Pediatric Nurses:
Who are they and
What do they do ?
A Profile of School Nurses and
Certified Pediatric Nurses (CPNs®)
Janet S. Wyatt, PhD, RN, FAANP
Executive Director – IPN
Sandi Delack, MEd, RN, NCSN
NASN Past President & IPN Board Member
Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN ) Exam
®
Launched 1989
Founding Leadership –
Donna Wong, PhD, RN, CPN
Total Certified Oct 2011 = 15,220
Definition of Pediatric Nursing
• Includes health promotion, acute & chronic illness
management and health restoration of infants,
children, adolescents & their families.
• Pediatric nurses practice in a variety of settings & roles
such as direct caregiver, educator, consultant,
advocate, or care coordinator.
• Pediatric nurses assess, analyze, plan & implement
nursing interventions & evaluate outcomes.
Knowledge & Skills linked to pediatric nursing practice??
•
Practice Analysis - Largest research survey ever
completed of practicing pediatric nurses – over 2800
respondents
•
Respondents identified a total of 72 pediatric nursing
knowledge competencies and tasks critical to
pediatric nursing practice
•
These competencies and tasks are reflected in the
exam
PNCB’s 2008 Practice Analysis Study
Total CPNs = 15,220
89%
CPNs by Highest Degree (n= 15,220)
66%
25%
9%
Dedicated , Experienced - CPN®s

Certified an average of 6 yrs
(range 0-30 yrs)
 With current employer = 13 yrs
(range 0-49 yrs)

93% Plan to remain with current
employer for next six months
Examples of Competencies/Tasks on the CPN Exam
Assessment
•
•
•
•
Assess physical status, growth and development
Assess nutritional status of child
Assess barriers to care
Assess & report signs of abuse and neglect
Health Promotion
• Teach health promotion strategies to child/family
e.g. safety, infection control
• Discuss environmental factors that influence health
Examples (cont.)
Management
• Monitor for patient responses and adverse
reaction to medication
• Manage pain
• Identify and intervene when patient needs
immediate care
• Nursing procedures (e.g. physiological
monitoring, F&E admin., med. admin.)
Top Five Illness Conditions
Respiratory
Gastrointestinal
Infectious Disease
Neurology
Emergency Trauma
CPN Exam Content Outline (cont.)
Professional Role
Incorporate evidence-based findings into
practice
Participate in disaster preparedness
Recognize legal applications in clinical situations
(e.g. assent)
2008 CPN ® Content Outline (150 questions)
Assessment (30% )


Physical – Growth and development
Psychosocial/Family
Health Promotion (10%)
Management (50%)



Illness
Psychosocial/Behavioral
Chronic Care/End of Life
Professional Role (10%)
2008 Pediatric Nursing Scope and Standards
Pediatric Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice. A
collaborative document combining pediatric nursing Scope
& Practice documents from the ANA, SPN and NAPNAP
Six Standards of Pediatric Nursing Practice
◊ Assessment
◊ Planning
◊ Diagnosis
◊ Implementation
◊ Outcomes Identification
◊ Evaluation
2008 Pediatric Nursing Scope and Standards
11 Standards of Professional Performance
◊ quality of practice
◊ education
◊ collegiality
◊ collaboration
◊ professional accountability
◊ ethics
◊ resource utilization
◊ leadership
◊ research
◊ advocacy
◊ professional practice evaluation
2008 – Published by ANA, NAPNAP and SPN
“School nursing is a specialized practice of professional
nursing that advances the well being, academic success,
and life-long achievement of students. To that end, school
nurses facilitate positive student responses to normal
development; promote health and safety; intervene with
actual and potential health problems; provide case
management services; and actively collaborate with
others to build student and family capacity for
adaptation, self management, self advocacy, and
learning.”
NASN Membership Survey Results
(~15,000)
92% Caucasian
29% Nationally Certified (NCSN)
14% > 36 years experience
86% public schools
Education
50% Bachelors
28% Masters
10% Associate
*3% are NPs
• Most work directly for
public schools
• All work within public
health.
NASN 2007 Membership Survey
National ratio of RN to students = 1:1151
National Board for Certification of School Nurses
27% HEALTH APPRAISAL
28% HEALTH PROBLEMS AND NURSING
MANAGEMENT
20% HEALTH PROMOTION/DISEASE PREVENTION
10% SPECIAL HEALTH ISSUES
15% PROFESSIONAL ISSUES
250 test questions
Does your district/school use electronic student health records?
56% use
electronic
health
records
(2009 NASN
Survey)
Potential New Knowledge/ Practice Competency
Emerging Issues Affecting School Nursing Practice
More school children are uninsured, underinsured and
undocumented – public health departments depend on school
health services for these children
Increasingly complex care is provided in schools to medically
fragile children and children with chronic health issues - schools
hiring RNs to serve specific (special needs) students due to
regulatory requirements
Physical and psycho-social health status of children is
confounded by new social and environmental threats
Fragmented & underfunded school health resources
Knowledge Expectations in Pediatric Nursing Practice
CPN
Assessment (30% )
•
•
Physical Assessment
Psychosocial and G & D
Health Promotion (10%)
Management (50%)
• Illness
• Psychosocial/Behavioral
• Chronic Care/End of Life
Professional Role (10%)
NCSN
27% HEALTH APPRAISAL
28% HEALTH PROBLEMS AND NURSING
MANAGEMENT
20% HEALTH PROMOTION/DISEASE
PREVENTION
10% SPECIAL HEALTH ISSUES
15% PROFESSIONAL ISSUES
Is this content in Undergrad BSN/RN Education ?
Are We Preparing
Nurses For These
Important Roles?
Thank You!
QUESTIONS?