The Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Workforce: Meeting the Health Care Needs of Children

Evolving role of pediatric nurse practitioners

“…Since 1996, the number of NPs has nearly doubled, but these gains have not been equal across subspecialties (Schell et al., ). This is especially true in the case of PNPs, whose numbers have remained relatively stable in the past decade in spite of a steadily increasing need for child healthcare providers (Martyn, Martin, Gutknecht, & Faleer, ). Because of the unique effects of age, growth, and development, and responses to illness and injury on children's health, some authors have cited the need for practitioners who are specifically trained to care for children (Martyn et al., ).…”

“…This is especially true in the case of PNPs, whose numbers have remained relatively stable in the past decade in spite of a steadily increasing need for child healthcare providers (Martyn, Martin, Gutknecht, & Faleer, ). Because of the unique effects of age, growth, and development, and responses to illness and injury on children's health, some authors have cited the need for practitioners who are specifically trained to care for children (Martyn et al., ). Others note that the increasing demand for pediatric primary care is in part because of increases in low‐birthweight infants from delayed childbearing, increased rates of chronic illness, such as diabetes, obesity, and asthma among children, and a shift from family practice to pediatric care (Martyn et al., ; Schell et al., ).…”

“…Citing the unique qualifications of PNPs, Martyn et al. () noted that PNPs “enhance the quality of care through a patient and family‐centered approach with expert child and adolescent health knowledge and skill within a nursing context, providing high‐quality care to children, adolescents, and their families across all settings” (p. 402).…”

Meeting the needs of pediatric nurse practitioner students today: Challenges of implementing a new curriculum

“…[5] When it came to FNP patient profiles, observed that children, the majority of whom were ten years of age or older, only made up a small percentage of those who received care. [6] With these kinds of statistics, an alarming question is raised: if the curriculums of FNP and adult NP students don't fully address the needs of the pediatric patient, are there enough advanced practice nurses out there with a strong pediatric knowledge base?…”

“…[5] Given that we are teaching the future pediatric providers that are in need, it is imperative that we structure the student's learning environment in a way that best meets their needs and most efficiently prepares them for the workforce.…”