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 6010 | Advanced Pathophysiology | 3 |
NURS 6020 | Advanced Pharmacology | 2 |
NURS 7400 | Advanced Pediatric Health Assessment and Clinical Reasoning | 3 |
NURS 7410 | Individual and Family Development during Childhood | 1.5 |
NURS 7420 | Primary Care and Health Promotion of Children I | 2 |
NURS 7430 | Primary Care of Children I Clinical Practice | 2 |
NURS 7910 | Advanced Acute and Critical Care Diagnostics for Pediatrics | 2 |
Spring Term | ||
NURS 6040 | Statistics and Research for Evidence-Based Practice Nursing | 3 |
NURS 7440 | Primary Care of Adolescents | 2 |
NURS 7460 | Primary Care of Children II | 2 |
NURS 7520 | Chronic Health Conditions in Children and Adolescents | 2 |
NURS 7550 | Advanced Pediatric Pharmacology | 1 |
NURS 7560 | Specialty Pediatric Acute Care Clinical | 3 |
Year Two
Fall Term | ||
NURS 6050 | Transitions to Professional Practice | 2 |
NURS 6060 | Promoting Health in the Community | 2 |
NURS 7912 | Acute Care of Children I | 2 |
NURS 7914 | Acute Care of Children I Clinical | 4.5 |
Spring Term | ||
NURS 7570 | Management of Common Pediatric Developmental, Behavioral, and Mental Health Conditions | 2 |
NURS 7916 | Acute Care of Children II | 2 |
NURS 7918 | Acute Care of Children II Clinical | 6 |