Barbara Trueman Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Postgraduate Fellowship

Applicants selected for employment in the program must:

• Have graduated from an accredited Master’s PMHNP or DNP program within the past 18 months
• Be licensed as an RN and APRN in the state of Ohio
• Hold a PMHNP certification through the ANCC
• Hold a permanent DEA license

Please Note: One need not be fully licensed at the time of application; however, selected applicants must obtain all licenses before the start of the program.

Application

You will need the following components uploaded on your application.

• Current CV
• Three letters of recommendation
  • One letter must be obtained from each of the following individuals:
    1. Graduate Program Director
    2. Clinical Preceptor
    3. Manager from a current or previous position
  • All letters of recommendation MUST be on formal letterhead.

Apply Now – Application Open January 4 - February 12, 2027

Application Timeline and Interview Process

• Application for the 2027-2028 academic year goes live January 4, 2027 at 8:00 a.m. (EST)
• Application deadline is Friday, February 12, 2027 by 10:00 p.m. (EST) (All materials, including letters of recommendation, must be submitted as outlined above)
• Interviews will take place in March 2027
• Positions will be offered in May 2027
• Program start date: August 2027

The application review team will consist of the Fellowship Program Director, Fellowship Faculty Committee, and other members of the Behavioral Health team. Please contact the Program Coordinator with questions.

During this one-year fellowship program, the psychiatric nurse practitioner fellow will develop their own caseload of patients in general psychiatry and complete clinical rotations in the following specialty areas:

• Inpatient child, adolescent, and neurobehavioral units
• Consult Liaison
• Mood and Anxiety Program
• Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Extended Observation Suite
• Early Childhood Mental Health
• Psychosis Clinic
• Additional observation opportunities may include, but are not limited to:
  • Youth Crisis Stabilization Unit (YCSU)
  • Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
  • School-Based Services
  • Other Behavioral Health programs and clinical settings, depending on availability

Fellows will also have the opportunity to observe Electroconvulsive Therapy and The PAX School-Based Behavioral Program.

Didactic Lectures

Weekly lectures will include the following topics:

• Psychopharmacology
• Evidence-based practice
• Comprehensive diagnostic assessment
• Quality improvement project development
• Interdisciplinary Pediatric Behavioral Health Training
• Complex medical needs
• Professional development

Evidence-Based Fellow Project

Fellows participate in an evidence-based project during their fellowship program. Fellows meet once weekly with an Evidence-Based Practice Nurse Scientist or a Behavioral Health QI Consultant.

This provides an opportunity for the fellow to develop clinical leadership skills through research, development, and implementation of an evidence-based project. Fellows can choose a clinical topic of interest and have ongoing mentorship during the fellowship while leading a project from start to completion. This includes possible publication of the final project. The fellow will also have the opportunity to present the project at the Nationwide Children's Hospital Behavioral Health Quality Improvement symposium, conferences, or grand rounds. Projects will be related to Behavioral Health and could support a service line strategic initiative.

To expand the delivery of pediatric mental health care through the development of competent Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners to improve behavioral and mental health outcomes.

Program Vision Statement

We envision that our Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners will transform the landscape of pediatric behavioral and mental health care through our innovative and comprehensive postgraduate fellowship program.

Program Goals

• Provide advanced training for the novice Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner in order to achieve confidence and competency in all domains of full scope of practice when caring for children and adolescents with highly complex acute and chronic medical, developmental and mental health disorders.
• Investigate and integrate evidence-based care to promote safe clinical practice and apply quality improvement science to improve care.
• Develop our future Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner workforce to increase access to Behavioral Health services.
• Develop clinical leadership skills.
• Recognize the unique needs of the underserved population.
• Identify and incorporate concepts of inclusion to provide comprehensive patient care.

Program Objectives

• Provide advanced psychopharmacology training to gain expertise in medication management of children and adolescents with co-morbid psychiatric and/or medical disorders.
• Develop advanced assessment and diagnostic skills necessary to treat children and adolescents with complex acute and chronic mental health disorders.
• Provide opportunities for ongoing professional development and promote an environment of respect, support, and interprofessional collaboration.
• Expand critical thinking skills and promote professional curiosity and resourcefulness.

• Competitive salary
• Competitive benefit package
• Paid time off
• License reimbursement
• Access to wellness programs

• Meet Our Faculty
• Meet Our Fellows and Alumni

For more information regarding the program, please contact:

Vonda Keels-Lowe, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC, CPN
Program Director
Vonda.Lowe@NationwideChildrens.org
(614) 722-4770

Julie Tirado
Training Program Coordinator
Jared.Tirado@NationwideChildrens.org
(614) 938-0277