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Programs

Pediatric Neonatal Nurse Practitioner

Overview

The Pediatric/Neonatal Nurse Practitioner program prepares students to provide advanced nursing care for low- and high-risk neonates and infants. Preparation in both pediatric and neonatal nurse practitioner specialties enables students to provide primary or acute care to infants in a variety of settings.

Nurse practitioners in the pediatric and neonatal specialties will be able to practice at all levels of neonatal inpatient care, including transport, acute, and chronic care; in delivery rooms; and in outpatient settings, with the majority practicing in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) across the country.

Students conduct clinical experiences at the Gosnell Family Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Golisano Children's Hospital. The highly specialized, nationally recognized center provides the highest level of care available for sick or premature newborns (level IV), including advanced treatment for respiratory failure, heart disease, and neurologic injury.

Program Learning Outcomes

  1. Create comprehensive plans of care for diverse populations based on the interrelationships among person, environment, health, and advanced-practice nursing.
  2. Evaluate the impact of social determinants on advanced-practice nursing interventions to promote, restore, and maintain mental and physical well-being.
  3. Demonstrate nurse practitioner role competence in providing safe, ethical, and compassionate person-centered care to patients and families through collaborative partnerships.
  4. Integrate theory, research, and informatics in the advanced care of patients and families.
  5. Incorporate ethical and professional standards encompassing advocacy, policy, equity, leadership, and ongoing self-reflection into professional practice.
  6. Apply the principles of quality, safety, and collaboration to improve outcomes for patients, populations, communities, and systems.
  7. Synthesize knowledge from diverse sources and disciplines to develop, translate, and promote clinical scholarship.

Program Goals

  1. Providers base clinical care, decision-making, and clinical services on scientific evidence which is grounded in careful analysis of the unique needs of the individual, group, or population.
  2. Providers are actively engaged in scholarship through the clinical application of existing knowledge and the generation and dissemination of new clinical knowledge.
  3. Providers maintain competence in their specialty through formal and informal educational opportunities and specialty certification and promote the ongoing education of others.

Information about faculty and research can be found on the Pediatric Neonatal Nurse Practitioner website.

AdmissionsLink to section

ApplyingLink to section

The School of Nursing uses an online self-managed application process. Applicants are required to complete all portions of the online application and submit the following documents:

  • Current Resume or CV
  • Transcripts of all prior college-level work
  • Letters of recommendation from members of the academic community and/or workplace professionals who know your qualifications for graduate study. Preferably, at least one recommendation should be from a former professor. At least two letters are required for master's and advanced certificate applicants and three for doctoral applicants. Letters of recommendation are managed on the online application.
  • Current RN license
  • English proficiency scores for non-native English speakers
  • Application fee
  • Short answer responses and essay

After the application is reviewed, the candidate will be contacted to schedule an interview with a School of Nursing faculty member. Program faculty conduct a holistic review of each application.

Applying to Advanced CertificatesLink to section

  • Master's degree as an APRN from an accredited school of nursing
  • Two years of NICU experience in the last five years
  • Completion of the following courses with a grade of C or above:
    • Advanced Pharmacology
    • Advanced Pathophysiology
    • Advanced Physical Assessment

Applying to Master's ProgramsLink to section

  • Bachelor's degree from an accredited school or equivalent master's RN license-qualifying degree in nursing
  • Minimum GPA of 3.0
  • Minimum grade of C in undergraduate statistics
  • Two years of NICU experience in the last five years

AcademicsLink to section

RequirementsLink to section

Graduate study at the University of Rochester School of Nursing integrates nursing practice, education, and research. The curriculum for the master’s degree program includes professional advanced-practice nursing core courses and clinical specialty courses. The professional core courses provide common substantive areas of study for students. Clinical specialty courses provide specialty-specific, in-depth areas for study, including clinical and experiential learning experiences.

Graduate Course TitlesLink to section

  • NUR 467: Population Health in Theory and Practice
  • NPG 400: Evidence-Based Practice for Nurse Practitioners
  • NPG 402: Foundations and Professional Roles in Advanced Practice Nursing
  • NPG 404: Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology
  • NPG 406: Advanced Pharmacology
  • NPG 410: Advanced Health Assessment
  • NPG 412: Diagnostic and Clinical Reasoning
  • NPG 414: Mental Health and Wellness in Acute and Primary Care
  • NPG 431: Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner I
  • NPG 432: Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner II
  • NPG 433: Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner III
  • NPG 436: Neonatal Advanced Practice
  • NPG 437: Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Clinical I