Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Track

Best Online DNP-PNP Programs in the Nation

Ranked #7 for Best Online DNP-PNP Programs in the Nation by nursingprocess.org

Ranked in the top 10% for Best DNP Nursing School

Ranked in the top 10% for Best DNP Nursing School by U.S. News & World Report

Ranked #2 for Best DNP Program in Texas

Ranked #2 for Best DNP Program in Texas by dnpprograms.com

[em]Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)[/em]Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Track

Fulfill the Growing Need for Children’s Primary and Acute Care

As children’s health needs become more complex, and more communities experience limited to no pediatric care, nurse practitioners have a unique opportunity to fulfill important, high-demand roles. 

Baylor University’s online Doctor of Nursing Practice – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program offers both a Primary Care track and a dual Primary/Acute track in order to prepare versatile, specialized nursing professionals for a variety of care environments. 

Expand Your Scope through a Dual-Track PNP Program

Prepare for a role as a pediatric nurse practitioner in both primary and acute environments, which gives you advanced knowledge and a wide range of opportunities.

Pediatric Primary Care Track
  • Address primary healthcare needs of children and adolescents by utilizing patient-and-family centered care within the context of the family unit
  • Build knowledge on the normal growth and development, health promotion, health maintenance, and management of children from birth to adolescence
  • Understand the health promotion, health maintenance, and management of common pediatric health issues
  • Learn how to identify and address potential and actual chronic health needs of pediatric patients
  • Examine the relationship between genes, environment, and health in a pediatric context
Pediatric Primary/Acute Care Track
  • Provide care for pediatric patients that have complex acute, critical, or chronic illness in settings including hospitals, intensive care units, and emergency departments
  • Develop clinical judgment, decision-making skills, and procedural skills for delivering complex acute, critical, and chronic healthcare to ill or injured children
  • Learn how to identify and address potential and actual healthcare needs of the acutely ill or injured child
  • Master essential competencies to meet the specialized needs of infants and children with complex acute, critical, and chronic health conditions
Learn More

 

DNP-PNP Admissions Requirements

The requirements to apply for the online BSN-DNP PNP program are:

  • BSN from a regionally accredited school of nursing
  • 3.0 cumulative GPA
  • One (1) year of full-time experience as a practicing professional nurse caring for pediatric patients by the first day of class
  • Current unencumbered RN license
  • Complete an acceptable written personal statement
  • Three letters of recommendation, as follows: one must be from an immediate supervisor, one must be from a peer nurse, and one must be from an MSN, DNP, or PhD-prepared nurse
  • No GRE or MAT Required

Post Master's DNP pathway - coming soon

Download a program guide for more information

Two Entry Options Are Available

To learn more about the entry options, download your digital program guide.

Baylor 

BSN to DNP

75 Credits
Just over 3 years to completion 

Baylor

Post-Master's DNP (coming soon)

38-75 Credits
2 to 3 years to completion

Clinical Placement Support

At Baylor University’s Louise Herrington School of Nursing, we strongly believe in setting our students up for success. That's why we collaborate with you to identify clinical sites and preceptors for clinical rotations. Additionally, clinical placement sites may be potential locations for future employment opportunities upon graduation. If you already have a placement site or preceptor in mind, we encourage you to refer them to our placement team to secure. Get your DNP-PNP guide for more information.

 

Securing clinical placement sites and preceptors can be a challenging and tedious undertaking. It is not uncommon for students to contact 400+ sites before a preceptor agrees. That's why at Baylor, we collaborate with online nursing students on the heavy lifting to help identify clinical sites and preceptors for all clinical rotations. We'd much rather you focus on:

  • Coursework
  • Developing core competencies
  • Current personal and professional obligations
How Does This Benefit You?

Securing clinical placement sites and preceptors can be a challenging and tedious undertaking. It is not uncommon for students to contact 400+ sites before a preceptor agrees. That's why at Baylor, we collaborate with online nursing students on the heavy lifting to help identify clinical sites and preceptors for all clinical rotations. We'd much rather you focus on:

  • Coursework
  • Developing core competencies
  • Current personal and professional obligations
How Does the Clinical Placement Process Work?

Shortly after enrollment, you will be provided with a placement intake form you are required to complete that captures your competencies, experience and placement preferences. Baylor University will collaborate with you to identify a quality placement site and preceptor. While the placement team is securing sites and preceptors, you will be responsible for completing clinical clearance requirements in preparation for placement, including:

  • Drug screening
  • Background check
  • Recommended vaccinations

You will not be permitted to begin your placement rotations without your clearances complete. Once the sites have been approved by the School of Nursing, Baylor University will share the placement site details with you prior to placement.

What is the Placement Experience Like?

During the placement experience, you will have access to faculty and other resources to support you:

  • Faculty will be available to mentor and support you throughout the rotation with specific questions about procedures, patient interactions and general proficiencies.
  • At the end of the placement rotation, you and your preceptor will review requirements, complete surveys and officially end the placement rotation.
  • If you have multiple rotations, you will receive the next preceptor/site details.
What Can I Expect from My Preceptor?

Your preceptor is your on-site role model and will help you develop as a nurse during your clinical rotation. They will:

  • Bridge the gap between theory and actual practice
  • Orient you to the practice setting (key personnel, organization, and institutional policies)
  • Help you plan clinical assignments
  • Provide one-on-one supervision and daily feedback
  • Review and co-sign all documentation in the clinical records
DNP-PNP Program Features At-A-Glance
  • Earn your Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from the Louise Herrington School of Nursing (LHSON), ranked No. 60 (Top 10%)  in U.S. News & World Report’s 2022  Best Graduate Schools: DNP
  • Main coursework is online with on-campus immersions throughout the program
  • Practicum requirement total: 1,125 hours for Primary Care, with an additional 600 hours for Acute Care track
  • Courses are 15 weeks long, with three terms per year
  • Students learn from a nationally recognized faculty
  • Clinical placement support provided
  • Total credits: 75 for Primary Care track; 14 for the additional Acute Care track
State Authorization

Applications for the online DNP-PNP program are accepted from the following states:

United States map with authorized states filled in green

  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • District of Columbia
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Michigan
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • New Mexico
  • North Carolina
  • South Carolina
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • West Virginia

Have more questions? View our Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more about program eligibility.

Curriculum At-A-Glance

The online DNP-PNP program offers primary and acute tracks to prepare versatile, specialized nursing professionals for a variety of care environments. The advanced curriculum focuses on primary healthcare needs of children and adolescents, utilizing patient-and-family centered care within the context of the family unit, and complex acute, critical, or chronic illness for pediatric patients.

Accreditation & Rankings
Best Grad Schools US News logo

 

Baylor University is distinguished in healthcare and business, preparing students with the skills and knowledge to stand out in the industry. 

The Louise Herrington School of Nursing is nationally recognized and:

  • Accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
  • Approved by the Texas Board of Nursing
  • Member of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing
  • Recognized as one of the top educational institutions in the nation, ranking at #76 in National Universities on U.S. News & World Report 2021 list
  • Ranked by Best-Nursing-Colleges.com as the #10 Best Nursing College in Texas.
Important Dates

Next Application Deadline: Now accepting applications. Seating is limited

Next Start Date: September 5th, 2023

NUR 5305 Advanced Pediatric Health Care Management I: Primary Care

Designed to prepare the pediatric nurse practitioner student to address the primary health care needs of children and adolescents by utilizing patient-and-family centered care. The focus is on normal growth and development, health promotion, and health maintenance of children from birth to adolescence, within the context of the family.

NUR 5307 Advanced Pediatric Health Care Management II: Acute and Common Health Needs

Designed to prepare the pediatric nurse practitioner student to address acute and common health care needs of children and adolescents by utilizing patient-and-family centered care. The focus is on health promotion, health maintenance, and management of acute and common health issues in children from birth to adolescence, within the context of the family.

NUR 6309 Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner I

Designed to prepare the acute care pediatric nurse practitioner student to identify and address potential and actual health care needs of the acutely ill or injured child. The focus is on clinical judgment, decision-making, and procedural skills for delivering complex acute, critical, and chronic health care to ill or injured children, within the context of the family.

Baylor Nursing By The Numbers
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90% of clinical placement sites provided to DNP students were within 125 miles of their home.

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100% certification pass rate for FNP and Nurse-Midwifery graduates.

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Baylor University is ranked higher than 94% of Best Colleges in the Nation in 2021 - U.S. News and World Report .

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Baylor’s DNP program is ranked higher than 88% of the Best DNP Programs in Texas in 2021 - dnpprograms.com.

Why Nurses Choose Baylor

expert faculty
Expert Faculty
At the heart of our school is an exceptional faculty, they are: researchers, authors, winners of countless awards, presidents of national organizations, and experts in their specialties.

1 on 1 support
1:1 Support
Our dedicated student advisors and faculty are always accessible and focused on the needs of their students. We are here to guide students through their education and beyond.

academic excellence
Academic Excellence
With more than 176 years of educational excellence, Baylor University is an R1 research institution. U.S. News & World Report ranks Baylor University as one of the Best Graduate Schools for DNP in 2022.

optimal pathway
Optimal Pathway
Baylor’s online DNP has 5 distinct clinical tracks to choose from, ensuring our nurses are wholly prepared for their specific certification exams and ideal careers.

Frequently Asked Questions
How long will it take to complete the online DNP program?

Students typically complete the DNP program in the following timeframe. Please note that actual length to program completion will vary depending on the student's background and selected track.

  • BSN holders typically complete our DNP program in three (3) years and four (4) months, skipping the Master’s degree program entirely
  • Students in our Pediatric Primary/Acute Care track typically complete the program in four (4) years 
What are the required clinical courses for the online DNP-PNP?

Baylor University’ Online DNP-PNP program requirements for clinical hours are:

Primary Care Track

  • NUR 5100 - Advanced Pediatric Health Care Management I: Practicum
  • NUR 5200 - Advanced Pediatric Health Care Management II: Practicum
  • NUR 5309 - Advanced Pediatric Health Care Management III: Practicum
  • NUR 5400 - PNP Primary Care Residency
  • NUR 6V76 - Advanced Practice Nursing Residency

Acute Care Track

  • NUR 6310 - Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner I: Practicum
  • NUR 6406 - Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner II: Practicum
Why Get a DNP Instead of an MSN?

A Doctor of Nursing Practice is the optimal pathway for registered nurses who are seeking preparation at the highest level of nursing practice. As a terminal degree, a DNP degree is the highest level of education in the field and represents the most advanced nursing degree available. There is no further opportunity for educational advancement within this profession. Graduates of Baylor’s online DNP program are prepared as exemplary nursing leaders and visionary nurses who can actively shape and improve patient outcomes, policy, processes and the future of nursing.

DNPs earn a higher average salary than an MSN (on average) and have more overall options for career goals. Many DNP graduates enter into positions with more responsibility to care for both individual and population health needs as nursing team leads and other expanded roles. The career outlook for DNPs is anticipated to be very strong as the AACN is advocating to require a DNP for all APRN roles by the year 2025.

Is financial aid available to online students?

A variety of financial aid is available to online students. Find more information on our Tuition & Financial Aid page.

Do I qualify for the online DNP program as a Post-Graduate Candidate?

Unfortunately, the online DNP-Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program is not currently available at the Post-Master’s level. Please check back again as this may change.

Can I work while in the DNP program?

Baylor University's Louise Herrington School of Nursing understands the needs and challenges of busy RNs. Our online coursework allows you to balance your career with your other commitments.

Why Get a DNP Instead of an MSN?

Earning a DNP degree now puts you ahead of the curve. Steps are currently being taken to transition to the DNP degree as the standard for entry-level advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). While the profession is not quite there yet, the DNP is a terminal degree that prepares nurses for leadership, given the constantly changing demands of a complex U.S. healthcare system.

According to AANC, nurses desiring an APRN education with a choice between a DNP or a master's level preparation would find it far more cost effective to spend the additional time for the DNP and be prepared for future practice. And according to a 2019 Medscape survey, DNP-prepared APRNs make an average of 5% more than MSN-prepared APRNs. Additionally, "Job opportunities are far greater, and it provides you with the knowledge and expertise to have a seat at the board table," according to Angela Renee Stewart, DNP, APRN, ACNP-BC, AOCNP, TTS, Clinical Assistant Professor at Baylor University, Louise Herrington School of Nursing.

Get My DNP-PNP Course Guide

The Baylor University Online Experience

Find out why Baylor University’s Online DNP degree program is the best choice for registered nurses seeking preparation at the highest level of nursing practice:

 

**The baccalaureate degree program in nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program at Baylor University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.

The DNP program of study conforms to the educational guidelines for the state of Texas and the National Task Force Criteria for Nurse Practitioner Programs.