Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner program
Use your expertise to provide holistic, long-term care for children and families — addressing physical, developmental and emotional needs and play a critical role in ensuring children grow up healthy, supported and ready to thrive.
Program overview
A Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP-PC) is an advanced practice registered nurse who specializes in providing comprehensive, family-centered primary care to children from birth through young adulthood. PNP-PCs emphasize health promotion, disease prevention, and the diagnosis and management of both acute and chronic pediatric conditions. They collaborate closely with pediatricians, specialists, therapists and school health professionals to ensure coordinated, developmentally appropriate care. PNP-PCs practice in a wide range of settings, including pediatric primary care offices, school-based health centers, public health clinics, specialty clinics and community health centers.
The PNP-PC specialty in our Master of Science in Nursing program is ranked #5 in the nation by U.S. News and World Report and #1 among public universities. At Ohio State, you’ll train within one of the nation’s top comprehensive health sciences centers, gaining clinically rigorous, evidence-based experience guided by world-class faculty and dedicated mentors. You’ll build skills across diverse settings — from community-based primary care agencies to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center — and benefit from hands-on learning, interdisciplinary collaboration and the support of expert preceptors committed to your success.
Take the next step
Join an information session to learn more about your program of interest, hosted by our recruitment coordinator.
Admission and application requirements vary by degree. Visit the program page of the degree you are seeking to learn more about admission requirements, curriculum and how to apply.
This specialty can be completed on-campus through the following programs:
Students will develop advanced knowledge and clinical expertise through specialty-focused coursework and immersive, supervised clinical practicum experiences. Clinical rotations allow students to apply these competencies in real-world settings under the guidance of expert preceptors. Clinical experiences meet the requirements for national certification in this specialty and are completed in approved sites across Ohio. Students typically complete 16 to 20 hours per week of precepted clinical practice during their clinical courses.
The Primary Care PNP curriculum is aligned with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education and the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) NP Role Core Competencies. Graduates are eligible for national board certification as a Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner through the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB).
- Nursing 7330 Pediatric Advanced Physical Assessment
- Nursing 7331 Assessment and Management of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Issues
- Nursing 7333 Advanced Pediatric Pharmacology
- Nursing 7338.01 Advanced Nursing Practice in Pediatric Primary Care Practicum I
- Nursing 7338.02 Advanced Nursing Practice in Pediatric Primary Care Practicum II
- Nursing 7338.03 Advanced Nursing Practice in Pediatric Primary Care Practicum III
- Nursing 7415 Clinical Reasoning with Diagnostic Methods for Advanced Nursing Practice
- Nursing 8895 Advanced Practice Nursing: Final Professional Seminar
- Provide direct healthcare services to children and families in multiple settings.
- Apply evidence-based practice to care for children from birth through young adulthood in both clinical and community contexts.
- Design and evaluate plans of care for well-child visits, acute illnesses, and stable chronic conditions.
- Use leadership skills to advocate for children and families at local, regional, and national levels.
- Contribute to pediatric nursing through innovative quality improvement initiatives and evidence-based interventions. Engage actively in professional organizations within and beyond nursing.
For more information on curriculum, visit the academic program page of the degree you are seeking.