Amanda Bodwell
DNP, RN, CPNP

Amanda Bodwell, DNP, RN, CPNP, was born and raised in Texas. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Oklahoma in 2002; her Masters in Nursing from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2005, and her Doctorate of Nursing Practice Degree from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in 2010. She has worked as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner in the Dallas area since 2005 and as a pediatric nurse since 2002. Previous experience includes working for Children's Medical Center of Dallas in Cardiac Intensive Care and Pre-Surgical Assessment, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, and the Dallas Independent School District.

Away from work, Amanda enjoys spending time with her husband Michael and their three young children Luke, Kate, and Jack.

What is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner?

A Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) is a nurse that holds an advanced degree, usually Master’s of Science in Nursing, to practice as a nurse practitioner. This advanced training allows a nurse practitioner to perform physical examinations, diagnose and medically manage common childhood illnesses, and teach with focus on disease prevention. A PNP holds a nursing license from the State Board of Nurse Examiners with a specialty designation: a PNP receives prescriptive authority and is allowed to prescribe medications to treat childhood illnesses. A PNP works in collaboration with a pediatrician in most settings. Many of the skills of a PNP straddle both the role of a nurse (assessments, histories, diagnosis, and teaching patient/families) and the role of a physician (order diagnostic exams, order medications, treat medical diseases and patient/family education).

Scope of practice of a PNP:

• Serve as health provider for well and sick children from newborn through adolescence.
• Perform wellness and health maintenance examinations.
• Perform developmental screenings.
• Diagnose and treat common childhood illnesses.
• Provide anticipatory guidance regarding common child health concerns.
• Provide childhood immunizations.

The above information is from:

http://www.napnap.org/PNPResources/PatientInformation/WhatIsPNP.aspx

What should one expect when seeing a PNP?

When you schedule a visit with a PNP at Pediatricians of Dallas, the appointment format will be the same as seeing your primary pediatrician. Your child will be weighed and measured with a brief history obtained by the nursing staff. The nurse practitioner will then see you and your child–collect a history, review pertinent data for a well child examination, perform a physical assessment, order any necessary diagnostic examinations/immunizations, discuss important safety and health promotion tips, and treat any illnesses with appropriate medications. If the nurse practitioner feels a second opinion is needed during your visit, there will always be access to a pediatrician with whom the nurse practitioner can collaborate.

When might one see a PNP at Pediatricians of Dallas?

We are privileged to work with two outstanding PNPs. We utilize our PNPs in order to see your child in a timely manner. There may be an occasion when your primary care physician is unavailable and in those instances there is a PNP available to see your child. You may see a PNP for any well child examinations or sick visits.