Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

Train for Pediatric Acute Care

The pediatric nurse practitioner specialty in acute care (PAC) prepares nurses for advanced nursing practice roles in caring for acutely, critically, and chronically ill children in a variety of health care settings. Graduates will provide direct patient care management such as performing in-depth physical assessments, ordering and interpreting results of laboratory and diagnostic tests, and ordering medications and performing therapeutic treatments. Management of health and developmental needs of infants, children, adolescents, and their families is also emphasized.

Highlights

Flexible Studies/Degree Options
The 46-hour graduate program can be completed in four semesters of full-time study or may be pursued part time. The MSN-MPH dual degree program option is also available to students.

Clinical Experience
Graduates are required to complete 660 hours of directly supervised clinical practice. Clinical sites include, but are not limited to, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite Hospital and Egleston Children’s Hospital, Hughes Spaulding Children’s Hospital Sickle Cell Clinic at Scottish Rite Hospital, and various other pediatric and neonatal clinics in Macon and the metropolitan-Atlanta area.

Unique Highlights
The program is individually tailored to meet each student’s unique needs, whether through clinical placements or clinical preceptors who meet each student’s particular educational needs. Students are provided with a broad range of clinical experiences by rotating through a wide variety of specialty well-child and acute and critical care clinical sites.

Career Opportunities
The program prepares students to take the acute care nurse practitioner certification exam administered by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB). Graduates provide comprehensive, holistic, family-centered, and developmentally based care to children and their families in rural, underserved, and metropolitan inpatient health care centers. Former students are employed as coordinators in pediatric care units, renal and cardiac transplantation units, PICUs, ERs, and other health care settings.

Fast Facts

Student Enrollment

The Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing has a long-standing history of educating women and men to be leaders on the forefront of the health care community.

Total students: 794
- Females: 718 (90%)
- Males: 76 (10%)
- Minorities: 293 (37%)
- Total BSN students: 443
- Total MSN students: 269
- Total DNP students: 52
- Total PhD students: 30

Post Graduation Placement Information

2015-2016 BSN Student Cohort

Of the respondents to the post graduation survey, 73 percent were employed immediately after graduation, and 88 percent were employed within three months of graduation.
Of the student respondents immediately employed, the average starting salary was $53,000.

2015-2016 MSN Student Cohort

Of the respondents to the post graduation survey, 52 percent were employed immediately after graduation, and 87 percent were employed within three months of graduation.
Of the student respondents immediately employed, the average starting salary was $96,000.

Academic Distinctions

Ranked No. 3 in the nation for graduate nursing education by US News & World Report
Leader in service learning and global health
Internationally recognized faculty researchers
37 faculty members are American Academy of Nursing Fellows
8 faculty members are American Association of Nurse Practitioner Fellows
Students work in 500+ diverse clinical sites nationwide
Located in Atlanta, a leading health care center in the US

Full-time Curriculum

Semester 1 (Fall)	Course	Credits	Clinical Hours
NRSG 524	Becoming an APRN	2
NRSG 554	Advanced Neonatal and Pediatric Health Assessment	3
NRSG 547	Staying Healthy: Promoting and Maintaining Wellness in the Pediatric Patient	3	60
NRSG 528	Advanced Physiology/Pathophysiology	3
NRSG 549	Pediatric Advanced Health Assessment	1
Semester Credit Hours		12

Semester 2 (Spring)
NRSG 545	Advanced Pediatric Practice I	2
NRSG 522	Advanced Pharmacology	3
NRSG 505	Research and Evidence-Based Practice	3
NRSG 661	Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner I	4	180
Semester Credit Hours		12

Semester 3 (Summer)
NRSG 546	Advanced Pediatric Practice II	2
NRSG 662	Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner II	4	180
NRSG 652	Mental Health Issues for Advanced Practice Nursing	2
NRSG 591	Health Care Quality and Patient Safety	3
Semester Credit Hours		11

Semester 4 (Fall)
NRSG 657	Palliative Care Across the Spectrum	2
NRSG 589	Innovative Leadership in Health Care Delivery	2
NRSG 663	Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner III	5	240
NRSG 599	Business of Health Care: Finance	2
Semester Credit Hours		11

Total Credit Hours		46
Total Clinical Hours			660

Part-time Curriculum

Semester 1 (Fall)	Course	Credits	Clinical Hours
NRSG 524	Becoming an APRN	2
NRSG 554	Advanced Neonatal and Pediatric Health Assessment	3
NRSG 528	Advanced Physiology/Pathophysiology	3
Semester Credit Hours		8

Semester 2 (Spring)
NRSG 522	Advanced Pharmacology	3
NRSG 505	Research and Evidence-Based Practice	3
Semester Credit Hours		6

Semester 3 (Summer)
NRSG 652	Mental Health Issues for Advanced Practice Nursing	2
NRSG 591	Health Care Quality and Patient Safety	3
	Elective	2
Semester Credit Hours		7

Semester 4 (Fall)
NRSG 547	Staying Healthy: Promoting and Maintaining Wellness in the Pediatric Patient	3	60
NRSG 589	Innovative Leadership in Health Care Delivery	2
NRSG 549	Pediatric Advanced Health Assessment	1
Semester Credit Hours		6	60

Semester 5 (Spring)
NRSG 545	Advanced Pediatric Practice I	2
NRSG 661	Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner I	4	180
Semester Credit Hours		6	180

Semester 6 (Summer)
NRSG 546	Advanced Pediatric Practice II	2
NRSG 662	Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner II	4	180
Semester Credit Hours		6	180

Semester 7 (Fall)
NRSG 599	Business of Health Care: Finance	2
NRSG 663	Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner III	5	240
NRSG 657	Palliative Care Across the Spectrum	2
Semester Credit Hours		9	240

Total Credit Hours		46
Total Clinical Hours			660

Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission to the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, you must submit the following items:

Requirements for MSN admission include

A baccalaureate degree from an accredited nursing program (CCNE, NLNAC)
Unencumbered RN license in the state of Georgia
GRE Test Scores

Admission Requirements

Application for Admission
$75 Application Fee
Official transcripts from each school attended
- Students with international transcripts must provide an evaluation from Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (www.cgfns.org) for previous nursing coursework
- Students with international transcripts must provide an evaluation from World Education Services (www.wes.org) for previous non-nursing coursework
Official GRE score report
- The GRE must be retaken if scores are older than 5 years
- TOEFL scores are required if English is a second language
Resume

The average GPA for admitted students is 3.5. Students are encouraged to submit GRE test scores that fall within the 50^th-99^th percentile of all test takers

The GRE requirement may be waived for applicants meeting at least ONE of the following criteria**:

GPA greater than or equal to a 3.2 from an accredited Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.
Previous master’s degree (or higher) completed from an accredited college or university+

**It is at the discretion of the Admission Committee to request test scores despite meeting GRE waiver.

Program Specific Requirements

Successful students have a strong clinical foundation for the Emory PNP Acute Care Program and all applicants must have at least one year of acute care pediatric nursing experience.

Tuition

Click here for tuition costs

* Tuition is based on 2018-2019 tuition rates approved by the Board of Trustees. Future academic year tuition rates are subject to change. Tuition is charged per hour up to 12 semester hours.

** Academic fees will vary based upon the semester. This is an average amount per semester.

*** Health insurance is required for all students. You will be billed automatically for the university’s student health insurance plan if you do not provide proof of adequate coverage by another insurer.

Cost of Attendance

The cost of attendance budget is considered sufficient to support a basic lifestyle for a single student. It does not include expenses for dependents, travel, vacations, or luxury items such as automobiles, household furniture, or appliances. The estimated cost of attendance for 2017-2018 for a full time (12+ semester hours) MSN student enrolled for fall, spring and summer semesters is $100,552. This is not the amount you will owe. The cost of attendance is not the amount you will pay for the year. The cost of attendance is the budget used to determine the financial aid amount offered each year and is more than a student's full time tuition and fees to provide assistance for living expenses if needed.

Apply

The Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing is accepting applications to its academic programs for Spring, Summer and Fall 2019. Admission decisions will be based upon candidate competitiveness as well as space availability. Applicants could potentially be placed on a waitlist. Decisions for waitlisted applicants are announced as seats become available, up to the first day of orientation. Application deadlines can be found here.

For questions or concerns about the application process, please contact the School of Nursing's Office of Enrollment and Student Affairs at 404.727.7980.

Financial Aid

Please visit the Graduate Program Financial Aid Page for information about financial aid options.

Join Our Mailing List

Thank you for your interest in the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. Please complete this form to receive updates about Emory's admissions process and academic programs.

Specialty Coordinator

Ann-Marie Brown, PhD, CPNP-AC/PC, CCRN, FCCM
Assistant Professor, Clinical Track
Specialty Coordinator, Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program
Room 317
ann-marie.brown@emory.edu
Office 404-727-1403

DISTANCE ACCESSIBILITY & YOUR STATE

Applicants to any of our distance-accessible courses/ programs that may lead to professional licensure or certification should become familiar with the regulations governing distance accessible programs in their state. Licensure requirements vary from state to state and by professional organization. Emory is working toward developing a database to provide this information. Prospective students residing in states other than Georgia and those states identified, should contact their state’s Board of Nursing and Department of Education for specific rules and regulations pertaining to completion of clinical learning experiences in that state when enrolled in a distance-accessible program.