Drexel Online Launches Pediatric Primary Care and Pediatric Acute Care NP Programs

Drexel Online Launches Pediatric Primary Care and Pediatric Acute Care NP Programs

April 2, 2014

Drexel University Online and the Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions are pleased to announce the creation of two new programs, the Pediatric Primary Care and Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (NP) MSN and the Pediatric Acute Care NP Certificate.

The curricula will prepare students for opportunities in advanced nursing roles in the pediatric health and wellness spectrums. Students will learn how to effectively deliver care to infants, children and adolescents with acute and complex health disorders. After successfully completing the programs, students will have the skills necessary to find success as clinicians, educators and researchers.

Upon graduation, students in the MSN program are eligible for the Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Certification exam through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB). Graduates of the MSN and certificate program are eligible for the Acute Care Pediatric exam offered through PNCB. Prior to enrolling in the MSN program, students must have at least one year of pediatric experience in an acute or inpatient setting and must be Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certified, which is required of healthcare providers who respond to pediatric emergencies.

“Students graduating from the dual option program will have a variety of employment opportunities in the inpatient and outpatient acute-chronic pediatric practices,” said Cheryl Mele, MSN, PNP and an assistant clinical professor in the College of Nursing and Health Professions. “There is a growing need throughout the country for advanced pediatric nurse practitioners in a variety of clinical settings. The dual option will make the candidate optimal for employment prospects.”

As the track director of the MSN in Pediatric Primary Care and Pediatric Acute Care NP program, Mele brings more than two decades of pediatric and neonatal settings experience to the program. Mele’s specialized focus resides in pain management and palliative care for infants, children and adolescents. Recently, The Journal of Pediatric Nursing published Mele’s article, “Tissue Engineering with Stem Cells: An Innovative Technological Treatment in Pediatrics Disorders,” which explores the potential that stem cell tissue engineering could have on treating pediatric disorders and examines the types of stem cells that are used for tissue regeneration.

The MSN and certificate are available starting this fall and are taught by internationally-recognized faculty from Drexel’s School of Nursing and Health Professions. Both online programs are fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, a national accreditation agency officially recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education for its work in higher education in nursing. 

For more information on these programs or to enroll, please click:

• Pediatric Primary Care and Pediatric Acute Care NP MSN
• Pediatric Acute Care NP Certificate