The University of Missouri—Kansas City provides an online DNP PNP program, admitting both post-BSN and post-MSN candidates, requiring an annual summer residency to foster deeper, in-person relationships with colleagues and professors. The online BSN-to-MSN PNP programs vary in length by a student’s part- or full-time status, but they typically take 18 months to two years to complete. For the 44-credit online MSN program in the PNP-PC specialty, UAB requires students to garner 560 hours of patient care experience, and it’s offered with two subspecialties: forensic nursing and palliative care. Local and regional accreditations may also be available. See our list of post master's PNP graduate certificate programs. The first year is considered pre-specialty, and students do not need to relocate to Tennessee at that time. Prospective students should keep the following in mind: Any decent, reputable pediatric nurse practitioner program will be accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and/or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). The program culminates at the completion of 48 credit hours, 725 clinical hours, and 50 lab hours. Maryville University, based in St. Louis, offers multiple pathways to the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) specialty, including an MSN Primary Care PNP, a BSN-DNP, and a DNP option. Accreditations help programs demonstrate that they are up to par with their academics. There are two main types of certification: institutional and programmatic. This initial phase is in a “modified distance learning format,” requiring up to four campus visits per semester for concentrated blocks of in-person coursework. These programs may be ideal for master’s-prepared nurses who are seeking to add a new specialty and prepare for national certification exams. What Does a Pediatric Oncology Nurse Practitioner Do? Finally, candidates for online PNP programs are encouraged to verify the accreditation status of their schools or programs. Web-based classes at NKU include health promotion & disease prevention; issues in advanced practice; pediatric pharmacology; primary care of pediatric patients; primary care of adolescents; and children with chronic illness & special needs. Overall, the surefire way to confirm one’s eligibility is to reach out to program coordinators for details. Students can inquire about these relationships when they apply for the program, and can also find out about the process for performing clinical hours at a facility of their choosing. The comprehensive curricula for these terminal degree programs aim to provide an intensive didactic education combined with hands-on clinical experiences. Building lasting relationships with children who are ill or injured is just one of the aspects of the role that Pediatric Nurse Practitioners get to enjoy. The online MSN in Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program requires 45 credits, and takes 31-35 months to complete, while the online MSN in Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program requires 41 credits and can be completed in 29-33 months. The University of New Mexico, located in Albuquerque, offers an MSN Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program which focuses on the primary care of children and adolescents, particularly in underserved areas. Students complete clinical rotations at facilities close to their homes in areas such as cardiovascular surgery, nephrology, neurosurgery, oncology, endocrinology, and infectious disease, to name a few. Doctoral programs tend to be on the more expensive end, and require more credits to complete. In the online MSN-to-DNP program in the PNP-AC specialty, students complete 600 clinical hours in an acute care setting (e.g., pediatric ER, pediatric ICU, etc), and coursework covers topics such as the scientific underpinnings of advanced nursing practice, translating evidence into practice systems, clinical prevention & population health, and a pediatric acute care residency. For MSN-to-DNP candidates, it takes two years (five semesters) to complete. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics (2016) found that there was a startling shortage of pediatric specialists across the US, and unless there is increased promotion of this specialization and greater availability of education in this field, the number of PNP professionals will be woefully inadequate to meet future demand. UIC graduates have gone on to work in pediatric offices, hospitals, clinics, schools, emergency rooms, and specialty practice centers.