Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Acute Care
Are you a pediatric RN who is ready to enter advanced practice nursing? Do you want to become a mid-level care provider for the increasing numbers of acutely ill children in the United States? Are you interested in the assessment, diagnoses, and treatment of hospitalized children? Vanderbilt offers an Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner specialty program with the convenience of flexible course delivery and a modified distance format.
What Will You Do as an Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner?
You will provide care for children from birth to 21 years of age in a variety of acute care pediatric settings, and, in special situations, to individuals older than the age of 21. You will provide care for acutely ill, critically ill, and chronically ill children and their families.
Where Will You Practice? (clinical sites)
A variety of practice settings are available to acute care Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, both during your Vanderbilt program and upon graduation and certification:
- Community Agencies Caring for Technology-Dependent Children
- Pediatric Emergency Departments
- Hospitalist Service
- Pediatric Sedation Services
- Pediatric Cardio-Vascular ICU
- Pediatric Intensive Care Units
- Inpatient management for various Sub-Specialty Clinics (ie: Cardiology, Pulmonology, Nephrology, Hematology-Oncology and Trauma)
How Will Vanderbilt Prepare You for Practice?
The Vanderbilt School of Nursing program offers experienced faculty and regular exposure to recognized experts and specialists working in fields such as pediatrics, neonatology, pediatric cardiology, autism and many more. Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital and Vanderbilt Medical Center are at the cutting-edge of clinical practice and research in pediatrics. Your access as an Acute Care PNP student to these facilities and experts is a one-of-a-kind learning opportunity.
Vanderbilt School of Nursing was one of the first schools to establish a Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACPNP) program for RNs. The program has grown in response to an increasing number of children under the age of 20 living in the United States, including the millions who will develop an acute health episode requiring special health care needs during their childhood. It prepares nurse practitioners to provide care for acutely ill, critically ill, and chronically ill children and their families. Clinical experiences are arranged across a variety of settings and include hospitals, pediatric intensive care units, emergency departments, and sub-specialty clinics.
Practice Experience Requirement
RN’s must have two year’s experience in acute/inpatient pediatrics or one year in the pediatric critical care unit or pediatric emergency department.
Learn from Where You Live – Convenient for Working Nurses and Others
The PNP acute care curriculum is offered in a modified learning (block) format that allows students to attend graduate school without having to relocate or give up employment. Distance and distributed course delivery methods, courses offered in blocks of time on campus (including weekends), online conferencing and clinical practicum placement in your home area where possible let you earn your MSN degree or Post Masters Certificate without being away from home for extended periods.
