Advanced Practice Provider Fellowship

The Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Pediatric Acute Care Fellowship offers a comprehensive and supportive one-year educational experience tailored for newly graduated and early-career nurse practitioners and physician assistants/associates specializing in pediatrics or neonatology.

Our program is crafted to instill competence through a collaborative, interdisciplinary and evidence-based approach. This philosophy is seamlessly woven into every aspect of the fellowship, including training, clinical rotations and didactics, ensuring that graduates acquire versatile and transferable skills.

Why Choose CHLA

Our Office of Advanced Practice has developed a multifaceted approach that integrates high-fidelity simulation, evidence-based practice and team-based care, offering our fellows a rich and immersive learning experience. At the heart of our program is a commitment to providing exceptional care to our diverse patient population, and we extend this commitment to cultivating a diverse and inclusive environment for our fellows.

Key features of our fellowship:

• 2,000 hours of mentored pediatric acute care experience: Fellows gain invaluable hands-on experience through approximately 2,000 hours of mentored pediatric acute care, solidifying their clinical skills and confidence.
• Monthly holistic didactic content: Engage in sessions designed to provide a comprehensive and holistic understanding of pediatric care, incorporating the latest evidence-based practices.
• Interdisciplinary educational opportunities: Collaborative learning experiences foster collaboration and understanding across different health care roles and specialties.
• Scholarly project: Fellows will complete a meaningful scholarly project, allowing them to contribute to the advancement of pediatric health care.
• Mentorship: Our structured mentorship program ensures personalized guidance and support throughout the fellowship journey.
• Structured evaluations and feedback: Receive regular and constructive feedback, enhancing continuous learning and professional growth.
• Pertinent clinical rotations: Explore diverse care teams and areas of the hospital that are relevant to your chosen track, offering a well-rounded and specialized learning experience.
• Immersion in CHLA’s culture and mission: Learning CHLA’s mission and values will support your professional development as you align with the institution's commitment to excellence in pediatric care.

Program Fast Facts

• Tracks:
  • Critical Care:
    • Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Cardiothoracic Surgery and Emergency Department core rotations
    • Open to pediatric nurse practitioners and physician assistants/associates
  • Neonatal:
    • Newborn and Infant Critical Care Unit, newborn nursery and delivery core rotations
    • Open to neonatal nurse practitioners and physician assistants/associates
• ANCC Advanced Practice Provider Fellowship Accreditation: Pursuing
• Fellows per year: 4
• Duration: 1 year
• Requirements:
  • Graduation from an accredited Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant/Associate program
  • Active, unencumbered California Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant/Associate License
  • Active Drug Enforcement Authority Registration
  • BLS and PALS Certification
  • National certification in specialty

Course Details

The APP fellowship features an immersive bootcamp, regular didactic sessions, a scholarly project and clinical rotations. Together, these elements create a robust and transformative year for our fellows.

Didactics

• Bootcamp: This two-week intensive is designed to introduce fellows to the culture and resources at CHLA, as well as explain regulatory requirements and the core elements of the APP role.
• Scholarly projects: Clinical improvement projects relevant to the fellow’s area of practice. Projects must be quality/performance improvement, research or evidence-based practice initiatives. Fellows will find guidance through dedicated project mentors and support from the Institute for Nursing and Interprofessional Research.
• Monthly didactics: Intensive daylong sessions. Led by interdisciplinary subject matter experts, these sessions leverage adult learning methodologies to expand the fellow's knowledge in pediatrics while incorporating wellness practices to prevent burnout. This dedicated time allows fellows to advance steadily in completing their year-long scholarly projects, ensuring an invaluable learning experience.

Rotations

Fellows engage in a dynamic rotation schedule, comprising both core and elective experiences tailored to their chosen track. Two to three immersive core rotations, each lasting three months, align closely with the enrolled track and may encompass areas such as the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Emergency Department, Newborn and Infant Critical Care Unit and Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit.

As the fellowship progresses, fellows explore further nuances of their specialization through two to three shorter, subspecialty elective rotations, each lasting one to two months. These opportunities are selected based on factors such as available positions, complementary learning potential for the enrolled track, and the individual fellow's areas of interest. Elective possibilities include infectious disease, palliative care and neurology, among others, contributing to a well-rounded and enriching fellowship experience.

How to Apply

Applications are now closed for the inaugural May 2025 cohort.

Anticipated next cohort start date will be October 2025.

Required Application Components:

• A professional CV
• Cover Letter/Letter of intent to include the following:
  • Statement of Interest which indicates your reason for applying
  • Limit to one page in length
• Two letters of recommendation will be requested once you have applied. They will need to be directly sent to the talent acquisition team by the reference.
  • One from a professor or clinical instructor
  • One from a current or former supervisor