Graduate Clinical Experiences.
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Primary Care (MSN/DNP Program)
PNP Advanced Practicum I (NURS 5911) 135 Clinical Hours
Spring 2026
Clinical Setting: Primary care pediatrics Population: Infants, children, adolescents Role & Focus: Graduate Pediatric Nurse Practitioner student completing supervised primary care clinical experiences. The focus of this practicum is the application of advanced assessment and clinical reasoning skills developed in foundational graduate coursework to the care of pediatric patients across the lifespan. Clinical responsibilities progress throughout the semester from structured observation to active participation in patient care, including data collection, physical examination, documentation, and care planning under preceptor supervision. Emphasis is placed on preventive care, acute concerns, developmental surveillance, and family-centered primary care within an interdisciplinary clinical environment. Key Learning Objectives: Systematically collect comprehensive pediatric patient data by integrating medical history, psychosocial factors, and routine screening assessments during preventive and acute care visits. Perform age-appropriate pediatric physical examinations and accurately distinguish between typical and atypical findings. Analyze and apply universal and selective screening tools based on developmental stage, risk factors, and clinical context. Document patient encounters using a standardized, organized approach to effectively communicate integrated subjective and objective findings. Collaborate with interdisciplinary healthcare team members through professional communication that supports patient safety and coordinated care. Establish ethical, professional relationships with pediatric patients and their families to support shared decision-making and person-centered care.
PNP Advanced Practicum II (NURS 5912) 135 Clinical Hours
Summer 2026
Clinical Settings: Primary Care Clinic (40 hours), PerOp (40 hours), Faltering Wright and Obesity (16 hours), and Newborn Nursery (50 hours) Population: Infants, children, adolescents Role & Focus: Pediatric Primary Care - Conduct increasingly independent well-child and acute care visits, perform comprehensive assessments, formulate differential diagnoses, develop evidence-based treatment plans, provide immunization and developmental guidance, and coordinate ongoing pediatric primary care. Pediatric Preoperative Clinic - Perform comprehensive preoperative evaluations, obtain detailed medical, surgical, medication, and family histories, conduct focused physical examinations, identify perioperative risk factors, determine surgical readiness, provide preoperative education, and collaborate with surgeons and anesthesiology providers to optimize patient safety. Growth Faltering & Weight Management Clinic - Evaluate children with undernutrition, poor growth, obesity, and nutrition-related disorders through comprehensive medical and nutritional assessments. Interpret growth trends, identify contributing medical and behavioral factors, develop individualized nutrition and lifestyle recommendations, provide family-centered counseling, and collaborate with dietitians and multidisciplinary specialists to promote healthy growth and long-term health outcomes. Newborn Nursery - Perform comprehensive newborn assessments, monitor physiologic transition after birth, identify normal and abnormal newborn findings, support breastfeeding and newborn feeding, provide anticipatory guidance to parents, interpret newborn screening results, identify infants requiring additional evaluation or referral, and collaborate with the multidisciplinary team to ensure a safe transition from hospital to home.
PNP Advanced Practicum III (NURS 5913) 135 Clinical Hours
Fall 2026
Clinical Settings: Pediatric Primary Care (90 hours) and Developmental Pediatrics (45 hours) Total Clinical Hours: 135 hours Population: Infants, children, and adolescents Role & Focus: Pediatric Primary Care - Assume increasing independence in the evaluation and management of pediatric patients presenting for preventive, acute, and follow-up care. Conduct comprehensive histories and physical examinations, differentiate normal and abnormal findings, prioritize differential diagnoses, and develop individualized evidence-based plans of care. Provide preventive care, developmental and behavioral assessment, immunization guidance, anticipatory guidance, acute illness management, patient and family education, and appropriate follow-up or referral while strengthening clinical decision-making and readiness for independent PNP-PC practice. Developmental Pediatrics - Participate in interdisciplinary evaluation and management of children and adolescents with developmental, behavioral, and neurodevelopmental concerns, including autism spectrum disorder, developmental delay, intellectual disability, communication concerns, feeding difficulties, and associated behavioral or adaptive challenges. Integrate developmental history, physical assessment, standardized developmental and behavioral measures, and family priorities into clinical decision-making. Collaborate with developmental pediatric providers, psychologists, therapists, and other members of the interdisciplinary team to develop individualized recommendations, support ongoing management, connect families with appropriate therapies and resources, and provide neurodiversity-affirming, family-centered care.
COMING SOON... SPRING 2027:
NURS 5914 PNP Advanced Practicum IV: 135 clinical hours
DNP Clinical Project Hours.
COMING SOON... FALL 2027:
NURS 8020 DNP Project Prep: 45 clinical hours
COMING SOON... SPRING 2028:
NURS 8030 DNP Project I: 180 clinical hours
COMING SOON... SUMMER 2028:
NURS 8040 DNP Project II: 135 clinical hours
COMING SOON... FALL 2028:
NURS 8030 DNP Project III: 180 clinical hours