Pediatric Nurse Practitioner

Faculty Coordinators:

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner:

Linda Lindeke, Ph.D., RN
612-626-1133 or linde001@umn.edu

Specialty Area Information:

The Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) area of study incorporates theory and clinical courses to prepare students to provide comprehensive care to children and their families. Most students elect to complete the Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) leadership track by taking additional courses which are supported by the Center for Children with Special Health Care Needs.

Coursework includes, nursing theory, moral/ethical issues, research, child assessment, management of childhood illnesses, and health policy. Courses are taught by faculty from the School of Nursing, School of Public Health, the Institute of Child Development, Family Social Science, Medical School, and the Institute of Community Integration in the College of Education.

Supervised clinical experience of approximately 600 hours is incorporated in the program. Efforts are made to meet students' individual goals and to provide experiences in their geographic area. Clinical experiences are available in interdisciplinary settings such as primary care, home care, schools, specialty clinics community agencies, the legislature, and the Minnesota Department of Health

At the completion of the program, students are eligible to take the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner certification examinations offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center or the National Certification Board of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and Nurses. Students in the CSHCN track are eligible for certification from the Institute on Community Integration. They are also eligible to take the Developmental Disabilities Specialist Certification offered by the Developmental Disabilities Nurses Association.

Career opportunities for the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) include primary care practitioner, health care coordinator/manager, educator, nurse manager, and consultant. Additionally, those prepared for leadership roles (CSHCN); find opportunities in public health, advocacy, and direct care in specialty clinics. Many graduates create new advanced practice roles in public health, schools, hospitals, and subspecialty clinics.

Combined program options include:

• Complementary and Alternative Medicine (minor)
• Adolescent Nursing
• Clinical Nurse Specialist

Courses in the Curriculum:

• Advanced Nursing Care of Children with Acute Illness for PCNSs
• Advanced Physiology
• Assessment & Intervention Models in Families of CSHCN
• Contemporary Services for Persons with Disabilities
• DNP Proseminar
• DNP Seminars 1, 2, &3
• Economics of Health Care
• Epidemiology
• Evidence Based practice
• Family Health Theory
• Health Care for Children & Youth with Special Health Care Needs Practicum
• Health Care for Children & Youth with Special Health Care Needs
• Health Care Leadership for a Changing World
• Health Policy Leadership
• Holistic Health Assessment
• Interdisciplinary Healthcare Informatics
• Moral & Ethical Positions in Nursing
• Nursing Research
• Pharmacology
• Pharmacotherapeutics
• Primary Care Practicum: Health Assessment & Care of Well Children
• Primary Care: Common Acute Health Conditions Affecting Children
• Primary Care: Health Assessment & Care of Well Children
• Program Evaluation
• Science of Nursing Intervention
• Statistics
• Teaching & Learning in Nursing

For more information, please contact the Office of Student & Career Advancement Services.