nursing Practice in Pediatric Acute Care II 10 N7331 Assessment & Management of Child & Adolescent Mental Health 3 Total credit hours 13 - Sample Part-Time Traditional MS Curriculum
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Year 1
Autumn Credit Hours N7450 Pathophysiology of Altered Health States 5 N7491 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention 3 Total credit hours 8 Spring N7403 Innovation Leadership in Advanced Nursing Practice 3 N7780 Evidence Based Nursing Scholarship 3 Total credit hours 6 Summer NRSPRCT 8500 Nursing Policy for Doctoral Nursing Practice 2 N7260 Concepts in Advanced Family Nursing 2 Total credit hours 4 Year 2
Autumn N7483 Quality Improvement and Informatics 3 Total credit hours 3 Spring N7330 Advanced Pediatric Health Assessment 4 N7470 Advanced Pharmacology in Nursing 4 Total credit hours 8 Summer N7338.01 Advanced Nursing Practice in Pediatric Primary Care Practicum I 6 Total credit hours 6 Year 3
Autumn N7218.01 Advanced Nursing Practice in Pediatric Acute Care I 11 Total credit hours 11 Spring N7218.02 Advanced Nursing Practice in Pediatric Acute Care II 10 N7331 Assessment & Management of Child & Adolescent Mental Health 3 Total credit hours 13 - Sample Full-Time BSN to DNP Curriculum
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Year 1
Autumn Credit Hours N7450 Pathophysiology of Altered Health States* 5 NP8402 Innovation and Leadership Development for the DNP Nurse 2 NP8890 Professional Seminar 1 N5115 MINDSTRONG: An Evidence-based Program to Promote Overall Well-being 1 Total credit hours 9 Spring N7260 Concepts in Advanced Family Nursing* 2 NP8490 Health Promotion in the Age of Personalized Health and Health Care 2 NP8500 Health Policy for Doctoral Nursing Practice 2 NP8782 Foundations of Evidence-Based Practice 2 Total credit hours 8 Summer NP8480 Quality Improvement for the Doctor of Nursing Practice 2 NP8610 Informatics for Leadership in Health and Health Care 2 NP8896 Practice Inquiry I 3 Total credit hours 7 Year 2
Autumn NP8403 Science of Practice Innovation 2 N8510 Ethics in Healthcare Practice, Research and Policy 2 NP8781 Methods and Measurement for Clinical Practice Scholarship 2 Total credit hours 6 Spring N7330 Advanced Pediatric Health Assessment* 4 N7470 Advanced Pharmacology in Nursing* 4 Total credit hours 8 Summer N7338.01 Advanced Nursing Practice in Pediatric Primary Care Practicum I* 6 Total credit hours 6 Year 3
Autumn Credit Hours N7218.01 Advanced Nursing Practice in Pediatric Acute Care I* 11 Total credit hours 11 Spring N7218.02 Advanced Nursing Practice in Pediatric Acute Care II* 10 N7331 Assessment & Management of Child & Adolescent Mental Health* 3 Total credit hours 13 Summer NP8897 Practice Inquiry II 3 NP8193 Individual Studies (optional) 1 Total credit hours 3-4 Year 4
Autumn NP8898 DNP Clinical Immersion 5 NP8998 DNP Final Project 1 Total credit hours 6 Spring NP8898 DNP Clinical Immersion 5 NP8998 DNP Final Project 1 Total credit hours 6 Total credit hours 84
*Denotes master’s level coursework - Sample Part-Time BSN to DNP Curriculum
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Year 1
Autumn Credit Hours N7450 Pathophysiology of Altered Health States* 5 NP8402 Innovation and Leadership Development for the DNP Nurse 2 NP8890 Professional Seminar 1 N5115 MINDSTRONG: An Evidence-based Program to Reduce Stress and Promote Overall Well-being 1 Total credit hours 9 Spring N7260 Concepts in Advanced Family Nursing* 2 NP8490 Health Promotion in the Age of Personalized Health and Health Care 2 NP8500 Nursing Policy For Doctoral Nursing Practice 2 NP8782 Foundations of Evidence-Based Practice 2 Total credit hours 8 Summer NP8480 Quality Improvement for the Doctor of Nursing Practice 2 NP8610 Informatics for Leadership in Health and Health Care 2 NP8896 Practice Inquiry I 3 Total credit hours 7 Year 2
Autumn NP8403 Science of Practice Inquiry 2 N8510 Ethics in Healthcare Practice, Research and Policy 2 Total credit hours 4 Spring N7330 Advanced Pediatric Health Assessment* 4 N7470 Advanced Pharmacology in Nursing* 4 Total credit hours 8 Summer N7338.01 Advanced Nursing Practice in Pediatric Primary Care Practicum I* 6 Total credit hours 6 Year 3
Autumn Credit Hours N7218.01 Advanced Nursing Practice in Pediatric Acute Care I* 11 Total credit hours 11 Spring N7218.02 Advanced Nursing Practice in Pediatric Acute Care II* 10 N7331 Assessment & Management of Child & Adolescent Mental Health* 3 Total credit hours 13 Summer APRN Certification Exam Total credit hours 0 Year 4
Autumn NP8781 Methods and Measurement for Clinical Practice Scholarship 2 Total credit hours 2 Spring NP8193 Individual Studies (optional) 1 NP8897 Practice Inquiry II 3 Total credit hours 3-4 Year 5
Autumn NP8898 DNP Clinical Immersion 5 NP8998 DNP Final Project 1 Total credit hours 6 Spring NP8898 DNP Clinical Immersion 5 NP8998 DNP Final Project 1 Total credit hours 6 Total credit hours 84
*Denotes master’s level coursework
Clinical Courses
The Master of Science specialty track for Pediatric Nurse Practitioners prepares graduates for many challenging career opportunities. Graduates meet the demands of today's healthcare workforce in urgent care, specialty clinics, in-hospital units and critical care.
Through coursework, clinical training and evidence-based practices our students acquire the knowledge, values and skills necessary for advanced nursing practice. At the heart of our master's program are active, collaborative relationships between the College of Nursing faculty and community-based primary care practices as well as Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus.
As part of the country’s most comprehensive health sciences center, the College of Nursing provides students with access to cutting-edge research and evidence-based practice, a diverse selection of elective courses from the university’s Graduate School and interdisciplinary collaborative experiences among healthcare professionals, including the LEND fellowship opportunity.
Our central location, class schedules and clinical partners throughout Ohio conveniently accommodate both part-time and full-time students. Many core courses are available to students in a state-of-the-art computer-based format for convenience and accessibility. Our nurse practitioner specialty meets the curriculum guidelines of the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, and the requirements for advanced practice certification set by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB).
Our specialty provides preceptors in a wide variety of geographic locations and clinical sites throughout Ohio. These include Nationwide Children's Hospital, the Cleveland Clinic, and many private practices and health centers. Students must complete 600 hours of precepted clinical experience, including the care of well children, children with common acute illnesses, children with stable chronic conditions, and critically ill children.