Curriculum design for educating nurse practitioners in adolescent health care

In light of the limitation of available health care services for adolescents and of the small numbers of personnel to provide those services, it seems an opportune time for nurse practitioners to develop their role in adolescent health care. This paper describes the curriculum of the Adolescent Subspecialty Track which is a part of the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program at the Yale University School of Nursing. One who graduates from the PNP program with a specialty in adolescent health care is able to practice as a PNP with an emphasis upon providing primary care to adolescents, to conduct clinical research, and to begin functioning as a leader in the profession. It is hoped that more nursing schools develop curricula for preparing nurse practitioners in the area of adolescent health care.