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Doctor of Nursing Practice - Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner

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Caring For The Pediatric Patient

PEDIATRIC NURSE PRACTITIONER

Become a DNP-prepared pediatric primary care nurse practitioner all while taking advantage of resources found only at Johns Hopkins. You will learn to diagnose and manage acute and chronic primary health problems in pediatric patients; you’ll enhance your skills in physical and psychosocial assessment, clinical decision-making, and health promotion and disease prevention. In addition to your NP training, the DNP provides you with the skills needed to develop, evaluate, advocate, and provide leaderships to transform health care at the organizational or system level.

COURSE IMMERSIONS

Earn your DNP online, with the added benefit of course immersions. In immersions, you’ll practice advanced clinical skills with standardized patients in the simulation center at the School of Nursing, and, for select opportunities, with interprofessional teams at Johns Hopkins Medicine. You’ll enhance your relationship with Johns Hopkins’ internationally acclaimed faculty who have broad experience in advanced clinical practice, leadership, and patient safety, and build up your network with the other emerging leaders among your cohort and alumni.

TEACHING MODELS

Be practice ready by graduation through our immersive learning approach, and get the professional development guidance you need to emerge as a nursing leader. Our faculty have identified superb mentors and will work with you to identify DNP projects that build upon work currently being done at Johns Hopkins and partner institutions. We’ll evaluate your academic performance using RIME, an innovative clinical competency model.

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Overview

DNP Pediatric Primary Care NP students will prepare to provide complete, advanced care for pediatric patients across a wide range of primary care needs and will be able to:

  • Conduct health examinations, diagnose illnesses and conditions, order laboratory and screening tests, and prescribe medication and therapies
  • Demonstrate organizational and systems leadership for quality and safety in health care systems
  • Develop, evaluate, advocate, and provide leadership for health care policy that shapes health care financing, regulation, access, and delivery

Students have options that facilitate flexible learning. Stay where you are, complete coursework online, and travel to Baltimore for onsite course immersions, or move to Baltimore and immerse yourself in the Johns Hopkins community (we call this the online local experience). If you choose to live in Baltimore, you’ll complete coursework online and faculty will work with you to set up clinical learning experiences within the Johns Hopkins network of partners and the surrounding community.

Get Certified

Students will be prepared to take the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board examinations as a Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner.

Online Availability

Check out the chart to see the online availability of the track that best fits your career goals.

Online Availability Chart

DNP Final Project

DNP graduates remain in practice, leading cross-professional teams in the improvement and provision of informed quality healthcare. The knowledge, skills, and abilities to conduct such work is developed across the program and applied in the conduct of the DNP final project.  The DNP final project is the student’s original work that establishes them as a Hopkins Nursing clinical scholar.

Project Requirements       DNP Projects

 

 

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Options at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing
 

Additional Information

View the recording of the DNP Advanced Practice Track virtual information session.

Watch Now

DNP Advanced Practice Roles: Clinical Nurse Specialist and Nurse Practitioner.

Watch Now

NP and CNS Role Comparison

What are the differences between a Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Nurse Specialist?

NP and CNS Role Comparison 

Doctor of Nursing Practice - Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner

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Priority Application Deadlines

Fall Entry
November 1, January 15
Still Accepting Applications

Apply Now

 

Request Information

Speak with an admissions officer to learn more about our program.

Get Started

View Other DNP Tracks

Would you like to learn more about the other DNP Advanced Practice Tracks?

Learn More

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Amanda Singh
Amanda Singh
MSN '10, BS '09, RN
I get the best of both worlds at Hopkins.

Forget Saturday morning cartoons. Amanda Singh spent her girlhood weekends on rounds with her pediatrician father in Washington, D.C. "I'd put his stethoscope around my neck, and we'd go to the newborn nursery," she happily recounts. Little wonder that Singh had no question about the career path she'd follow. She worked as an EMT before applying to her dream nursing school.

Read Amanda's Story
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Requirements

Admission Criteria

  • Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree or an entry-level nursing master's degree from an ACEN or CCNE accredited college or university or an equivalent degree from a comparable foreign institution
  • Scholastic GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
  • Applicants must submit evidence of current nursing license. Online students must have or obtain RN license from an authorized state.
  • One year of full-time RN experience preferred *
  • Three letters of recommendation (both academic and professional references; check FAQs for detailed guidance on completing this requirement)
  • Official Transcripts (from all previous colleges/universities)
  • Current Resume /CV (check FAQs for detailed guidance on completing this requirement)
  • Goal statement
  • GRE scores are accepted but not required
  • Interview with faculty (if moved forward by admissions committee)
  • TOEFL or IELTS if English is not your native language

Information for applicants with international education

Admissions Application

* The strongest applicants to this program have at least one year of pediatric nursing experience at the time of application.

Prerequisites

Undergraduate Statistics  Take at Hopkins Nursing. Course must be completed at a regionally accredited college or university with a letter grade of B or better. Grade of B- will not be accepted.

For greatest flexibility in the clinical placement and DNP project process, it is strongly recommended that DNP Advanced Practice students obtain Maryland RN licensure (or licensure from a compact state) before beginning clinical coursework or DNP Project coursework.

STATE-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR ONLINE PROGRAMS

Students currently cannot conduct clinical activities in Louisiana, New York and Oregon. For more information, please contact an admissions representative. Students should be aware of additional state-specific information for online programs.

Student Sponsorship

This program does not qualify for F-1 or J-1 student sponsorship. Legal Permanent Residents and non-immigrants who are otherwise physically present in the U.S. and in a status that allows for full or part-time study, may pursue this program

Transfer of Credit

Transfer of credit is granted on an individual basis. Please see the transfer of credit policy and complete the form to make a request.

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Curriculum

This program is offered in the online with course immersions format.

Program may be completed in 81 credits and provides 784 clinical hours and 224 DNP practicum hours.

Please note below the semesters in which an onsite visit is required.

Course Immersion Dates

  • Fall 2022 Semester Dates*
     
    • November 9-11, 2022 8am-5pm Location: School of Nursing
      Advanced Health Assessment - Group 2(NR.210.601)—DNP Advanced Practice Students Admitted Fall 2021 4-Year Track & DNP/PhD Students Admitted Summer 2020 only
       
    • Virtual Immersion - Date/Time TBD
      Clinical Practicum II: Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (NR.210.636)—DNP Advanced Practice Students Admitted Fall 2020 4-Year Track & DNP/PhD Students Admitted Summer 2019 only
  •  
  • Spring 2023 Semester Dates*
     
    • Virtual Immersion - Date/Time TBD
      Clinical Practicum III: Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (NR.210.637)—DNP Advanced Practice Students Admitted Fall 2020 4-Year & DNP/PhD Students Admitted Summer 2019 only
       
    • Virtual Immersion - Date/Time TBD
      Diagnostic Skills and Procedures for Advanced Practice Nursing (NR.210.605)—DNP Advanced Practice Students Admitted Fall 2021 4-Year & DNP/PhD Students Admitted Summer 2020 only

* = Dates do not include remediation dates

Plan of Study

4 Year Plan

  • Fall I (8 Credits)
    • Biostatistics for Evidence-Based Practice (3)
    • Context of Healthcare for Advanced Nursing Practice (3)  
    • Health Finance (2)
  • Spring I (9 Credits)
    • The Research Process and Its Application to Evidence-Based Practice (3)
    • Advanced Pathophysiology/Physiology (4)
    • Advanced Nursing Health Policy (2)
  • Summer I (6 Credits)
    • Health Promotion and Risk Reduction Across the Lifespan (2)
    • Clinical Pharmacology (4)
  • Fall II (8 Credits) - Required Immersion
    • Health Information Systems and Patient Care Technology (2)
    • Advanced Health Assessment and Measurement (3) *OI
    • Organizational and Systems Leadership (2)
    • Human Growth and Development (1)
  • Spring II (9 Credits) - Required Immersion
    • Philosophical, Theoretical & Ethical Basis of ANP (3)
    • Diagnostics Skills and Procedures for APN (2) *VI
    • Health Supervision (2)
    • Clinical Reasoning I (2)
  • Summer II (6 Credits, 224 Clinical Hours) - Required Immersion
    • Clinical Reasoning II (2)
    • Clinical Practicum I (3cr, 168cl) *OI
    • Problem Discovery (2, 56cl)
  • Fall III (7 Credits, 168 Clinical Hours) - Required Immersion
    • Nursing Inquiry for EBP (3)
    • Clinical Reasoning III (2)
    • Clinical Practicum II (3cr, 168 cl) *VI
  • Spring III (9 Credits, 168 Clinical Hours) - Required Immersion
    • Translating Evidence into Practice (3)
    • Clinical Reasoning IV (2)
    • Clinical Practicum III (2, 112cl) *VI
    • Project Advancement (2, 56cl)
  • Summer III (7 Credits, 112 Clinical Hours) - Required Immersion
    • Analysis & Evaluation of Individual & Population Health (3)
    • Clinical Reasoning V (2)
    • Clinical Practicum IV (2, 112cl) *OI
  • Fall IV (7 Credits, 280 Clinical Hours) - Required Immersion
    • Clinical Practicum V (4, 224cl) *VI
    • Project Application (2, 56cl)
  • Spring IV (5 Credits, 56 Clinical Hours)
    • Clinical Data Management (2)
    • Project Evaluation and Dissemination (2, 56cl)

OI - Onsite Immersion   VI - Virtual Immersion

* Curriculum, credit hours, and sequencing are subject to change.

** Up to 16 credits can be applied from the JHSON MSN (Entry into Nursing) Program to the DNP Advanced Practice Track.

*** A minimum of 1000 practice hours is required for DNP.
 

Course Schedules and Descriptions     Academic Catalog

 

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Tuition & Other Costs

Billed Expenses

(September 2022 - August 2023)

Tuition: $51,6691 (full-time per year)
Health Fee: $849
Matriculation fee: $500 (one time only fee for first-time enrolled JHU students)
Health Insurance: $4,5002
Total Billed Expenses: $57,518

Estimated Other Expenses3

Room and Board: $22,500
Books & Supplies: $1,575
Loan fees: $1,809
Personal Expenses: $3,072
Travel Expenses: $5,472
Total Expenses: $91,946

1Full-time: 9 credits per semester. Tuition is billed at $1,901 per credit and is less for students enrolling in less than full-time.

2All students must have health coverage.  Purchase of the School’s plan is optional.

3Amounts for other expenses vary based upon student's selection of books, supplies, and living arrangements.

Billed expenses are subject to change without prior notice. Changes to a student’s program or course load may result in additional tuition charges and fees.

State Authorization Disclosure

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is a DNP?

    The DNP is a doctoral degree focused on the clinical practice of nursing. The degree represents the highest academic preparation for nursing practice. The DNP curriculum focuses on the knowledge needed to provide comprehensive direct care across settings. It can be conferred in conjunction with any specialty in advanced practice.

  • What academic preparation is preferred in a DNP Advanced Practice candidate?

    A strong foundation in courses such as anatomy and physiology, microbiology, pharmacology, and physical assessment with a grade of B or above is one key to success.

  • What is the program of study?

    The curricular content will enable the graduate to make complex diagnoses, provide evidence-based treatment modalities, utilize sophisticated informatics and decision-making technology, and assimilate in-depth knowledge of biophysical, psychosocial, behavioral and clinical sciences.

  • How is this different from current APN practice?

    The expanded competencies of the Doctor of Nursing Practice enable graduates to independently provide complex care across all settings including ambulatory, acute, community and home settings. For example, the expanded curriculum will focus on the utilization of evidence-based decision-making to admit and co-manage hospitalized patients, to provide advice and treatment initiated over the phone, and to initiate specialist referrals and evaluate the subsequent advice and initiate and participate in co-management.

  • How long will it take?

    There are three and four year plan options. A part time plan of study is not available.

  • Can I work while in the program?

    The DNP Advanced Practice Track is completed over a 3- or 4-year period.  Students who are enrolled in the 4-year plan may be able to work in the first year as a Registered Nurse in settings that offer flexible scheduling.  As students begin to take specialized courses that prepare them for the respective role (i.e., NP or CNS), they will be engaged in settings to learn their future role and in which the DNP Scholarly Project is situated. Hence, it will be challenging to maintain employment that is not flexible beyond the first year.

  • How does the DNP differ from the PhD or other research doctorates?

    The DNP, or clinical doctorate, prepares the graduate to practice independently with the most complex patients, in any setting where the patient requires care, utilizing complicated informatics and evidence-based decision-making. Research doctorates prepare graduates to initiate and conduct sophisticated research projects, serving as the principal investigator.

  • How many credits can I transfer?

    The school accepts up to six credits of transfer from outside the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. Once admitted into the program you can request to transfer credits by completing the transfer of graduate credit form.

  • What academic terms do students attend?

    The School of Nursing follows the regular academic schedule (prospective students should note that these courses are not self-paced). Students are enrolled for the fall, spring, and summer terms. Prospective students should refer to the plans of study found on the curriculum pages for each specialty.

  • What is the cost per credit hour?

    Please visit School of Nursing’s Tuition and Fees page for the current program costs.

  • How are courses delivered?

    For students admitted to the DNP Nurse Practitioner tracks, please note that while this is an on-campus program, many of the courses and course content will be delivered in an online format. Please refer to the course schedule for the upcoming semester for specific course delivery information.

  • How will I get clinical experience if I don’t have experience working as a RN?

    The DNP program requires a minimum of 1000 practice hours.  The majority of these hours will be in the clinical practicum where you will apply what you learn in the theory courses to gain the competence required for your particular specialty.  The balance of the practice hours are devoted to the DNP practicum which focuses on the DNP Scholarly Project. Ideally, you will have one-year of RN experience before starting the first specialty clinical.

  • How many students are in a class?

    Many of the core courses will be taken by all DNP Advanced Practice students at the same time. This could be as many as 60 students. However, the track specialty courses will be taken with only students in that specific specialty. In clinical courses, there is a ratio of 1 to 6 students per clinical instructor with each student assigned to a preceptor.

  • Do we attend the same classes with our cohort?

    Students in the same specialty and the same plan of study (3- or 4-year) will move through as a cohort. 

  • If I have a specific area that I would like to focus in, for example oncology, are there additional electives I can take or other opportunities where I could gain more insight and experience in that particular area? 

    It is possible for students to negotiate a clinical site within their area of interest, but these cannot be guaranteed. The DNP Scholarly Project could allow students to identify a problem within a specific area and bring that together with the specialty role. 

  • How are clinical sites for clinical practicum determined? 

    Clinical practicum experiences are determined by the student’s advanced practice focus area, student interest, site and preceptor availability, and the student’s programmatic needs. The student will work collaboratively with the specialty Track Coordinator and the Clinical Placement Team to request sites and preceptors, with final approval by the Track Coordinator. There will be an orientation to an electronic software system where the student will take responsibility to complete requests and upload appropriate documentation.  Students will be working with the Clinical Placement Team from the time they enter the program until they graduate. The Clinical Placement Team will be a part of advising sessions, orientation and immersions.  The student is encouraged to work collaboratively and proactively with the team on an all-hands approach for optimal preceptor opportunities. Unauthorized states for clinicals include LA, NY and OR. 

  • What is included in a DNP Project?

    The American Association of Colleges of Nursing requires that all DNP Projects should:

    1. Focus on a change that impacts healthcare outcomes either through direct or indirect care.
    2. Have a systems (micro-, meso-, or macro- level) or population/aggregate focus.
    3. Demonstrate implementation in the appropriate arena or area of practice.
    4. Include a plan for sustainability (e.g. financial, systems or political realities, not only theoretical abstractions).
    5. Include an evaluation of processes and/or outcomes (formative or summative). DNP Projects should be designed so that processes and/or outcomes will be evaluated  to guide practice and policy. Clinical significance is as important in guiding practice as statistical significance is in evaluating research.
    6. Provide a foundation for future practice scholarship.
       
  • What is the process for the DNP practicum?

    There are four DNP Scholarly Project courses that sequentially reflect the stages of evidence based practice quality improvement: Project Identification, Project Proposal, Project Implementation, and Project Evaluation. Each of the four courses has an associated practicum. The first course for the DNP Scholarly Project, DNP Problem Identification has an accompanying DNP practicum.  The DNP Scholarly Project is situated in the clinical setting where the student will carry it out.  As the project is a quality improvement focus, key stakeholders in the practice setting are necessary to identify clinical problems they want to address and for which they want to partner with a student or team of students.  See your plan of study for the number of practicum hours associated with each course associated with the DNP Scholarly Project. 

  • Who should I ask to complete my letters of recommendation?
    • At least one letter should come from a recent or current direct supervisor/manager (the person who is responsible for your performance evaluation)
    • At least one letter should come from an academic faculty member who can speak to your ability to successfully complete a demanding graduate level academic and clinical program.
    • The third letter can come from a second academic faculty member or an individual in a leadership position who can speak to your clinical abilities.
    • Personal references from colleagues, friends, or family members do not meet the requirement.
    • If you are unable to provide one of the reference letters above, please upload a statement of explanation to your application.

       
  • What information should I include in my resume/CV?
    Please include the following information in your resume or CV:
    • Work experience (include dates, sites and locations; paid and unpaid; any residency participation)
    • Education Background
    • Scholarly activities (research, presentations, publications, honors, awards)
    • Professional activities (leadership, certifications, professional organization membership, service on committees)
    • Community Service/Volunteerism
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Funding Opportunities

Scholarships & Grants

Grants are awards based on financial need that do not have to be repaid. Many students also benefit from scholarships and awards based on merit.

Scholarships & Grants

Loans

Many students will avail themselves of loans to help finance their School of Nursing Education. If necessary, we encourage you to borrow only what is absolutely essential to cover your educational costs.

Loans

Employment

Many students locate part-time employment to help pay education expenses. Numerous positions are available on campus and within various community based organizations. These jobs provide students with opportunities to gain practical work experience. Most positions are funded through the Federal Work-Study Program. 

Employment

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