Post-Master's Certificate in Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

Certificate Level: Graduate
Admission Requirements: Master's degree
Certificate Type: Post-Master's
Number of Credits to Completion: 39.0; 800 clinical hours
Instructional Delivery: Online
Calendar Type: Quarter
Expected Time to Completion: 2 years
Financial Aid Eligibility: Aid eligible*

Classification of Instructional Program (CIP) Code: 51.3801
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Code: 29-1141

*The current plan of study for this program would only allow for federal financial aid (including Federal Direct Student Loans) for terms that are at least a minimum of 4.5 credits for graduate courses and 6.0 credits for undergraduate courses. This is based on current regulations from the U.S. Department of Education.

About the Program

The Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner certificate is an elite postgraduate program that prepares students to deliver advanced care to infants, children and adolescents with acute, critical and complex health conditions. Students will build upon primary care experience through courses that emphasize evidence-based practice, interdisciplinary collaboration and the critical use of new technology. The program’s curriculum was developed and is taught by Drexel University’s renowned faculty from the nationally ranked College of Nursing and Health Professions. Upon completing the program, graduates pursue practice roles across the continuum of acute care services ranging from high-acuity, hospital-based emergency or intensive care settings to specialty-based practices. Graduates are eligible to sit for the PNCB's Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certification Examination.

The nurse practitioner faculty is committed to quality and excellence in the nurse practitioner (NP) programs. Students meet on campus for mandatory on-campus intensive (OCI) learning experiences, simulation and evaluation. There are a maximum of two OCIs in each program. Students will attend an OCI during week one of their first clinical course for three to four days (summer quarter). An additional OCI visit may be required for two to three days in another clinical quarter. Dates are subject to change.

During the OCIs, students engage in simulated clinical learning experiences conducted in the College of Nursing and Health Professions' state-of-the-art, multidisciplinary patient simulation lab. These visits provide direct guidance and mentoring from faculty and the opportunity to collaborate with peers. Mandatory, on-campus visits are essential to students transitioning into the NP role.

The program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Program Requirements

Required Courses
Support Courses
NURS 548Advanced Pathophysiology3.0
NURS 549Advanced Pharmacology3.0
NURS 550Advanced Health Assessment & Diagnostic Reasoning4.0
NURS 646Pharmacology for the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner3.0
NURS 664Professional Issues for Nurse Practitioners1.0
Concentration Courses
NURS 642PNP I: Primary Care of Infants, Children and Adolescents5.0
NURS 643PNP II: Episodic Care of Infants, Children and Adolescents in Primary Care5.0
NURS 649Ped Nurse Pract AC I:Acute-Chronic Care of Infants, Children and Adolescents Management5.0
NURS 650Ped Nurse Pract AC II:Acute-Chronic Care of Infants, Children and Adolescents Management5.0
NURS 651PNP Management of the Medically Fragile and Technology Dependent Child in the Community5.0
Total Credits39.0

Sample Plan of Study

First Year
Term 1CreditsTerm 2CreditsTerm 3CreditsTerm 4Credits
NURS 5493.0NURS 6463.0NURS 5504.0NURS 6425.0
NURS 5483.0 NURS 6641.0 
 6 3 5 5
Second Year
Term 1CreditsTerm 2CreditsTerm 3CreditsTerm 4Credits
NURS 6435.0NURS 6495.0NURS 6505.0NURS 6515.0
 5 5 5 5
Total Credits 39

Additional Information

For more information about this program, contact:

Graduate Nursing Division

CNHPGraduateDivision@drexel.edu

Additional information is available on Drexel's College of Nursing and Health Professions Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Post-Master's Certificate webpage and on the Drexel University Online Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Post-Master's Certificate webpage.

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