Top Schools For Pediatric Nursing

Best Colleges For Pediatric Nursing 2018

Pediatric nurse practitioners care for a wide array of patients from infants to young adults. The pediatric nursing program is a blend of classroom lectures, lab work, and clinical training. Pediatric nurse practitioners who specialize in primary care work with infants, children, and adolescents.

If youre interested in obtaining a career-focused education in a growing field of Pediatric Nursing and also becoming a Nurse Practitioner in the current healthcare environment. Then take a look at our list, here we have mentioned the Best Colleges for Pediatric Nursing to help you find the best option that fits your needs.

Many top U.S. medical schools offer masters programs and post-masters certificate programs in pediatric nursing practice. Graduates of these programs may become licensed nurse practitioners who provide primary care to children.

Through our list, you will get details regarding rankings and facilities available at top-ranked schools that offer pediatric nursing programs. Read on to learn more about pediatric nursing programs. Good Luck!!!

• University of Pittsburgh

What Kind Of Accreditation Should The Online Program Have How Is It Regarded In The Field

Your program should be accredited by either The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing or The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education . This applies whether you are registering for courses in a two-year community college or a graduate program. That’s because future employers will need to know that your education is top tier and verified by independent, respected agencies.

Accreditation For Nursing Programs

Students researching master’s in pediatric nursing programs should ensure each prospective school holds accreditation. The accreditation process involves regular quality assessments by third-party organizations. The U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation oversee these accrediting agencies.

Institutions in the United States can hold national or regional accreditation. Regional accrediting agencies evaluate schools in a specific area. For example, the Higher Learning Commission grants regional accreditation to schools in the Midwest United States. Most employers place greater value on degrees from regionally accredited schools.

Nursing programs can also earn field-specific accreditation. The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education is one of the top accrediting agencies for nursing programs. Learners can confirm the accreditation status of any school or program using the ED’s searchable database.

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Q: What Changes Have You Seen In Nursing And What Do You See For The Future Of The Field

I think the most significant changes are in the evolution of nursing education. Im a very proud diploma graduate with several other degrees on top of that. Nursing education has changed from learning a skill set to learning evidence-based practice. We have so much more science now and so many more nurses who are doing research and getting that research published. We want to use evidence-based practice wherever we possibly can, and I see that as a real progression. I think nurses are really leaders in that area.

We know we dont have enough doctors. The focus of the physician is to cure illness. Nurses are looking to keep people healthy. Health care is going to be a real team effort between the physician, the nurse, and the nurse practitioner.

Does The School Have The Major Youre Considering

All the way through to your undergraduate graduation, you will take a standard nursing curriculum. Thus, you should at least find a school that offers a nursing program. If you already have a passion for pediatrics, you could investigate the program’s offerings regarding pediatric nursing. You might be able to focus on your specialty via elective courses, or find internships with pediatric doctors, for instance.

When you reach your graduate program, you can focus on pediatrics. Make sure your MSN program offers the appropriate concentration.

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Rushs College Of Nursing Secures Top Us News Rankings

Rush University College of Nursing once again received high rankings, reinforcing its national reputation for excellence in nursing education. The college received two No. 1 rankings in U.S. News & World Reports 2023 Best Graduate Schools rankings released on March 29, and secured the No. 2 spot for the Doctor of Nursing Practice program.

This years strong rankings in U.S. News showcases the exceptional dedication and passion of our faculty, staff and students, says Christine M. Kennedy, PhD, RN, FAAN, the John L. and Helen Kellogg Dean, College of Nursing. We are all very proud to continue our colleges legacy of academic excellence, particularly during these past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The College of Nursing ranks No. 1 in the following DNP specialty rankings:

• Nursing Administration
• Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Acute Care

The College of Nursing ranked in the top 5 in six other categories:

• Doctor of Nursing Practice
• Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Primary Care
• Psychiatric Mental Health
• Adult/Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Primary Care
• Adult/Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Acute Care
• Family Nurse Practitioner

The College of Nursing also moved to the No. 17 spot in the masters degree category. This program prepares students who already have a bachelors degree in another field to pursue a career in nursing. This year U.S. News evaluated more than 600 nursing schools in the U.S. with masters or doctoral programs.

What Is A Pediatric Nurse Practitioner

A PNP is an advanced practice nurse that holds special training and manages the overall care of the pediatric patient. A registered nurse is responsible for performing physical assessments, distributing medication, and carrying out the orders set forth by the medical team.

Nurse Practitioners conduct physical exams, take a patients history, order labs and imaging, diagnose illnesses, and prescribe medications. They can also act as a patients primary care provider. Nurses can not diagnose, prescribe medication, order tests, or act as a primary care provider. RNs typically work alongside physicians, whereas PNPs can work independently.

• There are roughly 270,000 nurse practitioners licensed in the United States
• Currently, only 4% are licensed as pediatric nurse practitioners
• 31.1% practice in a hospital setting, while 51.6% work in outpatient clinics

While most PNP students focus on primary care, there are also acute care programs that focus on the critical care aspect of caring for children.

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Careers And Salaries For Pediatric Nurses

You can begin your pediatric nursing career with an online or traditional associate degree in nursing. With a two-year degree, you can attain full licensure to work as a registered nurse, yet your job duties will likely be somewhat limited. Over time, you may receive raises and promotions, but your degree level will prevent you from the higher paying specialty areas and advanced job descriptions. It’s important to know that, even if you choose to earn your degree online, you will still need to complete clinical work at a local location.

When you complete your BSN, you not only will see a pay increase, but you will have the background necessary to delve into deeper focus areas. If you’re working in pediatrics, you might choose pediatric cardiology, oncology, or neurology. If your desired specialty requires a master’s degree, you will be in a position to apply to graduate school.

With an online master’s degree, your pediatric practice can deepen even further. You can then work as a pediatric nurse practitioner in either acute or primary care, depending on which route you choose for your degree. Nurse practitioners command a healthy salary and are able to prescribe many medications, diagnose illness, and perform many of the same duties as a medical doctor.

Highly Regarded Colleges For Nursing In America

In 2020, the World Health Organization declared that it was the year of the nurse. The WHO then spent the year acknowledging and honoring the hard, necessary work that nurses devote their lives to, from bringing babies into the world to providing end-of-life care and everything in between. It also used the honor as a reminder that the world needs 9 million more nurses and midwives to achieve universal health care within the next 10 years.

In the United States alone, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that there will be an additional 175,900 job openings for registered nurses over the next decade, for a total of 7% growth. It also reports that nurses who hold a BSN, or Bachelor of Science in nursing, will have better employment prospects than those who have lesser certifications. Luckily, there are thousands of colleges around the country that have certified nursing programs, giving students plenty of choice.

However, these programs arent all created equal. Among other things, some schools offer more clinical opportunities, have higher NCLEX pass rates, and report better job placement rates than others. So how do you narrow down the best options?

Read on to find which school earns the honor of being the best college for nursing in America. It may not be what you were expecting.

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Case Western Reserve University

Case Western Reserve University is located in Cleveland, Ohio, and was formed in 1967. The university is made up of two higher education facilities: Western Reserve College and Case School of Applied Science.

To attend Case Western Reserve University you need an SAT score between 1340 and 1520 and an ACT score between 31 and 35.

The Frances Payne Bolton School is one of the best colleges for nursing in the country. Cleveland has some of the best medical facilities in the world and when studying at CASE you will be able to learn from the best.

The school has a diverse student population with a wide variety of student organizations. Along with the BSN they offer an accelerated program as well as Masterâs and doctorate programs in nursing.

Education To Become A Pediatric Nurse

There are two paths for formal education to become a nurse: an Associate Degree in Nursing or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing . While you can start your pediatric nursing career sooner with an associate degree, some employers require nursing candidates to have a bachelors degree.

It may be worthwhile to take the time to earn a bachelors degree to open more job opportunities.

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What Are The Top Qualities Of A Pediatric Nurse

As part of the same survey by the U.S. Department of Labor, pediatric nurses from around the country provided insight into the top qualities necessary to perform the job at a high level. The top 5 qualities of a pediatric nurse include:

Salary And Career Outlook

Registered nurses earn a median annual salary of $77,600, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The BLS doesnt break out nursing specialties but earning a bachelors degree and a specialty certification may lead to a higher salary.

The top 10% of RNs earn more than $120,250, while the bottom 10% earn less than $59,450.

Median Annual Salary for RNs

$77,600

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University Of California San Francisco

The Pediatric Nurse Practitioner provides advanced clinical practice in the care of children, across the health and illness continuum and across practice settings. The curriculum includes classroom and clinical experiences encompassing advanced health assessment, physiology and path physiology, management of common and complex health/illness conditions, family, child, and adolescent theory and development, nutrition, and advanced practice nursing role development. There is a strong emphasis on addressing health disparities by preparing Pediatric Nurse Practitioners who have the expertise to work with diverse, vulnerable, and underserved pediatric and adolescent populations.

Founded In: 1864Tuition & Fees Approximately: $3,834 per quarterFinance and Admission Office Contact: 476-1435Apply Now:

Critical Care Registered Nurse Pediatric

• What it Is: The CCRN certification is for nurses who work with acutely and critically ill children. Its offered by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses .
• Who its For: This certification is for pediatric nurses who work in intensive care units, cardiac care units, trauma units, or critical care transport.
• Requirements: Applicants must have an RN or APRN license and clinical experience that ranges from 1,750-2,000 hours in the past 2-5 years.
• Exam Prep: The three-hour exam includes 150 questions about clinical judgment, professional caring, and ethical practice. It can be taken on paper or computer. The AACCN offers study aids on its website.

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Q: What Should Students Know About The Education Needed For The Field

First of all, I would want them to make sure they seek out a program that is going to steep them in evidence-based practice and how to search quickly on the Internet for the best available evidence.

They should ask questions about what kind of clinical experiences they will be getting. How many instructors or faculty members does the program have in proportion to the number of students? I would be thrilled if a student came to my school and knew that evidence-based practice was the way that nursing and medicine were being practiced today.

Employment Specializations In Nursing

Pediatric nurses that earn a degree from an accredited school will typically launch a career in pediatrics. Many will exercise a direct employment arrangement whereby students work for an organization during school and transition to full-time work after graduating. However, some pediatric nurses will choose to utilize their degree in various capacities. With additional training or certifications, a pediatric nurse can specialize further as a child psychiatrist, adolescent nurse assistant, occupational therapist, Registered Nurse, school nurse, infant nurse consultant, LPN, physician assistant, social work, or respiratory therapy.

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Bachelor Of Science In Nursing

• Prerequisites: Youll need a high school diploma or a GED, plus coursework in chemistry, microbiology, anatomy, and physiology.
• Core Curriculum: Students will take advanced courses covering health assessments, research, management, and care competencies and skills.
• Clinical Requirements: Clinical curriculum can include clinical rotations, labs, and simulation work. Requirements will vary with each program, but students can expect to train in a variety of clinical settings for 700 to 800 hours.
• Time to Complete: A BSN typically takes four years to complete.

Q: What Are The Benefits Of Pediatric Nurse Practice

The biggest reward for nurses in this area is the tremendous feeling of satisfaction that you get from knowing that youve kept adults and children healthy. That has always been nursings focus. There is a lot of sadness in the world and a lot of sick children and adults. Helping parents provide for their children so that they have a healthy life is very, very gratifying.

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Rankings: The 100 Best Nursing Schools In The West

For our 2022 rankings, the research team at Nursing Schools Almanac collected data on nearly 3,000 nursing schools and campuses throughout the United States. We included the following states within our West rankings: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. We evaluated each nursing school in the region on three dimensions:

• The institutions academic prestige and perceived value
• The breadth and depth of nursing programs offered
• Student success, particularly on the NCLEX licensure examination

We then combined these assessments into an overall score and ranked the schools accordingly. For a detailed description of our assessment methodology and dimension weights, please see here.

Oregon Health And Science University

Soon after opening in 1887, the University of Oregon established several healthcare-related schools, such as its medical school in 1915 and the nursing school in 1932.

In 1974 the various health care academic facilities amalgamated and became Oregon Health and Science University. OHSU had the goal of âsetting the example for integrity, compassion, and leadership.â

OHSU only offers a three-year BSN program, meaning you would have to do your prerequisite courses before applying. For students going into nursing, you have to have a GPA of 3.0 in order to get into the program.

Once in the program, students have the advantage of studying in some of the best healthcare facilities in the country, easily making OHSU one of the best colleges for nursing.

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What Is Pediatric Nursing

Pediatric nursing is a specialty that demands attention to detail, extreme compassion and well honed communication skills, among other things. Providing nursing care for pediatric patients can be both highly rewarding and heartbreaking at the same time, so if you are thinking of going into this nursing specialty, we applaud you already. Read on to learn more about what pediatric nurses do and career information.