Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner: Critical Care, MSN

Graduates of this program are prepared to provide collaborative, comprehensive care to children and adolescents with a variety of complex critical, acute and chronic conditions, and emerge as clinical and professional leaders who are expert in physical assessment and clinical decision making, managing multifaceted disorders, culturally sensitive family focused care, community engagement, transitional care and integrating health care policy.  Our approach, across all health care settings, is based on a thorough assessment and integration of the social determinants of health.

We uniquely offer three concentrations of study all housed within the Pediatric Acute Care Program.  This allows for students to approach their Graduate level education with a specific clinical focus while still receiving a broad based education in Pediatric Acute Care.  Our graduates from all concentrations are able to pursue career options in any area of Pediatric Acute Care.

Our Critical Care concentration will prepare you for advanced practice with critically ill children in pediatric critical care units and cardiac intensive care units.  It is the first of its kind.  We are currently the only program in the country which is specifically preparing students in pediatric critical care.  We structure the program and clinical experiences to develop an in depth understanding of critical care physiology and management including invasive procedures.  We focus on the spectrum of chronic and acute critical illness as it relates to children and their families. Clinical experiences are located in Pediatric Intensive Care and Cardiac Intensive Care Units.  

For more information: https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/pediatric/pediatric-acute-care-nurse-practitioner/

Curriculum

A total of 12 course units are required.

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The alternate course, NURS 5470, is a graduate-level research methods course approved for Penn BSN students only.

Post-Graduate APRN Certification

Penn's MSN programs include a Post-Graduate APRN Certificate option. These programs can be pursued at any time post-degree. Current Master's students are also welcome to add complementary minors to their studies: https://catalog.upenn.edu/graduate/nursing/programs/

The Post-Graduate APRN Certificate curriculum is determined after a gap analysis is made by the Program Director. Prospective students should reach out to the Admissions Office for more information about post-masters and certificate options and to request a review of the student's previous MSN transcript.  The length of each program depends on the course units required and course offerings per semester. For more information: https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/admissions/msn-and-post-masters/post-masters/.

The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2024 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.

Full Time Plan of Study

Part Time Plan of Study