The pediatric nurse practitioner (PNP) program prepares graduates to practice as advanced practice registered nurses with specialized education and focused clinical practice dedicated to the care of all children (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2015). Currently, there are insufficient numbers of primary care pediatricians to meet children’s increasingly demanding and complex needs, and many U.S. counties already have a critical provider shortage (AAP, 2013; Fraher, Knapton, & Holmes, 2017). In addition, a critical shortage of PNPs is predicted within the next decade (Gigli et al., 2019). In 2022, the U.S. News and World Report announced that NPs held the #2 spot for the best 100 occupations in the United States.
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The University of Tennessee College of Nursing offers different pathways to education as a PNP:
• BSN-DNP Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program
• BSN-DNP Dual Acute and Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program
These programs consist of a hybrid online curriculum, with on-campus visits twice per semester. Campus visits allow students opportunities for networking, building relationships with peers and faculty, and participating in high-fidelity simulation learning activities and assessments.
Students will receive an individualized program of study and will work closely with the concentration coordinator to find appropriate clinical placements. Clinical sites in the student’s hometown will be considered.
BSN-DNP PRIMARY CARE PEDIATRIC NURSE PRACTITIONER PROGRAM
The Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) is an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) with specialized education and focused clinical practice dedicated to the care of all children (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2015). Primary Care PNPs (CPNP-PC) meet children’s specialized health promotion and maintenance needs by providing holistic, evidence-based, family-centered primary care to children from birth until young adulthood. As a Primary Care PNP, you can deliver care to patients in a variety of settings, such as:
• Pediatric Primary Care Practices
• School-Based Health Centers
• Health Departments
• Subspecialty Pediatric Clinics
• Community Agencies that provide preventive care
• Telehealth Care
The PNP program consists of a hybrid online curriculum, with on-campus visits twice per semester. Campus visits allow students opportunities for networking, building relationships with peers and faculty, and participating in high-fidelity simulation learning activities and assessments. Students will receive an individualized program of study, typically full-time, and will work closely with the concentration coordinator to find appropriate clinical placements.
Students complete a minimum of 600 direct patient care hours as part of the 1000 hours required for the DNP degree. Clinical rotations offer the students opportunities to practice their clinical skills and be mentored by licensed health care providers. Students desiring to complete clinical rotations outside the state of Tennessee must be familiar with their state Board of Nursing requirements for graduate clinical placements. Upon program completion, graduates will be eligible for certification as a CPNP-PC by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB) and state licensure as an APRN.
BSN-DNP DUAL ACUTE AND PRIMARY CARE PEDIATRIC NURSE PRACTITIONER PROGRAM
The Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) is an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) with specialized education and focused clinical practice dedicated to the care of all children (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2015). The dual-track PNP program prepares students to deliver advanced care to children with acute, chronic, complex, and critical conditions in various settings from birth until young adulthood.
As a dually certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, you can deliver care in settings such as:
• Emergency Departments
• Pediatric Hospitalist Service
• Urgent Care Centers
• Outpatient Clinics
• Primary Care Practices
• Inpatient Management of Subspecialties
• School-Based Health Centers
• Community Agencies Caring for Technologically Dependent Children
• Intensive Care Units
• Cardiovascular ICU
• Sedation Services
• Home Health Care
• Telehealth Care
• Palliative Care
• Specialty Care – PNPs working in specialty care may often work between the inpatient and outpatient care settings.
The dual-track PNP program consists of a hybrid online curriculum, with on-campus visits twice per semester. Campus visits allow students opportunities for networking, building relationships with peers and faculty, and participating in high-fidelity simulation learning activities and assessments. Students will receive an individualized program of study, typically full-time, and will work closely with the concentration coordinator to find appropriate clinical placements.
Clinical rotations offer students opportunities to practice their clinical skills and be mentored by licensed health care providers. Students desiring to complete clinical rotations outside the state of Tennessee must be familiar with their state Board of Nursing requirements for graduate clinical placements. Upon program completion, graduates will be eligible for certification as a Dual Acute Care/Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (CPNP-AC/PC) by the Pediatric Nursing Certification.
CURRICULUM
Please note the program of study will be changed as the College of Nursing Graduate Programs transition into a competency-based curriculum to reflect the new AACN essentials and NTF standards.
PROGRAM FEES
Information regarding fees is coming soon.