Pediatric nurse practitioners in the United States: current distribution and recent trends in training.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the current distribution and training patterns of pediatric nurse practitioners (PNPs).


METHODS
Secondary data analysis from the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and the 2008 US Census Bureau were used to estimate the distribution of PNPs per 100,000 children. Data on nurse practitioner (NP) graduation and specialty education programs were obtained from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.


RESULTS
PNPs have the greatest concentration in the New England and mid-Atlantic regions and a narrow band of Midwestern states. States that allow PNPs to practice or prescribe independently do not consistently have a higher density of PNPs per child population. There has been a slight decrease in the proportion of programs that offer PNP training. In the last decade, the proportion of NP graduates pursuing family nurse practitioner education has increased, and the proportion pursuing PNP education has decreased.


CONCLUSIONS
Workforce planning for the health care of children will require improved methods of assessment of the role of PNPs and the volume of care they provide. Increased use of PNPs in pediatrics will likely require greater effort at recruitment of NPs into the PNP specialty.
Freed
Gary L
GL
Child Health Evaluation and Research (CHEAR) Unit, Division of General Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0456, USA. gfreed@med.umich.edu
Dunham
Kelly M
KM
Loveland-Cherry
Carol J
CJ
Martyn
Kristy K
KK
D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D002568:Certification; D002648:Child; D004493:Education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D009722:Nurse Practitioners / Q000193:education* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009739:Nursing Services / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010371:Pediatric Nursing / Q000193:education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D010560:Personnel Selection / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010823:Physician Assistants / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000458:organization & administration; D013041:Specialties, Nursing / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology