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Priority deadline Jan. 15

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Primary Care

A young girl sits up on an exam table as she is looked over by her female doctor during an appointment.

Establishing the foundation of health

Our Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Primary Care (PNP-PC) track within the DNP degree program prepares you to provide comprehensive, holistic care focused on health promotion and diagnosis and management of children with stable acute and chronic conditions. PNP-PC practice focuses on optimizing growth and development, physical and psychosocial health, caring for patients who are medically stable, and recognizing, diagnosing, and referring patients experiencing sudden or progressive deterioration. You will learn to work with children from late preterm gestation through young adulthood.

#2 ranking

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Of public schools offering a Doctor of Nursing Practice.

Rankings

$3.8M in funding

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147 DNP scholarships funded in 2023-24, totaling $3.8 million.

Pre-arranged clinicals

We manage your clinicals, setting us apart from most other DNP programs.

Accessible Accordion

Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioners are prepared to:

  • Perform comprehensive health assessments, including ordering and interpreting diagnostic procedures
  • Partner with patients and families for health promotion and disease prevention
  • Generate differential diagnoses and diagnose and manage acute and chronic health conditions 
  • Prescribe and evaluate therapies (medication and non-medication-based)
  • Use developmental, patient- and family-centered approaches
  • Advocate for nursing and the role of the PNP-PC

Graduates from our PNP-PC track practice independently and within larger healthcare teams. They work in a variety of settings and with diverse populations, including:

  • Primary care pediatric practices
  • Public health settings
  • School-based clinics
  • Pediatric subspecialty services (e.g., gastroenterologist, infectious disease, neurology, endocrinology, nephrology)
  • Medically underserved and rural practice settings
  • U.S. Armed Forces
  • International health settings

The DNP curriculum starts with a shared first-year core, offering a strong foundation in advanced practice and leadership, before transitioning into specialized coursework tailored to each track, allowing students to develop targeted expertise and drive advancements in healthcare.

View the current DNP Pediatric Primary Care NP curriculum grid

Students interested in focusing their practice on restorative care for children with acute, critical, and chronic illnesses and/or injuries should consider applying to the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Acute Care track.  Students interested in focusing their practice on child health promotion and disease prevention should consider applying to the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Primary Care track.

Successful PNP-PC graduates are eligible to sit for the Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner examination through Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB).

What makes our program unique?

The Barnard Center for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health at the University of Washington School of Nursing is a unique asset for students pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in pediatrics. The center’s approach to addressing the foundational experiences of infants and children, including their learning experiences, emotional regulation, and ability to form relationships, provides those interested in their wellness with the opportunity to access resources, engage in specialized research projects, and learn from experts in early child development.
Hone your skills in the safe and controlled environment of our leading-edge Simulation Center, where you will familiarize yourself with the tools and techniques you need to deliver excellent patient care in a psychologically safe environment.
The UW School of Nursing Office of Clinical Placements collaborates with an expansive network of partners to provide students with pre-arranged clinical placements with some of the country’s best care settings and hospitals. While we cannot guarantee specific placements, we work with the world-class UW Medicine system and countless clinical and community partners. Our unique placement process allows students to focus their full attention on learning, knowing that clinical training and patient care experience are fully integrated into their matriculation plan.

Interested in learning more? Join us for an upcoming online information session, or contact us at asknursing@uw.edu to find out if this program would be a great fit and how to create a quality application.

“I had my first son during my second year in the DNP program. The faculty of the PNP program was so amazing in accommodating and helped me succeed through my unique challenges. I am so grateful for the support and mentorship from the UW faculty I worked with. We always felt that they wanted, more than anything, for us to succeed.”

EmilyDNP PNP-PC, '16

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