Ashley Smith
RN, MSN, CPNP-PC/AC
Ashley Smith, RN, MSN, CPNP-PC/AC, was born and raised in North Dallas. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Clemson University in 2006; Masters of Nursing from the University of Alabama - Birmingham in 2015. She is honored to be a part of the team at Pediatricians of Dallas since 2015. Previous nursing experience includes working at Children's Medical Center and Medical City Children's Hospital.
In her free time, Ashley enjoys spending time with her husband, Wade, and their daughters: Tilly Kate and Taylor. Outside of the office you can find Ashley cheering her girls on at all of their events. She is also an active member at Highland Park United Methodist Church.
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, 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.
