ELM-MSN: School Nurse Services Credential (SNSC) and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner–Primary Care (PNP-PC)

APU’s Entry-Level Master’s in Nursing (ELM) program is designed for students who hold baccalaureate or higher degrees in other disciplines but want to pursue bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing.

This combined specialty program prepares nurses to be effective practitioners of school health and provide primary care for children in a variety of settings. Through the program, students develop theoretical and practical expertise in nursing and education applied to basic health services in the public schools (K-12). This enables them to establish, maintain, and coordinate a comprehensive school health program. The advance practice pediatric primary care nurse practitioner specialty includes direct client assessment, diagnosis, management and treatment, client advocacy, and client/family education. Graduates are eligible to apply to the state of California for the school nurse services credential. They are eligible to apply to the California Board of Registered Nursing for certification as a nurse practitioner, and may apply for national PNP certification by examination. Students must take a California-approved audiometry course to meet the SNSC requirements.

Contact the School of Nursing for specific program availability and locations. Prelicensure coursework must be completed prior to beginning advanced practice nursing coursework.

Requirements

Academic Core Courses10
GNRS 506Spiritual Concept Analysis in Health Care3
GNRS and/or GSPH XXX Electives7
Advanced Practice Core Courses14
GNRS 510Family Theory in Health Care2
GNRS 511Advanced Pediatric Health Assessment and Health Promotion 14 (3/1)
or GNRS 612 Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning
GNRS 513Advanced Nursing Practice Role2
GNRS 610Advanced Pathophysiology3
GNRS 611Advanced Pharmacology3
Advanced Practice Specialty Courses28
EDUC 537Curriculum Development, Revision, and Evaluation Process3
GNRS 532Advanced Nursing Practice in Pediatrics6 (3/3)
GNRS 542Advanced Concepts and Competencies in Pediatric Primary Health Care3 (1/2)
GNRS 550ATheory and Practice in School Nursing6 (3/3)
GNRS 590APrimary Health Care of the Young Family6 (3/3)
GNRS 590BClinical Practicum in Pediatrics4 (0/4)
Concluding Course(s)1-3
Select from the following:
GNRS 597Comprehensive Examination Directed Study1
- or -
GNRS 598
GNRS 514
Thesis
and Research Proposal Writing
3
Total Units 253-55
1

Numbers in parentheses are classroom/clinical units.

2

Students must also take a California-approved audiometry course to meet SNSC requirements.

Admission

University graduate admission and program-specific requirements must be met before an application is complete (see Admission to the University). Program-specific application requirements are available online.

International students should contact Graduate and Professional Admissions for application procedures.