Pediatric Nurse Practitioner–Acute Care

The Pediatric Nurse Practitioner—Acute Care (PNP-AC) specialty prepares graduates for the advanced practice role of providing complex, comprehensive care to infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. With a foundation in primary care to more complex acute or chronic health conditions, there is an emphasis on integrating current evidence-based research, family-centered care, and cultural humility into clinical practice.

Each student, throughout the two years, provides acute, complex, and chronic illness health care for infants through adolescents in a variety of care settings, including pediatric intensive care units, inpatient settings, specialty clinics, and emergency departments. The PNP-AC curriculum is intended to prepare students to apply for Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Certification in acute care through the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board.

PNP-AC courses are only open to students enrolled in the specialty or receive approval by the specialty director. This specialty is designed for entering RN students who hold a baccalaureate degree and have one to two years of acute inpatient experience. The course plan for part-time study can be obtained from the specialty director. A Post-Master’s Pediatric Nurse Practitioner—Acute Care Certificate option is also available (see the chapter Post-Master’s Certificates).

Year One

Fall Term
NURS 6010Advanced Pathophysiology3
NURS 6020Advanced Pharmacology2
NURS 7400Advanced Pediatric Health Assessment and Clinical Reasoning3
NURS 7410Individual and Family Development during Childhood1.5
NURS 7420Primary Care and Health Promotion of Children I2
NURS 7430Primary Care of Children I Clinical Practice2
NURS 7910Advanced Acute and Critical Care Diagnostics for Pediatrics2
Spring Term
NURS 6040Statistics and Research for Evidence-Based Practice Nursing3
NURS 7440Primary Care of Adolescents2
NURS 7460Primary Care of Children II2
NURS 7520Chronic Health Conditions in Children and Adolescents2
NURS 7550Advanced Pediatric Pharmacology1
NURS 7560Specialty Pediatric Acute Care Clinical3

Year Two

Fall Term
NURS 6050Transitions to Professional Practice2
NURS 6060Promoting Health in the Community2
NURS 7912Acute Care of Children I2
NURS 7914Acute Care of Children I Clinical4.5
Spring Term
NURS 7570Management of Common Pediatric Developmental, Behavioral, and Mental Health Conditions2
NURS 7916Acute Care of Children II2
NURS 7918Acute Care of Children II Clinical6