The pediatric nurse practitioner program prepares graduates for advanced practice nursing.
Pediatric nurse practitioners (PNPs) are uniquely qualified advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) with specialized education and focused clinical practice dedicated to the care of all children (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2015).
A critical shortage of PNPs is forecasted over the next decade (Gigli et al., 2019). With just under 50,000 primary care pediatricians in the United States, there are insufficient numbers to care for the increasingly demanding and complex needs of children, and many U.S. counties continue to have a critical provider shortage (AAP, 2013; Fraher, Knapton, & Holmes, 2017).
In 2018, the U.S. News and World Report ranking of best jobs announced that NPs held the #4 spot on the list for the best 100 occupations in the United States.
The University of Tennessee College of Nursing offers different pathways to education as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner.
BSN-DNP Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program
BSN-DNP Dual Acute and Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program
The Primary and/or Acute Pediatric Nurse Practitioner concentration is a hybrid online curriculum with on-campus visits twice per semester throughout the students’ clinical courses in their areas of concentration. On-site requirements provide opportunities for networking with peers, formative learning, and summative assessments of advanced clinical skills within the College of Nursing’s high-fidelity simulation center. Synchronous online course meetings will also occur throughout the semester for case discussions, content review, and presentations. These mandatory online course meetings will be scheduled prior to the beginning of the term so students may arrange their schedules accordingly.
The concentration is typically a full-time program. Student curriculum plans of study are individualized and carefully determined under the guidance of the concentration coordinator.
Students work closely with their program coordinator and faculty to find appropriate clinical placements that meet their individual academic needs. Clinical sites in students’ present location/home town will be considered and can be arranged.
New application deadline of December 1, 2022 for the 2023 admissions cycle. This extension applies to all DNP and PhD program with the exception of Nurse Anesthesia. If you submitted a complete application prior to December 1, then your application is in review and you will receive notification about your decision by early February.
Clinical Graduate Certificates (FNP, PMHNP, Acute Care and Primary Care PNP) admit only for the summer, and DNP and PhD Programs admit only for the fall each year. Applications for the Non-clinical Graduate Certificates (Health Policy, Health Informatics, Nurse Education) are accepted on a rolling basis.
All prospective College of Nursing students must apply online through UT Graduate Admissions. All application materials including transcripts must be submitted directly to Graduate Admissions prior to the application deadline. Please check with UT Graduate Admissions for information about when applications will open for the next recruiting cycle.
Questions?
| Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program Concentration Coordinator | Graduate Programs Advisor |
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