Child and Adolescent Health Clinical Nurse Specialist

This area of specialization provides in-depth knowledge of primary health care for children, adolescents and their families with a strong developmental and behavioral focus. Preparation for advanced practice in primary health care, early intervention, program development and evaluation, within urban and rural community environments is emphasized. The curriculum includes courses in advanced adolescent/pediatric assessment, nutrition and developmental pharmacology, with theory and research examining common and acute childhood and adolescent responses to health problems. Emphasis is placed on assessment, differential diagnosis, management of environmental stressors and developmental outcomes of children and adolescents as a result of actual or potential health problems associated with expected and unexpected developmental transitions, and acute or chronic physical illness and /or disabilities.

Admission Requirements

• Hold a bachelor's degree in nursing from an NLNAC or CCNE accredited nursing program
• 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale for all college coursework
• Three letters of recommendation
• 300 word essay describing professional goals
• Interview prior to beginning the program
• Current State of Ohio license to practice nursing
• Prerequisite courses: Undergraduate Statistics, Nursing Research, Basic Health Assessment, Computer Skills, Graduate-level Statistics
• One year experience with children in pediatric nursing

Application Deadline

Applications to the MSN program in Child and Adolescent Health Clinical Nurse Specialist are accepted on a rolling basis.

Assistantship/Scholarship Information

All assistantships (and any fellowships) are awarded through the academic department. Students interested in obtaining an assistantship must apply. New students may indicate on their online application for admission that they would like to be considered for an assistantship. Current students must contact the academic department for application information. Each department may have different requirements for assistantship applicants, so all students should contact the academic department to determine these particular requirements. Only those students fully admitted to a master’s or doctoral degree-seeking program are eligible for a graduate assistantship. Students admitted as non-degree seeking or to a certificate program may not hold an assistantship.

Financial Aid Information

Paying for college is a vital part of the education process. It is important to be informed of the many sources of aid available. Student loans are available to degree-seeking graduate students. Information on student loans can be found through the Office of Student Financial Aid. The Office of Student Financial Aid is located in Simmons Hall.

Tuition and Fees

Current tuition and fees schedules can be found through the Office of Student Accounts.