Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program
Program
Parent-Child Nursing Master's
Sub-Plan
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (NP)
Program Focus
Education
The Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) Program prepares advanced practice nurses to provide primary health care to infants, children and adolescents in various health care settings including schools, community clinics, and ambulatory care. Relying on framework of adolescent development, students learn to implement relevant health promotion interventions; assess, diagnose and manage minor acute and chronic health conditions; and educate children and families about positive health practices. In addition to providing direct care to children, graduates learn the skills unique to participating in multidisciplinary collaborations, research, and community education. Graduates are eligible for pediatric nurse practitioner certification from the Pediatric Nurse Certification Board (PNCB) or the American Nurse Credentialing Center (ANCC).
Practice
Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (PNPs) are health care providers dedicated to improving children's health. PNPs have advanced education in pediatric nursing and health care, and they serve children and families in a range of practice settings. Primary care PNPs offer a variety of services including health maintenance care for children, including well child examinations; routine developmental screenings; diagnosis and treatment of common childhood illnesses; guidance regarding common child health concerns; childhood immunizations; and school physicals. Working with pediatricians and other health care providers, PNPs have been enhancing the health care of children for over forty years.
See the application requirements for this program.
“The Michigan Difference” in Pediatric Nursing Care
World-Class Faculty Leaders in Education, Research, and Practice
The faculty who teach in our program are excellent instructors and researchers, but also expert clinicians who maintain active practices at the University of Michigan Health System – a premier health care organization - and other local primary care settings such as private practices and nurse managed centers. In addition to their teaching, research, and practice, our faculty are actively involved in leadership roles in national organizations (e.g. Michigan Chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners) using their expertise to help shape and advance the future of pediatric care and education.
Diverse Practice Settings Across the State of Michigan
Because the experience of applying knowledge and theory in a real-world setting is so integral to the learning process, the School of Nursing provides a plethora of clinical placement opportunities that expose students to a wide variety of patient populations. From rural outpatient clinics to private practices in Ann Arbor, our PNP students learn by doing and, in the process, provide children with well child care, immunizations, developmental screenings, diagnosis and treatment of common acute illnesses, sports physicals, and anticipatory guidance.
A Record of Success on Certification Examinations
With a 100% pass rate of certification exams in recent years, it is undeniable that the graduates of the University of Michigan School of Nursing Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program are well-trained. Our long-standing tradition of rigorous academic preparation paired with intensive experiential learning makes for highly successful nurse practitioners in the professional world.
Scope
The University of Michigan School of Nursing Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program meets and exceeds the Core Competencies for Pediatric Nurse Practitioner practice as outlined by the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). After graduation, students are eligible for pediatric nurse practitioner certification from the Pediatric Nurse Certification Board (PNCB) or the American Nurse Credentialing Center (ANCC).
The art and science of the profession is characterized by the following hallmarks:
- Providing health maintenance care for children
- Conducting well child examinations
- Performing developmental screenings
- Diagnosing and treating common childhood illnesses
- Pproviding anticipatory guidance regarding common child health concerns, child safety and normal growth and development
- Administering childhood immunizations
- Performing school and sports physicals
- Offering health promotion, disease prevention, and health education information
- Providing care to vulnerable populations
- Giving culturally sensitive care
The process of pediatric nurse practitioner education at the University of Michigan School of Nursing includes graduate core courses (nursing theory, research, data management, health strategies, and a scholarly project) and a comprehensive pediatric nurse practitioner clinical program. A solid clinical education foundation begins with a course in primary care of the well child. The curriculum then builds to include the care of children with common acute and chronic illness. Students engage in varied clinical experiences throughout the program to compliment the didactic foci of each clinical course. In addition to instructing students in the basics of assessment, diagnosis and treatment of physical conditions, clinical experiences include the social and psychosocial aspects of care of children and their families. The clinical experience culminates in a final clinical course, Transition to Professional Practice, that includes 12 hours of clinical work per week which allow the student to develop his/her professional role and continue to refine all previously learned clinical skills.
Specialty Appeal
The role of PNPs is continuously evolving and expanding to meet the increasingly complex health care needs of the pediatric population. As a result, pediatric nurse practitioners can practice in a wide variety of settings including nurse-managed clinics, rural health clinics, specialty clinics, research laboratories, group clinical practice/HMOs, the list goes on.
In addition to a choice of practice settings, pediatric nurse practitioners have multiple career opportunities as there are numerous possible applications of a PNP Masters. For instance, PNPs can teach at universities, conduct clinical research on important issues in pediatrics, become active in local and national legislative affairs relating to public health policy and reform, participate in public education, administrate a nurse-managed practice, and many more.
Besides the practical benefits of being a PNP, pediatric nurse practitioners enhance the health care of children through providing specialized care to them and their families. Pediatric nurse practitioners provide family-centered care, a unique approach to health care in which families collaborate with the health care team to ensure the best possible care for children. The result is a focus on the overall well being of children that recognizes and respects the family's strengths as caregivers and supplements and enhances as benefits the children.
For more information about the profession, visit the following websites:
- National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
- Association of Faculties of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
- Society of Pediatric Nurses
Curriculum
Listed below is the basic plan of study and required courses for the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program. The School of Nursing is committed to working with students to help them balance the demands of graduate education with their other personal and professional commitments. As such, students can select from full-time and part-time program plans.
Course Number | Course Name | Course Credits |
|---|---|---|
Core Courses | ||
The Theoretical Base for Advanced Nursing Practice | 3 | |
Strategy for Nursing and Health Care | 3 | |
Utilization of Nursing Research in Advanced Practice* | 3 | |
Data Management, Analysis and Representation for Advanced Practice in Nursing* | 2 | |
Specialty Courses | ||
Advanced Health Assessment for Advanced Practice Nurses | 3 | |
Health Promotion and Risk Reduction Across the Lifespan | 3 | |
Advanced Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan for Advanced Practice Nurses | 3 | |
Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapeutic Management of Common Minor and Acute Illnesses | 3 | |
Infant, Child and Adolescent Health: Management of Minor Common Illnesses | 6 | |
Infant, Child and Adolescent Health: Wellness | 6 | |
Infant, Child and Adolescent Health: Models of Advanced Practice | 5 | |
Infant, Child and Adolescent Health: Children with Chronic Conditions | 2 | |
Two Required Cognates Courses | ||
As select by student | 2-3 credits each for a total of 4-6 credits | |
Total Credits = 46-48 | ||
*An approved statistics course and an undergraduate research course must be taken and the STATS and METHODS Modules completed before registering for N536 and N603.
