The Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (PACNP) is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) who provides care for patients under age 21 with chronic, complex, acute, or critical illnesses. The PACNP holds a graduate-level nursing degree (master’s or doctoral), which provides the knowledge required to practice in pediatric acute care.
The Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner provides family-centered care with specialized training in the psychological and physiologic needs of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. These pediatric patients often have chronic, high acuity, or life-threatening medical conditions.
PACNPs are very compassionate to their pediatric patients and family members. The PACNP has expert experience caring for highly complex pediatric patients and learns to care for patients who usually can not describe their issues. The Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner provides sound guidance and supports patients and family members in highly emotional circumstances.
The Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner may work as a clinician, educator, or researcher and provide leadership in pediatric health and wellness. Following assessment and diagnoses, the PACNP creates an appropriate plan of care based on a patient and family-centered care model. The care model empowers patients and family members and offers extensive education about the clinical situation.
The PACNP focuses on the immediate and acute care needs of their patients. In contrast, the Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (PPCNP) attends to their patients’ long-term health needs and evaluations.
Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioners collaborate with Physicians, surgeons, social workers, respiratory therapists, dietitians, and palliative care team members. They provide quality of life and physical and spiritual support in the quest for the best possible outcomes for their patients.
Visit the Nurse Practitioner (NP) job description overview for more information about NP practice.
Practice Specialties
The Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner may choose to practice in a specialty area, such as:
- Cardiology – Disorders of the Heart,
- Hematology – Disorders of the Blood,
- Nephrology – Disorders of the Kidneys,
- Oncology – Cancer,
- Pulmonology – Disorders of the Respiratory Tract, and
- Trauma – Injury to the Body.
Certification offered by nursing professional associations and Certification Boards provides additional education in these and other areas of specialization.
Practice Settings
Most Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioners work in hospital settings that include:
- Emergency Departments,
- Intensive Care Units – Pediatric, Pediatric-Cardiac,
- In-Patient / Hospitalist Services,
- Specialty Clinics,
- Home Care, and
- Critical Care Transport Teams.
Scope of Practice
Scope of Practice refers to the degree to which a Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner may practice independently of oversight by a Physician. Aspects of PACNP practice independence vary by state and include:
- Practice Autonomy – the degree to which a PACNP may practice without physician supervision or oversight, and
- Prescriptive Authority – the ability to issue prescriptions or order treatments.
Scope of Practice varies by state, depending on state legislative and regulatory rules. Visit the Color Coded Map and Sortable List to view how the Scope of Practice varies by state. For more detailed information, visit the Board of Nursing for the state of interest. Individual employers may impose Scope of Practice rules more restrictive than the state permits.
Education
The ability to practice as a Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner requires a graduate-level nursing education. There are several degrees or certificate types:
- Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Master of Science, Nursing Major (MS-NM), or Master of Nursing (MN) – The master’s degree has been the most commonly offered degree type and is the minimum degree required for Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner education. These degree programs are offered widely by public and private schools. The master’s degree in nursing focuses on advanced nursing theory and care practice. Read more...
- Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) – In addition to studying advanced nursing theory and care practice, the DNP emphasizes using research results to improve the NP‘s nursing practice. DNP programs also emphasize the application of Evidence-Based Practice to improve the quality of patient care. The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties is committed to transitioning all entry-level NP programs to the DNP by 2025. Read more...
- Post-Master's or Post-Doctorate Certificates – Eligibility is limited to individuals with a graduate-level or doctoral-level nursing degree. For example, someone holding an MSN as a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) would be eligible to enroll in a Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner certificate program. Read more...
Prospective students should verify that the Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program they are considering is accredited. Proper accreditation ensures that graduates are eligible to sit for the certification exams required before becoming licensed to practice.
Use the Nurse Practitioner Search Tool to identify programs for this and other degree combinations from our survey of more than 710 schools.
The academic portion of a typical Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program includes several subject areas:
- Pediatric Health Assessment,
- Family/Child/Adolescent Development and Theory,
- Health Promotion,
- Pediatric Physiology,
- Pathophysiology,
- Nutritional Management,
- Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics,
- Diagnostic and Therapeutic Management,
- Ethical Issues,
- Palliative Care, and
- Pediatric End-of-Life Care.
Successful degree or certificate program completion also requires a minimum number of clinical residency hours. Clinical residency is approximately 600 hours and is also a requirement for certification before Licensing.
Prerequisites
The unique challenges of working with acutely ill pediatric patients have led most schools to require one to two years of prior pediatric nursing experience in one of several acute care units such as:
- Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU),
- Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (PCICU), or
- Pediatric Emergency or Trauma Services.
Students with this prior experience are more prepared to deal with acutely ill pediatric patients and their families.
Accelerated Degree Programs
Accelerated Degree Programs generally cost less and can be completed more quickly than enrolling in consecutive BSN and MSN or doctoral programs. Use the Accelerated Degree Program Search Tool to identify programs for this and other degree combinations from our survey of more than 710 schools.
Certificate Programs
Many schools that offer a Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner master’s or doctoral degree also offer a PACNP post-master’s or post-doctoral Certificate Program. These programs are open to individuals with a master’s or doctoral degree in another nursing specialty. For example, a PACNP may wish to obtain a certificate enabling practice as a Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (PPCNP). These Certificate Programs should not be confused with certifications offered by Certification Boards or Professional Associations.
Dual Programs
Some schools offer Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner study in Dual Degree and Dual Practice Programs. These programs save the student time and expense by eliminating duplicate coursework.
Dual Degree Programs
Dual Degree Programs award two degrees in separate but related areas of study. Students enrich their nursing education with study in another academic department. These programs award a Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner degree with an additional non-nursing degree, such as:
- Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) – PACNP, paired with a:
- Master of Arts in Bioethics (MAB).
Graduates from these Dual Degree Programs are eligible to sit for the appropriate national certification exams and become licensed as required.
Use this Dual Degree Program Search Tool to identify programs for this and other degree combinations from our survey of more than 710 schools.
Tandem Degree Programs
Tandem Degree Programs award two degrees in the course of Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner study. These programs save the student time and expense by eliminating duplicate coursework. Some schools offer PACNP Tandem Degree combinations, such as:
- Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN), followed by a:
- Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), followed by a:
Graduates from Tandem Degree Programs are eligible to sit for the appropriate national certification exams and become licensed as required.
Use this Tandem Degree Program Search Tool to identify Tandem Degree Programs from our survey of more than 710 schools.
Top 10 Degree and Certificate Offerings
This table displays a count of the Top 10 Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner degrees and certificates offered by more than 710 graduate nursing programs. This count includes degrees awarded singly, as the higher of two degrees in a Tandem Degree Program, or as part of Dual Practice and Dual Degree program offerings.
Certification
Graduates from a Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner degree or certificate program are eligible to sit for certification exams:
- Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner-Acute Care (CPNP-AC) – from the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB), or
- Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner-Board Certified (PACNP-BC) – from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) .
One of these certifications, CPNP-AC or PACNP-BC, is a prerequisite for a state license to practice as a PACNP. These exams differ in several factors: the number of credentials issued, exam pass rates, costs, and third-party professional organization support. Contact the issuing organizations directly for more information.
Additional certifications are available for Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioners who wish to focus on an area of specialized practice. Review our survey of more than 300 nursing and related healthcare certifications.
License to Practice
The Board of Nursing for each state issues licenses to practice as a Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner within their state. The PACNP scope of practice, including Practice Autonomy and Prescriptive Authority, varies by state.
States participating in the APRN Compact and Nurse Licensure Compact have multistate APRN and RN license agreements. These Compacts ease the transfer of PACNP licenses and the ability to practice among participating states. Participation in these Compacts varies by state. Check with your state’s Board of Nursing for more detailed information.
Professional Associations
The National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NANNAP) is the primary professional association for Pediatric Nurse Practitioners in acute care and primary care settings. Many Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioners are also members of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) . The AACN represents nurses who provide care for acute and critically ill patients. An additional association, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) provides representation and resources for all nurse practitioners.
Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioners often belong to other associations that provide resources and representation in specific areas of practice specialization. Other associations of interest at the state and local levels enable members to organize with their neighboring peers to address more localized issues. These associations may be chapters of national or international associations or organized independently.
This site includes a survey of more than 1,800 international, national, regional, state, or local nursing and related healthcare professional associations. These associations provide professional development resources and representation in numerous nursing and affiliated healthcare specialties.