Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) Primary Care

In a primary care setting, pediatric nursing refers to clinic-based medical care where a nurse might see a patient, age birth to 21, multiple times over many years and perform care in a number of areas, such as family-centered care, immunization, growth and development screening, and youth mental health intervention. Typically, nurses providing this type of care are trained as primary care pediatric nurse practitioners. 

A primary care pediatric nurse practitioner may work in private primary care practices, which in some states can be a practice they own and operate themselves; community pediatric practices; school-based health clinics; health departments; and urgent care clinics or other ambulatory settings.

There are also pediatric nurse practitioners who specialize in acute care of children, including treatment of injury or complex acute and unstable chronic medical conditions. Acute care pediatric nurse practitioners typically practice in hospital settings, such as intensive care units, emergency rooms, sub-specialty clinics and more. 

According to the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP), these healthcare professionals are “first and foremost, experts in pediatrics and advocates for children.” According to NAPNAP, pediatric nurse practitioners and pediatric-focused APRNs:¹

• Treat children from birth through the transition to adult care.
• Practice general pediatrics or specialize in adolescents and young adults or neonatal populations.
• Spend significant time with patients and families, often up to 20 minutes per visit.
• Adhere to each state’s regulatory guidelines for APRN licensure, including practice and prescriptive authority.
• Have full practice and prescriptive authority in 22 states and the District of Columbia that allows them to work independently.²

With a pediatric nurse practitioner primary care master’s degree plus the appropriate certification and state licensure, NAPNAP says you can expect to:¹

¹Source: www.napnap.org/about-pediatric-nurse-practitioners
²Check with your state for updated information on practice and prescriptive authority as information can change.

Step 1: Learn About Certification and Licensure Requirements
Each state has its own requirements, but the majority of states, and many employers, require individuals to be certified by a national certification board. You should complete thorough research of your own state’s requirements, but a master’s-level pediatric nursing education should academically prepare you to sit for the certification exam, which is competency-based and tests clinical knowledge in specific focus areas.

Step 2: Choose the Best University for Your Degree Program
Get started by finding the online nursing program that meets you where you are. Walden University’s online nursing school, for example, gives you a choice of two tracks to earn a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with a specialization in Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Primary Care. If you are a registered nurse (RN) with a hospital diploma or an associate degree in nursing, Walden offers an online RN to MSN program. If you are an RN with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree, you can follow the online BSN to MSN track.

Step 3: Choose the Right Specialization
Next, you’ll want to make sure the online nursing degree program you’re considering offers the pediatric nurse practitioner specialization that fits your career goals. Walden University, for example, offers an MSN program specialization in Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Primary Care. All of Walden’s didactic faculty are doctorally prepared, and clinical faculty either hold doctorates or are APRNs with extensive practice experience.

Step 4: Confirm the Curriculum Standards
As you plan your pediatric nurse practitioner educational journey, you will want the most expert and relevant content and curriculum possible. Find out if the content in the online nursing program you are considering is consistent with the standards of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) and the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF).

Step 5: Pass Your National Certification Exam
At the completion of your master’s degree, you’ll next need to pass a national Pediatric Nursing Certification exam. With an MSN degree with a PNP specialization from Walden University, you’ll be educationally prepared to sit for this exam.

Step 6: Obtain Your License
As a pediatric nurse practitioner, you may work in a private primary care practice, which in some states can be one you own and operate yourself; a community pediatric practice; a school-based health clinic; a health department; or other ambulatory setting. And according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nurse practitioners can expect an expanding job market through 2029, with employment projected to grow 52%.¹

¹Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners, SOC code 29-1171. Retrieved September 2020. National long-term projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions, do not guarantee actual job growth, and are subject to change.

Walden’s MSN PNP online classrooms feature state-of-the-art learning technologies, media, and support materials. With interactive simulations, engaging case studies, a robust online library, and NP exam prep tests and materials, you will be highly prepared to become an PNP.

Students also benefit from a dedicated support staff—including Student Success Advisors, graduation counselors, and practicum coordinators.

Upon graduation, students in Walden’s online MSN PNP specialization will be academically prepared to sit for the national certification exam. Qualifications to sit for certification exams are determined by the certifying body.

Yes, Walden’s MSN program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). In fact, three of Walden’s nursing degree programs are CCNE accredited: the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs. Officially recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education, CCNE is an autonomous accrediting agency contributing to the improvement of the public’s health.

No other school in the U.S. graduates more MSN students than Walden.¹ Didactic coursework in the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree program is 100% online, making it possible to earn your degree while you continue to work. Walden does not require travel for health assessments like other universities often do, and students can attend on a part-time or full-time basis. In addition, class sizes are small, and students are taught by 100% doctorally prepared faculty in their didactic courses.

Walden offers exceptional support services that include a robust online library, Student Success Advisors, practicum support staff, career planning and development, and more. Walden is also committed to positive social change, which is emphasized throughout the curriculum.

¹Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) IPEDS database. Based on the most recent year of completions survey data available, using CIP code family 51.38 “Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research, and Clinical Nursing” for Master’s degrees (Award level 7). Available at https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/use-the-data. (Retrieved January 2021; may consist of or include provisional release data.)

Yes, this pediatric NP primary care specialization prepares you with the academic requirements to sit for the national Pediatric Nursing Certification Board exam.

The Walden MSN program offers two completion tracks, based on prior education, for students specializing in PNP primary care. Nurses with a BSN will have fewer courses to complete than nurses who have not yet earned a bachelor’s degree.

The BSN to MSN-PNP program track requires 63 quarter credits. Core courses account for 23 credits and the remaining 40 credits are specialization courses.

The RN to MSN-PNP program track requires 79 quarter credits. Nurses will need to complete 29 credits of foundational courses in addition to core courses (20 credits) and specialization courses (30 credits).

Course topics include development and behavior, preventive healthcare, well-child care, and more for patients from birth to 21. In addition, students will also learn the leadership skills they need to manage a healthcare practice, or own and operate their own practice if that option is available in the state in which they plan to provide care.

The time it takes to become a PNP varies by individual and depends on a number of factors. You will first need to obtain an MSN degree with a pediatric NP specialization from a CCNE-accredited program. It’s best to work with an enrollment specialist to understand program completion requirements and potential transfer of credit opportunities. You should also consider how many courses you will take per term. This will depend on your personal preference and the requirements of the university you choose to attend. For example, some universities recommend that students do not take multiple courses during the practicum component of the program to better ensure success. 

After you obtain your degree, you will have to pass a national certification examination, which is required in most states for licensure. Many nurses pass on their first attempt; others do not. You will want to choose a university, like Walden, that educationally prepares you to sit for the exam.

Once you are certified, you can apply for licensure in your state.

A nursing practicum gives you valuable practical experience by allowing you to apply your new knowledge and skills in real-life situations and settings. Although you’re responsible for initiating your search for a field site based on your location preferences, Walden offers Practicum Advantage^™ that provides Student Success Advisor coaching, resources, and self-help tools you need to identify a practicum site and nursing preceptor that fit with your education and career goals.

For the nurse practitioner (NP) specializations in our Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs, we are excited to announce the new Walden University Practicum Pledge^™. You will benefit from our large network of field sites and preceptors, an additional dedicated Field Placement Team that partners with you to identify a site and preceptor. If you’re unable to identify your own nursing practicum site and preceptor after several attempts, we’ll assist in finding you a suitable match (along with additional requirements^*).