Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP)
The University of Virginia prepares Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (PNPs) either within the master’s program or as a post-master's certificate. The PNP is an advanced practice role that provides direct patient care in a primary care setting.
Pediatric Nurse Practitioners are at the forefront of keeping our nation’s children emotionally and physically healthy. The responsibilities of a pediatric nurse practitioner include well-child care, sick/episodic examinations, health teaching and counseling to children and families, telephone management, home visits, conducting research, providing education, and impacting public policy. Students are prepared to practice in these roles autonomously, in collaboration with a physician, or as a member of an interdisciplinary team.
The curriculum builds on both the theoretical knowledge and clinical experience of the bachelor's prepared nurse.
Full-time students begin study in the fall semester, and complete the program in 20 months. Students complete only didactic courses for the first two semesters and summer - with classes on Thursday, Friday or online. In the second year of study, there are didactic course on Thursday only. During this second year you would enroll in your two preceptorships (GNUR 569 and GNUR 571).
Part-time students can enroll in any semester (fall, spring or summer).
Program Coordinator: John Kirchgessner, PhD, RN, PNP (434) 924-0121 email: jck2r@virginia.edu.
Direct all questions on admissions and financial aid to Assistant Dean Clay Hysell (434) 924-0141, email: hysell@virginia.edu
- Clinicals
- Certification
- Admission Requirements
- Downloads, Program of Study, and Links
The admissions application is available on your My Grad UVa page. If you have not created MyGrad UVa page, then please click here to set up your account.
Clinicals
Students complete 672 clinical hours in the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program. Most of these hours are completed in two semester-long preceptorships taken in the final two semesters of enrollment (GNUR 569 and GNUR 571).
Clinical placement sites are assigned based upon optimal learning experiences, student requests, and availability. In order to develop experience in rural health care with underserved populations, students are assigned to at least one preceptorship site distant from Charlottesville/Albemarle County. Most of our clinical assignments are in Central, Southwest and Southside Virginia. Students seeking clinical opportunities in other areas of Virginia may be asked to locate their own clinical sites.
Certification
Students are qualified to sit for Pediatric Nurse Practitioner certification from either the Pediatric Nurses Certification Board or the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
Admission Requirements
Admission to the School of Nursing is competitive and based on evaluation of all portions of the application. To be considered for the Master's of Science in Nursing, applicants must submit a completed application and:
- Have a baccalaureate degree in nursing from a nationally accredited school.
- Have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in undergraduate study.
- Hold an unencumbered RN license in the state where you intend to complete your practica.
- Submit three satisfactory academic and professional recommendations. One of these letters should be from an APN.
- Submit a copy of your resume or C.V.
- Have completed an undergraduate or graduate statistics course within the past 5 years.
- Be available for an interview if requested.
Note: New BSN graduates may apply for any of the MSN specialty tracks. If you are a new nurse and applying for an Advanced Practice specialty track (NP or CNS), you should apply as a part-time student. You need at least one year of relevant post-BSN clinical nursing experience before enrolling in GNUR 6020 (Advanced Pharmacology) and GNUR 6025 (Advanced Health Assessment).
Application deadline:
Fall or Summer entry: April 1
Spring entry: November 1
*Submission of scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is optional. If you want to have GRE scores sent to the University, the Institutional Code is R-5820. The School of Nursing accepts GRE scores that are more than 5 years old. If you have your 'older' scores, you may submit a copy of the Student Report.
International applicants have additional admissions requirements to meet. These can be found here.
Downloads, Program of Study, and Links
- Informational Flyer on the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program
- (Program of Study for MSN in Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (fulltime)
- Program of Study for MSN in Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (partime)
- The admissions application is available on your My Grad UVa page
For additional information on admission to and programs of study at the UVa School of Nursing, please fill our our online form. You are also welcome to call the Office of Admissions at (434) 924-0141 / (888) 283-8703.
Questions on admissions and financial aid should be directed to Clay Hysell, Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Services, email hysell@virginia.edu