Arizona State University’s Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation offers 2 Acute Care Nurse Practitioner tracks:
- Doctor of Nursing Practice – Advanced Nursing Practice (Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner)
- Graduate Certificate – Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Cost | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| DNP– Advanced Nursing Practice (Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner) | $27,000 – $33,000 | About 3 years |
| Graduate Certificate – ACNP | $6,400 – $7,700 | About 1 year |
Both tracks use a hybrid learning format with online coursework and required campus visits several times per semester.
Signature features include structured clinical placements across Arizona, access to underserved and rural care settings, and preparation for pediatric acute care certification.
DNP – Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
The estimated cost for the DNP – Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program is approximately $27,000–$33,000 for Arizona residents and would take about 3 years to complete full time.
DNP Curriculum
The DNP pathway includes 85 credit hours and blends doctoral-level core content with advanced pediatric acute care coursework and a final scholarly project.
Students study evidence-based practice, leadership, informatics, and advanced pediatric-focused care.
Required Core (13 credit hours)
DNP 704 Principles of Evidence-Based Care in Advanced Practice (4) Builds competency in evidence-based practice principles to support clinical decision-making for advanced practice nurses and healthcare professionals.
DNP 705 Health Care Outcomes Management (3) Applies outcomes management methodology to measure patient and system-level results from evidence-based practice adoption.
DNP 708 Systems Thinking in a Complex Health Care Environment (3) Examines systems principles and their application to innovation within the U.S. healthcare system.
DNP 709 Individual and Innovation Leadership in Healthcare Practice (3) Develops innovator competencies including risk-taking, workload management, and navigating innovation challenges.
Concentration (26 credit hours)
DNP 606 Principles of Pediatric Acute Care I (3) Establishes theoretical foundation for assessing and managing complex acute, critical, and chronic conditions in pediatric patients (birth-young adult) across tertiary, emergency, and specialty settings.
DNP 607 Advanced Pediatric Acute Care Practicum I (6) Clinical application of assessment, diagnosis, and management skills for pediatric patients with complex acute, critical, and chronic conditions.
DNP 619 Principles of Pediatric Acute Care II (3) Advances theoretical knowledge in pediatric acute care management, continuing body-system analysis of emergent conditions in complex pediatric populations.
DNP 620 Advanced Pediatric Acute Care Practicum II (6) Continued clinical development in pediatric acute care assessment, diagnosis, and management across tertiary and specialty settings.
DNP 643 Developmentally Based Care of the Well Child (3) Covers theory-based developmental care of well children with anticipatory guidance strategies for families.
DNP 644 Well Child Advanced Practicum (2) Clinical application of developmental care principles for well-child populations.
DNP 649 Advanced Physiology (3) Integrates molecular, cellular, and systems-level physiology across the lifespan using clinical scenarios. Provides foundation for advanced pathophysiology and specialty coursework.
Other Requirements (40 credit hours)
DNP 601 Theoretical Foundations for Advance Practice Nursing (3) Analyzes interrelationships among theory, philosophy, practice, and research in advanced nursing.
DNP 602 Evaluating Research for Practice (3) Develops skills to critically analyze scientific literature for clinical application.
DNP 604 Advanced Human Pathophysiology Across Lifespan (4) Core pathophysiology and genetics concepts for advanced practice nursing across the lifespan.
DNP 609 Advanced Practice Nursing Role (1) Examines APN role development, historical/political influences, doctoral-level education rationale, and contemporary practice challenges.
DNP 641 Advanced Health Assessment Pediatrics (3) Skills-based pediatric health assessment including history-taking and physical, functional, developmental, and psychosocial evaluation (birth-21).
DNP 642 Applied Pharmacotherapeutics for Pediatrics (3) Evidence-based pharmacotherapy for pediatric disease treatment, health promotion, and maintenance.
DNP 679 Biostatistics: Principles of Statistical Inference (3) Statistical inference principles applied to epidemiological, medical, nursing, and healthcare data analysis.
DNP 703 Innovation in Communication-Scholarly and Professional Writing (2) Reviews scholarly and professional writing principles including APA format and plagiarism avoidance.
DNP 711 Healthcare Policy and Innovation (3) Explores political, organizational, and economic dimensions of healthcare policy with innovation strategies.
DNP 712 Clinical Residency and Management (12) Demonstrates DNP competencies through portfolio documentation and implementation of Evidence-Based Clinical Applied Project.
DNP 715 Dynamics and Principles of Information in Health Care (3) Analyzes and applies healthcare information sources across research, evidence-based practice, translational research, and quality improvement.
DNP Clinicals
Students complete 1,125 total clinical and residency hours, including 600 hours of direct supervised patient care with physicians or nurse practitioner preceptors.
Some students may be required to complete clinicals in Phoenix if additional supervision is needed.
DNP Admissions Requirements
- Bachelor’s or master’s degree in nursing
- Minimum 3.0 GPA
- Current, unencumbered RN license (plus Arizona or compact license)
- Three recommendation letters
- Goal statement and resume
- Background check and drug screening
- Interview required
- One year of relevant clinical pediatric experience preferred
Graduate Certificate – Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
The estimated cost for the Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Graduate Certificate is approximately $6,400–$7,700 for Arizona residents and would take about 1 year full time.
Certificate Curriculum
The certificate is 20 credits and focuses strictly on pediatric acute care specialization. It is designed for board-certified nurse practitioners or doctoral-prepared nurses seeking additional credentialing.
Required courses:
- DNP 606 Principles of Pediatric Acute Care I
- DNP 607 Advanced Pediatric Acute Care Practicum I
- DNP 619 Principles of Pediatric Acute Care II
- DNP 620 Advanced Pediatric Acute Care Practicum II
Certificate Clinicals
Students complete 600 supervised clinical hours. Clinical experiences may occur across Arizona, including underserved and rural areas.
Those outside Maricopa County must help secure local clinical placements and may be required to travel to Phoenix.
Admissions Requirements
- Bachelor’s and master’s degree in nursing
- Minimum 3.0 GPA
- Current, unencumbered RN license (plus Arizona or compact license)
- National certification as a Primary Care Pediatric NP (FNPs with pediatric experience may be considered)
- Resume, transcripts, essay, and professional recommendations
- Interview required
- One year of pediatric acute care experience preferred
Tuition
Online graduate tuition ranges from approximately $650 to $1,332 per credit depending on program and residency status.
The DNP and certificate fall within this tuition range.
View tuition details for more information: https://tuition.asu.edu/cost
Accreditation
The DNP program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Both tracks prepare graduates for national Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Acute Care certification, subject to state regulations.
Other Nursing Programs at ASU
- BSN pathways (traditional, accelerated, and RN-BSN)
- Master of Science in Nursing
- Multiple DNP specialties such as FNP, PMHNP, Adult-Gerontology NP, Women’s Health NP
- Post-master’s certificates including Emergency NP, Primary Care Pediatric NP, and Family NP
Additional ACNP Programs for Arizona Residents
- Grand Canyon University - Phoenix
- University of Arizona - Tucson