Expert acute care for children and adolescents
Our Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Acute Care (PNP-AC) track within the DNP degree program prepares you to care for children and adolescents who are physiologically unstable or at risk for complications, with a focus on the diagnosis and management of acute, critical and complex chronic illnesses or injuries.
PNP-AC practice focuses on:
- Stabilizing patients with acute and medically unstable conditions
- Diagnosing and managing acute, critical and complex chronic illnesses or injuries
- Preventing and managing complications
- Providing palliative and end-of-life care
You will learn to care for children from late preterm gestation through young adulthood.
The UW School of Nursing is the only nursing school in the WWAMI region (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho) to offer the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Acute Care track.
Program format
The PNP-AC track follows the standard DNP program format: online coursework combining required live online sessions with asynchronous work, plus up to one on-campus intensive each quarter. Clinical placements begin in spring quarter of year two. All clinical placements are arranged by the UW School of Nursing and are located in Washington state.
Recommended experience
We strongly recommend at least one year of recent direct patient care experience as a registered nurse in an acute, critical, emergency or similar care setting.
Choosing the right track
The PNP-AC track focuses on restorative and complex care for children and adolescents with acute, critical and complex chronic illnesses or injuries. If your interests center on child health promotion, disease prevention and ongoing primary care, explore our Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Primary Care track.
If you want to provide primary care to patients of all ages, including children, explore our Family Nurse Practitioner track.
What makes our DNP-PNP-AC track different?
The PNP-AC track combines advanced pediatric clinical preparation, hands-on simulation and coordinated clinical placements. You’ll build the assessment, diagnostic and management skills to care for children and adolescents with acute, critical and complex health conditions.
The only PNP-AC program in the WWAMI region
No other nursing school in Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana or Idaho prepares pediatric acute care nurse practitioners.
Build clinical competency through hands-on simulation
Strengthen your assessment, diagnostic reasoning and patient communication skills during your on-campus intensives in our INACSL-endorsed Simulation Center, a controlled, psychologically safe environment for developing advanced practice competencies.
We coordinate your clinical placements
UW works with an expansive network of pediatric clinical and community partners across acute, critical, emergency and subspecialty care settings.
Build the judgment and skills to lead pediatric acute care
Curriculum
You’ll build a foundation in population health, health policy, evidence appraisal and translation, leadership and health systems alongside DNP students from every specialty track, while advancing your knowledge of pathophysiology, pharmacotherapeutics and comprehensive health assessment.
Specialty coursework in pediatric acute and critical illness, diagnostic reasoning, behavioral and developmental health across childhood and adolescence and pediatric pharmacotherapeutics leads into a sequence of advanced clinical practica, clinical immersion and your DNP Project.
National certification
Graduates of our DNP-PNP-AC program may be eligible to apply for the Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Acute Care (CPNP-AC) examination through the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board.
Why choose pediatric acute care at UW?
A perspective from the specialty director
“UW is a place that will challenge you to grow while providing strong support through experienced faculty, rich learning resources and partnerships with community organizations. We value each student by taking the time to know you — understanding your goals, learning style and passions — and are committed to supporting and empowering you throughout your program.
We are intentional with our time in the classroom and in the clinical settings, creating experiences that help to build your confidence and competence while exposing you to a variety of settings that will challenge you and broaden your perspective to the diversity that exists in the communities that you will serve. It is a joy to see our students leave the program confident, capable and responsive in their care of the child and family.”
Experience & impact
Graduate spotlight
Alyse Whitlock, DNP-PNP-AC ’23, reflects on the relationships she built with her cohort and encourages future nurses to pursue the careers that make them happy.
Application deadlines
You may apply to each specialty track once per admissions year.
Review application requirements
Apply through the UW Graduate School