Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Masters Programs
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What Could You Learn in a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Master's Program?
A pediatric nurse practitioner (PNP) is a person that typically provides medical care to children. To pursue a career in this field, individuals may need to finish a master's degree program and, in some situations, earn their state license after sitting for an exam.
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A master's degree program in this field may cover a wide range of important topics. This may include health education, preventative health services, and disease management to pediatric populations. This may include providing access to skills to enable practitioners to diagnose, treat, and manage illness or injury. This may include care for both acute and chronically ill children.
A Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with a concentration in pediatric nursing may provide students with access to skills to work in a specialty clinic, hospital, doctor’s office, or in outpatient clinics. Some may also choose to work in specific fields such as in home health care, cardiology, or gastroenterology. In each of these, the focus remains on providing care to pediatric patients.
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Courses May Include
The following are some of the courses a student completing this type of degree program may take, though courses differ from one college and university to the next.
Pediatric Pharmacology
In this course, there may be a focus on knowledge of prescriptions as well as pharmacologic agents used in pediatric health. Other topics that may be discussed include drug interactions, side effects, and mechanisms of the drugs.
Advanced Health Assessment of Children and Adolescents
Students may cover topics such as the application of cognitive processes and psychomotor skills as they relate to children and adolescents. Other topics than=t may be a part of this course could include health history and physical assessment of adolescents and children.
Population Health
In this course, some of the topics may include methods of population assessment as well as how to construct population appropriate interventions in relation to healthcare delivery systems. This course focuses on safe and culturally appropriate activities in the healthcare world in many cases.
Chronic Care for Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
This course may include how to apply theoretical frameworks and research findings when it comes to health promotion. Portions of this course may focus on comprehensive health care and nursing care.
Human Genetics and Genomics
In this course, the student may have a focus on the study of human genetics and genomics. Topics may include descriptions of genetic diseases and abnormalities.
Advanced Family Nursing
In this course, topics may include health promotion as well as risk identification. Students may go over therapeutic interventions and using them in multidisciplinary approaches.
5 Most frequently asked questions (FAQs) about a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Master's program
Top 10 Schools Graduating Students with a PNP Masters
According to NCES and College Scorecard data, these are the universities and colleges that graduated the highest number of individuals through PNP master's degree programs during the 2019 to 2020 school year.
| College / University | Graduates | Acceptance Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt University | 69 | 9% |
| Maryville University of Saint Louis | 68 | 83% |
| University of Pennsylvania | 57 | 8% |
| Duke University | 48 | 8% |
| Stony Brook University | 46 | 44% |
| Florida International University | 24 | 58% |
| Wayne State University | 17 | 73% |
| Emory University | 16 | 16% |
| New York University | 14 | 16% |
| University of Rochester | 14 | 30% |
| State | Employment | Annual Mean Wage |
|---|---|---|
| California | 13,570 | $122,840 |
| New York | 13,450 | $115,030 |
| Texas | 10,730 | $109,620 |
| Florida | 10,380 | $96,490 |
| Ohio | 7,460 | $99,110 |
| Metro Area | Annual Mean Salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $146,050 | 680 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $131,430 | 2,450 |
| Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | $129,040 | 170 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $127,330 | 110 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $123,570 | 4,260 |
Find Funding for Nursing Programs
The average cost of a graduate degree program according to NCES for the 2019 to 2020 school year was $19,792.
For many students considering a master's degree program, the cost is a factor. Financial aid may be available to those who qualify. Finding funding may be an important step. Several options may exist to make that possible for some students.
Nursing Scholarships
Students may wish to seek out scholarships as a way to cover some or all of the cost of their graduate program. A scholarship program may provide financial support to students who meet specific goals or objectives set by the scholarship provider. Some are specific to an area of student or career path. There may be some options in available scholarships for pediatric nurse practitioners available.
Some options that students may wish to consider include:
March of Dimes Graduate Nursing Scholarship
Who Can Apply: U.S. citizens who are registered nurses currently enrolled in a graduate program in maternal-child nursing in the United States. Must be a member of a qualifying professional organization.
Amount: $5,000
Deadline: January 24
Johnson and Johnson Nursing scholarships
Who Can Apply: Students must be pursuing any degree in Nursing and must be 18 years of age or older.
Amount: $18,000 total (amount varies by winner)
Deadline: Throughout the year
Promise of Nursing Faculty Fellowships
Who Can Apply: Students with at least a bachelor's degree attending school in Arizona, California, Tennessee, Texas or Washington.
Amount: Up to $7,500 per academic year
Nursing.org’s Nurses First Scholarship
Who Can Apply: This scholarship is available for U.S. students who are majoring in nursing at an accredited college or university in the U.S. Applicants must have a grade point average of 3.5 or higher.
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: August 1
Is a pediatric nurse practitioner a rewarding career?
A PNP may diagnose and treat a wide range of conditions and needs for infants and adolescents. They may provide care for acute, episodic, or chronic conditions. They may work independently or as a part of a larger healthcare team. In some situations, they may focus on health education and disease prevention. They may also perform, order, or interpret testing such as x-rays and lab work.
Some of the work a pediatric nurse practitioner may do includes maintaining detailed patient records, developing care plans, and offering prognoses. They may also educate patients on their health and risk factors, diagnose and treat conditions, and analyze patient histories.
Work activities may include recording patient medical histories, analyzing test data and images for patients, and developing treatment plans for patients. They also diagnose medical conditions after providing exams and gathering information.
Per O*Net, these are important skills for Nurse Practitioners:
- Active Listening – Giving full attention to speakers, taking time to understand the points being made, asking appropriate questions, and not interrupting.
- Complex Problem Solving – Identifying complex problems and reviewing information to evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Critical Thinking – Using logic and reasoning to identify strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
2020 Median Annual Salary for PNPs
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are the median annual salaries for individuals working as pediatric nurse practitioners in 2020.
| State | Salary | State | Salary |
| Alabama | $99,790 | Alaska | $110,270 |
| Arizona | $117,480 | Arkansas | $106,210 |
| California | $145,970 | Colorado | $109,760 |
| Connecticut | $116,780 | Delaware | $112,230 |
| Georgia | $106,220 | Florida | $101,060 |
| Idaho | $113,890 | Hawaii | $118,780 |
| Indiana | $109,940 | Illinois | $112,060 |
| Kansas | $104,530 | Iowa | $107,910 |
| Louisiana | $111,880 | Kentucky | $102,460 |
| Maryland | $115,240 | Maine | $111,580 |
| Minnesota | $118,900 | Massachusetts | $126,050 |
| Montana | $114,370 | Michigan | $109,150 |
| Nevada | $119,890 | Mississippi | $109,550 |
| New Jersey | $130,890 | Missouri | $106,870 |
| New York | $126,440 | Nebraska | $107,330 |
| North Dakota | $110,070 | New Hampshire | $112,460 |
| Oklahoma | $112,750 | New Mexico | $117,050 |
| Pennsylvania | $111,560 | North Carolina | $108,370 |
| South Carolina | $101,190 | Ohio | $105,630 |
| Tennessee | $99,370 | Oregon | $118,600 |
| Utah | $113,550 | Rhode Island | $117,300 |
| Virginia | $109,660 | South Dakota | $103,080 |
| Wisconsin | $113,030 | Texas | $116,700 |
| Washington | $126,480 | Vermont | $108,280 |
| West Virginia | $105,220 | Wyoming | $118,810 |
12 Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) programs
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