The contribution of pediatric nurse practitioners to child health care.

The analysis of present and projected factors in child health care suggests that the future role of pediatric nurse practitioners is likely to be in settings other than the clinical office practice. The school is one setting in which pediatric nurse practitioners might provide preventive and well-child care to all children and additional services to children with special needs or with no access to traditional medical care. In this role, pediatric nurse practitioners are strengthened by their public health tradition. The knowledge they have accumulated in the course of serving communities provides the basis on which new approaches can be developed. The old title "Pediatric Public Health Nurse Practitioner" signifies most keenly the mission of the profession in child health care.