The Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (PPCNP) Post-Graduate Certificate Program (PGCP) prepares graduate nurses holding a master’s or doctoral degree in nursing in the advanced care of children and their families. Pediatric advanced practice nurses provide care in clinical practice, school-based health, home health, public health, acute and long-term care settings. The Pediatric Primary Care NP is prepared to manage the direct care of infants and children, and incorporate the various roles associated with advanced nursing practice in a variety of care settings. NPs returning for a PGCP in an NP population-focused area in which they are not currently practicing or certified may be granted academic credit for prior didactic and clinical experiences based on a gap analysis of an applicant’s academic/practice portfolio.

Students completing the PGCP in PPC meet the academic eligibility requirements to take the Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner - Primary Care (CPNP-PC) Examination offered by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB). Candidates who meet all eligibility requirements established by the PNCB and successfully pass the examination are awarded the credential: Primary Care Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (CPNP-PC).

• Integrate relevant knowledge, principles and theories from nursing and related sciences into the advanced nursing care of individuals, families and populations. (Essential I)
• Demonstrate acumen in organizational leadership through effective collaboration, consultation, and decision-making. (Essential II)
• Integrate research translation and evidence appraisal  into advanced nursing practice to initiate change and improve quality outcomes.(Essential IV)
• Evaluate information science approaches and patient-centric technologies to improve health outcomes and enhance quality of care. (Essentials III, V)
• Analyze the impact policies, economic factors, and ethical and socio-cultural dimensions have on advanced nursing practice and health care outcomes. (Essential VI)
• Integrate the concepts of interprofessional communication, collaboration and consultation to effectively manage and coordinate care across systems.  (Essential VII)
• Incorporate culturally-appropriate concepts in the planning and delivery of evidence-based preventive and  clinical care to communities, and populations. (Essential VIII)
• Demonstrate expertise in a defined area of advanced practice nursing  that influences health care outcomes for individuals, populations and systems. (Essential IX)