DNP Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Programs

What Could You Learn in a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner DNP Program?

A pediatric nurse practitioner DNP program aims to prepare a pediatric nurse to meet the psychological, social, and physical needs of children from infants through young adults (generally through the age of 21).

Sponsored Results

The coursework in this type of program focuses on using specialty pediatric courses that focus on the assessment and management of health care for children while also managing health promotion and prevention. It may include some skill in areas of minor, acute, and stable complex as well as more chronic health conditions.

The Doctor of Nurse Practitioner program aims to prepare nurses to conduct examinations, diagnose illness, order and use lab tests, and prescription treatment, including medications. This type of program may also include some systems leadership components.

Some programs also include leadership development, including in areas of evaluation and development of health care policy, financing, regulation management, delivery, and access.

Those who finish this type of program may be able to sit for the Pediatric Nursing Certificate Board examination. Additional education and licensing may be necessary.

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Courses May Include

Some of the courses a student may take in the pediatric nurse practitioner DNP program may include the following:

Program Development and Evaluation in Health Care

In this course, students may be introduced to the development and application of skills for program design and evaluation. In this course, students may find different areas based on the focus of their program.

Neurobiology of Mental Disorders

In this class, students may cover topics on anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology. Other topics may include finding underlying factors as well as possible causes of these factors in a patient's life.

Pharmacology

In this course, students may be introduced to a number of different drugs and interactions. How to prescribe as well administration of these medications may also be covered.

Family Violence

In this course, students may encounter a number of varying topics. Some of these topics may include identifying and addressing suspected family violence as well as proper approaches when it is suspected.

Health Systems Management

This course may cover topics from the business end of opening a practice after completion of a program. Items may include how to work with insurance companies as well as billing.

Business Plan

In this course students may be introduced to the business aspect of nursing. How to plan and prepare a business and open a practice may be covered as well.

Find Funding

The average cost of graduate education for the 2019 to 2020 school year was $19,792, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

For some students, seeking out financial support to help with these costs may be beneficial. Financial aid may be available to those who are eligible. The key is to know what your options may be. Here is a look at some of those options.

Scholarships

Some students may wish to pursue scholarships. These are funds that typically do not require repayment. Students apply for them and may be selected by the scholarship provider. Requirements vary significantly. However, many students may wish to seek out numerous scholarship opportunities.

There may be available scholarships for nurse practitioners, including those pursuing a pediatric degree program. Here are a few examples:

Is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner a rewarding career?

A nurse practitioner provides care to diagnose and treat chronic illness, episodic needs, and acute conditions. A pediatric nurse practitioner provides this service to children and those under the age of 21, typically. They may order and perform diagnostic testing and interpret the results. They may also prescribe medication. Individuals in this field typically are registered nurses.

Tasks that make up their day typically include maintaining detailed patient health care records and plans, developing treatment plans based on scientific rationale, and working to promote health through educating patients, working to reduce risk factors to health, and preventing disease and disability. They may gather symptom information, patient histories, diagnostic information, and other information to make an appropriate diagnosis.

Pediatric nurse practitioners may diagnose and treat complex, unstable, and emergency conditions while also providing routine care and wellness to patients.

According to O*NET, these are important skills for Nurse Practitioners:

• Active Listening – Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Complex Problem Solving – Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
• Critical Thinking – Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

The daily tasks of pediatric NPs may include updating medical histories, developing treatment plans for their patients, and analyzing test data and images to determine disease or injury and treatment for it. They may also communicate detailed information to patients and families.

To do this type of work, individuals typically need to finish graduate school. They may need to have some experience in the field though some on-the-job education may be provided.

2020 Median Annual Salary for Pediatric Nurse Practitioners

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are the median salaries for individuals working as pediatric nurse practitioners in 2020.

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) programs