Program Overview

Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner MSN Program

The Duke University School of Nursing Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner program positions you as a leader in clinical practice, health equity, and pediatric advocacy. The program develops nurse practitioners (NPs) to provide family-centered, equitable care for pediatric patients across the pediatric lifespan and developmental stages (newborn to age 25 years). Starting in 2025, graduates will also be prepared for dual certification in pediatric mental health.

Program Description

Primary care pediatric NPs promote health and well-being and manage common acute and chronic pediatric physical, behavioral, and mental health conditions across a variety of clinical settings. To prepare you for this, our program builds a foundation on evidence-based practice to provide the highest-quality and most scientifically grounded health care to pediatric patients and their families.

Our primary care pediatrics NP program offers a strong focus on health equity and the social, cultural, societal, and environmental factors that influence the health and wellness of children and adolescents. You will also focus on developing your technical skills in a nationally certified simulation lab using emerging technologies.

Pediatric Primary Care NP Post-Graduate Certificate

For students who already have a master’s from an ACEN- or CCNE-accredited nursing school or in another approved discipline, we also offer a Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Post-Graduate Certificate. This program allows you to build on your expertise with specialized skills and knowledge, advancing your career potential.

Program Highlights

Earning your MSN in primary care pediatrics at Duke offers you a number of advantages, including:

• Dual certification: Starting in 2025, we will be one of the only programs in the country that prepares graduates for dual pediatric behavioral mental health specialty certification as part of the standard pediatric primary care NP program.
• Distance-based learning: Our pediatric NP program is distance-based, with interactive online learning experiences, clinical placements near where you live, and hands-on campus intensives. This flexibility allows you to continue working while pursuing your degree.
• Global clinical network: Duke’s extensive footprint allows you to complete your clinicals near home through our network of more than 2,000 worldwide facilities and practices. You’ll work with our clinical placement team to facilitate this process and be placed in clinical settings that prepare you to be a pediatric expert.
• Prioritizing your success: We provide extensive instructional support and resources, including lifelike simulation experiences. Our MSN faculty are experts in distance-based education and are committed to advancing the role of nurse practitioners.

Full-Spectrum Pediatric Curriculum

Our primary care pediatric curriculum emphasizes content areas such as:

• Behavioral issues
• Health maintenance
• Management of common acute and chronic pediatric illnesses
• Patient and family education
• Prevention

Career Opportunities

Nurse practitioners are in high demand, and our pediatric primary care NP MSN equips you to meet this exceptional need. Potential career paths include:

• Pediatric primary care clinics
• Community health centers
• Schools and school-based health centers
• Outpatient specialty clinics
• Urgent care clinics
• Homecare agencies

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects job opportunities for advanced practice registered nurses to grow up to 38% by 2032, making it one of the fastest-growing career fields in the country. While exact figures vary depending on location, experience, practice specialty, and other factors, the BLS reports a median annual salary of $129,480 for APRNs, with the highest 10% earning more than $211,820.

Program Director

• Malinda Teague, DNP, RN, CPNP-AC/PC

Dr. Malinda Teague earned her B.S. from Vanderbilt University, her MSN from the MGH Institute of Health Professions, and her DNP from Duke University School of Nursing, where her DNP project focused on evaluating pediatric sleep and its impact on behavior when assessing attention deficit disorders in children. She also holds dual certification as a primary and acute care pediatric nurse practitioner. Dr. Teague has worked across the country in pediatric rheumatology, pediatric emergency medicine, urgent care, and pediatric primary care settings in both clinical and leadership roles.

MSN Faculty

Our internationally renowned faculty foster a supportive learning environment that prioritizes your academic and professional success. They bring their real-world experience as nurse practitioners into the classroom, equipping you with the knowledge and skills needed to excel in your field.

The Duke Difference

• Earn your Duke nursing degree or certificate while you continue to work.
• Discover our unwavering focus on creating innovative, nurse-led models of care.
• Learn from experts in distance-based and hybrid education for over 20 years.
• Learn and practice at one of the most advanced health systems in the world.
• Our faculty are leaders in their field, with real-world clinical experience.
• We have exceptional students, learning alongside talented and dedicated classmates.

MSN Admissions

The MSN program employs a holistic admissions strategy. We consider each candidate’s unique life experiences alongside their academic performance, grades, and test scores. This ensures that our nurse practitioner students represent the diversity of patients you will care for in your career.

Financial Aid and Scholarships

As part of our mission to meet the needs of nurse practitioners nationwide, Duke School of Nursing offers a variety of financial aid options for MSN students. These include a merit-based scholarship and federal loan opportunities to fund your MSN degree.