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Pediatric Nurse Practitioners

What is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner?

A pediatric nurse practitioner provides primary care and treatment for acute and chronic illness and injury to children. A pediatric NP likely has all the training and knowledge needed for working with adults as well, but they choose to focus on children an build their expertise in medical issues that tend to arise in children and adolescents. Pediatric NPs can open their own facilities and practice in the absence of an MD in some states. Aspects of a pediatric NP’s daily duties include:

Measuring vital signs and growth in children, including height, weight, blood pressure, vision and hearing.
Diagnosing and treating common ailments such as colds, strep throat, and chicken pox, and dealing with injuries that children are more prone to suffer from.
Prescribing medication and referring patients to specialists in the event of unknown or extreme illness or injury outside the expertise of the NP.

Naturally, pediatric NPs have to interact with the parents of their patients as much or more than with the patients themselves. Parents are rightfully worried when their children need to see the doctor, and being able to provide candid explanations of an ailment, without causing undue discomfort to the parents, is a valuable skill to practice.

Working with the same children throughout their childhood and adolescence is fairly common for pediatric NPs and pediatricians, and building and maintaining open, yet professional relationships across the age divide is a necessary skill in these careers.

How Much do Pediatric Nurse Practitioners Earn?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn’t report salary info specific to pediatric nurse practitioners, but it is possible to infer their general range of salaries by looking at the data about RNs and pediatrician MDs.

The mean annual wage for RNs is $69,110, and for pediatricians it is $168,650. A pediatric NP is likely to earn more than a general RN based on education level alone, but may not have the highest salary of all NP specialties.

The Best Online Nurse Practitioners Degrees

A nurse practitioner is an advanced practice nurse who provides primary and specialty care to patients. A nurse practitioner is responsible for administering both nursing and wider healthcare services; and, they are licensed to prescribe medications. Becoming a nurse practitioner requires the completion of a master's degree program. Below are the most popular colleges offering online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degrees.

MSN: Nurse Practitioners RN to MSN MSN: Nurse Administration MSN: Nurse Education MSN: Nurse Informatics	Kaplan University - The Kaplan University MSN for Nurse Practitioners and RN to MSN programs offers students the opportunity to explore nursing methods in a dynamic healthcare environment. Courses include Advanced Nursing Roles, Theoretical Foundations of Advanced Nursing, and Health Promotion and Disease Prevention in a Diverse Community. MSN specializations are offered in nurse administration, nurse education, and nurse informatics.
MSN: Family Nursing MSN: Women's Nursing	Georgetown University - Graduates of the Georgetown University online MS in nursing programs in family nursing or midwifery and women's health nursing will have more than just a degree to their name upon completion. Students will have the skill and knowledge to help advance their profession, and medicine as a whole, while serving as sponsors of the well-being and overall health of each of their patients.
MSN MSN: Case Management MSN: Health Informatics MSN: Infection Prevention MSN: Nurse Leadership	American Sentinel University - The American Sentinel University school of healthcare offers a Master of Science in nursing (MSN) degree with specializations in case management, health informatics, infection control and prevention, and nursing leadership. All of these programs are CCNE-accredited, so students can be assured that graduation from American Sentinel should lead to expanded career opportunities.
MSN: Nurse Educator MSN: Educator Bridge	Capella University - The Capella University Master of Science in Nursing Educator specialization teaches nurses the art of nurse education. The curriculum features courses that provide advanced nursing methodologies along with the development, delivery, assessment, and review of nurse education programs. This program is also available as an RN to MSN bridge.
MSN MSN: Health Education MSN: Health Informatics MSN/MHA Dual Degree	University of Phoenix - The University of Phoenix MSN programs give students the tools and knowledge necessary to succeed in the healthcare industry. Programs include Nurse Practitioner, MBA/Healthcare Management, Master of Health Administration, Healthcare Education, and Health Informatics. The University of Phoenix is known for graduating the leaders of the nursing industry.
MSN: Nurse Practitioners RN to MSN RN to MSN: Adult Health Practice RN to MSN: Nurse Education	South University - The South University Master of Science in Nursing program features a Nurse Practitioner specialization designed for Registered Nurses that wish to advance their skills, manage their patients care, and make critical decisions using evidence-based information. The program is conveniently offered online. For RNs looking to make a career jump, South University also offers an accelerated RN to MSN program with specialized tracks in adult health and nurse education.
MSN: Adult Nursing MSN: Clinical Nursing MSN: Family Nursing	University of Cincinnati - The University of Cincinnati College of Nursing provides students 3 options to obtain their Master of Science in Nursing degree: traditional, accelerated, and RN to MSN LINK program. Cincinnati offers both onsite and distance learning specialty tracks, including Adult Acute Care, Neonatal, and Women's Health.
MSN: Adult Acute Care MSN: Adult Psych Care MSN: Clinical Trials MSN: Nurse Leadership	Drexel University - Drexel University's College of Nursing and Health Professions offers several Master of Science in Nursing programs. Programs include Adult Acute Care, Adult Psychiatric/Mental Health Care, Clinical Trials Research, and Leadership. The program's innovative curriculum is designed to meet local, national, and global health care needs.
MSN: Health Systems Mgmt	Vanderbilt University - At Vanderbilt University, students in the MSN - health systems management program will participate in an online format that confers an advanced degree in the management of healthcare. Graduates leave Vanderbilt with the education and confidence to tackle the most pressing medical management challenges.
MSN: Nurse Education MSN: Nurse Leadership MSN/MBA: Nurse Leadership	Grand Canyon University - The Grand Canyon University College of Nursing and Health Sciences provides students with a variety of master's programs tailored to meet the students specific interests. Specializations include Education, Leadership in Health Care Systems (also available as an MBA).