Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certificate

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This non-degree certificate is designed for nurses with previous Master’s or Doctor of Nursing Practice preparation as another type of nurse practitioner who are seeking to expand their role by certification in Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Acute Care (PNP-AC). The Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Post-graduate Certificate is designed for MSN- or DNP-prepared nurse practitioners who want to obtain the education necessary to be eligible to take the certification exam to become a certified pediatric acute care nurse practitioner (CPNP-AC).

PNP-ACs are prepared to provide quality health care to acutely, critically, and chronically ill children, birth through emerging adulthood, and their families. They work in collaboration with other health care professionals, most often in inpatient pediatric settings as well as pediatric emergency rooms and in specialty outpatient clinics. The sequence of courses in the program provides for a logical building of the clinical decision-making skills necessary to function as a PNP-AC. Clinical experiences may be in a variety of general or specialty pediatric acute care settings.

Graduates are eligible for national certification offered by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB) and legal certification as a CRNP and prescriptive authority through the State Board of Nursing of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or by the Board of Nursing in the student’s state of employment.

Curriculum Format

• Full time or part time
• A minimum of 500 clinical hours (600 clinical hours are recommended by the PNCB)
• Onsite
• Clinical placements will be provided by the program

Program Outcomes

Graduates of the Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Post-graduate Certificate are prepared to accomplish the following:

• Assume responsibility for promoting, maintaining, and restoring health to acutely ill, critically ill, and complex chronically ill pediatric patients
• Identify health risks, promote wellness, and diagnose and manage acute and chronic illness
• Participate in quality improvement projects and provide leadership for interprofessional health care teams

Admission Criteria

• Valid registered nurse license in US State/Territory or location where clinical experiences are performed
• BSN required
• MSN or DNP preparation as a nurse practitioner (from ACEN, NLN, or CCNE accredited program)
• GPA ≥ 3.0 in the MSN or DNP program
• Minimum of one year nursing experience recommended
• Pre-admission interview
• Complete online application
• International applicants: see https://www.nursing.pitt.edu/admissions/international-applicants and www.ois.pitt.edu

Admission of International Applicants

Applications from international students are reviewed according to the admission criteria stated above, and admissions deadlines for all programs are available online. The on-line application must be completed in English.  See the School of Nursing International Applicants page for specific admission requirements for international applicants.