Pediatric Nurse Practitioner–Primary Care (PNP-PC) Certificate

APU’s Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) Certificate program prepares registered nurses with master’s degrees in nursing to be skilled and compassionate nurse practitioners with infants and children in primary healthcare settings.

The Pediatric Nurse Practitioner–Primary Care (PNP-PC) Certificate program is a nondegree course credit option for nurses with a master’s degree in nursing.1 This program prepares students with primary healthcare skills through didactic education and clinical supervision. Nurses who complete this program are eligible to apply to the California Board of Registered Nursing for certification as a nurse practitioner, and may apply for national PNP-PC certification through examination. Note: Students must be admitted to the university before registering for this program (see Admission section below).

1

Students may be given transfer credits for previous content completed in a master’s degree program. Students who hold current California certification as a nurse practitioner or nurse midwife, and students who hold a master’s degree in nursing and/or national certification as a clinical nurse specialist (CNS), may challenge or request waiver of the coursework required for the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program, as appropriate to the student’s current specialty. Petitions for challenge or waiver of courses must be initiated upon admission and approved by the MSN chair. Students must show proof of current nurse practitioner, nurse midwife, or clinical nurse specialist certification.

Requirements 

Advanced Practice Core Courses12
GNRS 511Advanced Pediatric Health Assessment and Health Promotion 14 (3/1)
or GNRS 612 Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning
GNRS 513Advanced Nursing Practice Role 22
GNRS 610Advanced Pathophysiology3
GNRS 611Advanced Pharmacology3
Advanced Practice Specialty Courses21
GNRS 510Family Theory in Health Care2
GNRS 532Advanced Nursing Practice in Pediatrics6 (3/3)
GNRS 542Advanced Concepts and Competencies in Pediatric Primary Health Care3 (1/2)
GNRS 590APrimary Health Care of the Young Family6 (3/3)
GNRS 590BClinical Practicum in Pediatrics4 (0/4)
Specialization Option Course
The following course is optional:
GNRS 543Transitions Across the Care Continuum4 (2/2)
Total Units33-37
1

Units in parentheses are classroom/clinical units.

2

This requirement is waived for 1992-96 APU master’s graduates, as the content was integrated in the clinical courses.

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.