A pediatric nurse has advanced training in pediatrics and provides nursing care for infants, children, and adolescents. An RN license and MSN degree are pre-requisites to becoming a pediatric nurse practitioner. Each of the following schools offers at least one MSN degree for nurse practitioners.

Accelerated RN to MSN Accel MSN: Adult Health Accel MSN: Education	South University -- South University's MSN program enhances knowledge you use as a registered nurse by helping you develop teaching skills, use information technology in your practice, and understand current healthcare issues in multicultural environments. There is also an accelerated RN to MSN online degree program for those who have not earned their BSN degrees.
MSN: Clinical Nursing MSN: Family Nursing MSN: Nurse Midwifery MSN: Women's Health More MSN Degrees...	University of Cincinnati -- The Family Nurse Practitioner online MSN degree at the University of Cincinnati specializes in treating children through adults, as well as the family as a whole. The MSN in nurse midwifery program specializes in teaching to treat women from puberty through menopause, including pregnancy, and prepares students for the AMCB certification exam. The online Women's Health NP degree teaches students how to treat women of all ages and coursework is in preparation for the NCC certification exam.
MSN: Acute Care	Liberty University -- Liberty University's MSN program prepares nurses to be Adult/Acute Clinical Nurse Specialists or Nurse Educators. Students can choose their specialty area of practice within adult health or education, and graduates are prepared to practice as Adult/Acute CNSs or Nurse Educators in clinics or classrooms. Prospective students should research the requirements for certification in their states.
RN to MSN MSN: Education MSN: Leadership	Gonzaga University -- The online MSN degree at Gonzaga University offers degrees in nurse education and nurse administration (Health Systems Leadership) in as little as two years of study. Nurse educators can become faculty in universities and clinical practices. Health Systems Leadership students learn to integrate health care with technology and complex regulations to better deliver health care and preventative care to patients.
RN to MSN MSN: Education MSN: Informatics MSN: Leadership	Walden University -- Walden University's MSN programs offer specializations in informatics, education and leadership. Informatics teaches nurses to effectively use technology to improve patient care, blending nursing with computer science and project management. The education specialization addresses the need for nurse educators and teaches staff development along with patient/family issues. The leadership and management specialization combines IT skills with courses in politics and policy, nursing administration, HR management, and finance and budgeting for healthcare.
MSN: Adult Acute Care MSN: Adult Psych Care MSN: Clinical Trials MSN: Nurse Leadership	Drexel University -- Drexel University's MSN in adult acute care program prepares nurses to manage patients to diagnose and treat patients with critical health conditions. The Nurse Practitioner track for adult psychiatric mental health care is mostly online, but requires some on-campus work to ensure students are competent to provide mental healthcare services. The online, advanced track in Leadership in Health Systems Management MSN degree program prepares students to take senior roles in healthcare by learning fiscal management, legal and ethical issues, strategic planning, organizational structures and marketing.
MSN: Administration MSN: Education	Kaplan University -- Kaplan University's MSN online program makes it easy to earn the credentials you need to take on leadership roles and positions with higher income potential. Coursework covers a wide breadth of subjects, like health care finance, human resources, and the integration of information and health care technologies. Three specializations are available: Nurse administrator, nurse educator, and informatics.
MSN: Education MSN: Education Bridge	Capella University -- The Nurse Educator bridge in the MSN program at Capella University increases students' knowledge of health care systems and policies, program design and assessment, technology integration, patient education and health promotion. Specialization courses in teaching and learning strategies, curriculum theory, technology for teaching, and the role of the Nurse Educator round out the curriculum.
MS in Nursing	Benedictine University -- Benedictine University offers a customizable MSN degree program online. Recognizing that the health care industry is always changing, studies are done in the context of emerging demographic trends, and prepare students to take on leadership roles or faculty positions in health care. Four elective courses can be combined to create a custom focus for your degree in areas like administration, disaster management, or public health.
MSN: Clinical Leadership	St. Xavier University -- St. Xavier University's unique MSN in clinical leadership program is designed for nurses who want to take advanced roles in clinical settings and hone their clinical expertise. Students learn skills and assessment methods to improve patient care quality and safety using new technology, patient input, and coordination with other healthcare professionals.
MSN: Education MSN: Leadership MSN/MBA: Leadership	Grand Canyon University -- Grand Canyon University's MSN in nurse education prepares professional nurses to address the changing and expanding needs of the nursing profession as faculty, offering a post-master's certificate if students already have a MSN degree. The MSN in nurse leadership prepares practicing nurses to transition into administration and supervisory roles by teaching HR strategies, healthcare policy, and communication skills. The MSN/MBA incorporates business and finance courses into the MSN program.
MSN: Education	Graceland University -- Graceland University's MSN in nurse education helps meet the demand for more nurse educators in today's job market. RNs are prepared to teach in collegiate and health care settings in their specific area of study through hands-on experience gained in their own communities. The accelerated option allows coursework to be completed in as little as two years, but there are also part-time options for those with work and family obligations.
See all schools that offer Pediatric Nurse Practitioner degrees ...

What are Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Programs?

A nurse practitioner (NP) is an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) who has completed his or her graduate-level education with either a master’s or doctoral degree. A pediatric nurse practitioner (PNP) is a person who specialized in pediatrics when completing their graduate degree, or through a certification process after earning their graduate degree. According to the International Council of Nurses, a pediatric NP is “a registered nurse who has acquired the expert knowledge base, complex decision-making skills and clinical competencies for expanded practice, the characteristics of which would be determined by the context in which she or he is credentialed to practice.”

The PNP is an advanced practice role that provides direct patient care in a primary care setting. Pediatric nurse practitioners work with sick infants, children, and adolescents. A PNP may also play an active role in community health promotion and disease prevention. PNPs are an extremely vital part of the United States’ healthcare system. They keep our nation’s children emotionally and physically healthy. Responsibilities for PNPs involve wellness childcare, sick/episodic examinations, health teaching and counseling to children and families, telephone management, home visits, conducting research, providing education, and impacting public policy. Through coursework and hands-on training PNP students are prepared to practice in these roles autonomously, in collaboration with a physician, or as a member of an interdisciplinary team. PNP curriculum builds on both the theoretical knowledge and clinical experience of a BSN prepared nurse.

Common Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program Objectives:

Different schools’ PNP programs have their own curriculum and method of education. Even so, there are core topics that all programs must teach to help a nurse become an effective PNP. If you complete a master’s degree or certificate PNP program than you should learn the following skills:

• Demonstrate skill in interpreting pertinent biopsychosocial evidence derived from individual and family assessments including health histories, physical examinations, laboratory and diagnostic sources, and current literature.
• Formulate different diagnoses and treatment plans for selected acute and chronic illnesses based on an analysis of biopsychosocial data and current research findings.
• Develop and initiate management strategies for common health problems.
• Present assessment data, both orally and written, in an organized manner.
• Evaluate community resources that provide services to clients with particular health needs.
• Successfully pass the ANCC or NAPNAP certification examination for Pediatric Nurse Practitioner.

Curriculum of Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Programs:

Nurses can become PNPs through master’s programs or, if a master’s degree has already been acquired, through post-masters certificate programs. Through these programs nurses are trained to become advanced PNPs for the current and future healthcare systems. Typically these programs offer full-time or part-time study. Full-time programs are around 12 months in length. They emphasize community-based primary healthcare for pediatric patients. Sometimes programs will focus on a certain population, such as specific healthcare needs of youth and families in underserved and rural communities.

Course work includes core courses such as graduate research and sciences, electives, and theory or clinical courses. PNPs are trained to identify acute illnesses. They’re also taught skills in nursing and medical management of commonly encountered acute and chronic illnesses in collaboration and consultation with an interdisciplinary team; development of a knowledge base of community needs and resources available for health promotion; health teaching, guidance, and counseling of clients and their families about illness and its prevention; and health promotion, maintenance, and management. Core courses for PNP programs may include the following classroom topics:

• Pathophysiology
• Pharmacology
• Advanced Physical Assessment
• Theoretical Foundations in Nursing
• Research & Biostatistical Processes in Health Care
• Epidemiology in Health Care
• Primary Care
• Nutrition in Health Promotion
• Health Policy: Local to Global

Typically the theoretical and clinical courses include classroom work, lab sessions, and clinical precepts focused on the management of common acute and chronic health problems in children. Some programs offer a specialty in acute care pediatrics in which students are trained to manage critically ill infants, children and adolescents. Advancement in the career comes from work experience and specialization in specific areas of children’s medicine, which may require more formal education.

After completing a PNP master’s program, graduates are ready to apply for national certification from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB). Successfully passing one of these tests will allow the graduate to become a certified pediatric nurse practitioner (CPNP).

What does a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Career Look Like?

To practice as a PNP you must be a licensed RN, complete a master’s or doctorate degree with a specialization in pediatric care, and pass the National Board certification. As a pediatric NP you’ll be caring for children and adolescents. Commonly, PNPs focus on preventative medicine including checkups, exams, and immunizations of children. Typically these PNPs are also the first people parents go to when their children have acute medical problems such as ear infections, tonsillitis, chicken-pox, and other common childhood ailments. Since PNPs spend most of their careers diagnosing children’s illnesses they must be knowledgeable about the factors of child development and growth in order to provide comprehensive care.

PNPs often spend their career encouraging and educating communities in regards to healthy children’s lifestyles. Therefore they must know how to communicate with compassion and understanding in regards to common children health care problems. They also must be efficient problem solvers, able to come up with solutions in common family and child healthcare situations. The common duties of a PNP include:

Assessing the Pediatric Healthcare Problem:

• Obtain health and medical histories of children patients
• Execute age-based physical examinations
• Perform preventative screening tests such as hearing, vision, and cancer tests
• Identify any risks the patient may have and outline needs of the patient

Diagnosing the Pediatric Healthcare Problem:

• Order diagnostic tests appropriate to patient’s needs
• Evaluate patient health, medical history, and diagnostic tests

Managing Pediatric Patient Care Plan:

• Discern needs of family or community based on pertinent information collected
• Implement a care plan that may include prescribing medications (the legalities of nurse practitioners granted written prescriptions rights differs from state to state)
• Provide and promote health care education
• When warranted, make referrals to health care agencies or the appropriate health care professional
• Continually reassess and make adjustments to plan-of-care in order to accomplish health care goals

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that overall job opportunities for nursing professionals, including pediatric nurse practitioners, were expected to increase by 22% over the 2008-2018 decade. This growing demand for such skills may be due to a large number of retiring nursing professionals who must be replaced and to improvements in health care technology with an increased focus on preventive care. Salaries and career paths for PNPs can vary greatly. They can work in doctor’s offices, clinics, hospitals, surgical centers, pediatric centers, and other health care settings. The average salary ranges between $57,767 and $95,334 per year.

More Information about Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Programs:

• PedInfo.Org: This is a web page dedicated to information on pediatrics. The sites goal is to catalog areas of pediatric special interest and to accelerate the reader’s understanding of the discipline of Pediatric Informatics.
• GeneralPediatrics.Com: This is website offering “the general pediatricians view of the Internet.” It offers information pertaining to the pediatric nurse practitioner career, including pediatric differential diagnoses, textbooks, evidence based medicine resources, journals, guidelines and policy statements, professional societies, case studies, patient education, continuing medical education courses, current news, and more.
• American Academy of Pediatrics: The AAP is “an organization of 60,000 pediatricians committed to the optimal physical, mental, and social health and well-being for all infants, children, adolescents, and young adults.” Their website offers professional resources, continuing medical education resources, advocacy and policy around pediatric care, and more.
• Pediatrics Publication: This is an AAP journal publication on pediatrics. It offers peer reviewed articles about pediatrics. It comes in print and online versions, as well as foreign language options.
• DBPeds.Org: This is an AAP run website that is sponsored by the section on developmental and behavioral pediatrics (SODBP). This resource is aimed at professionals interested in child development and behavior, especially in the clinical setting. It offers a discussion board, practice management resources, upcoming educational events, relevant policy statements, links to more information on developmental issues, screening and assessment tests, educational materials, and other pediatric resources.

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