Having provided an overview of paediatric nurse practitioner preparation in last month’s issue, debra sharu and katie barnes present a more personal perspective of the role

Since the first developments of the paediatric nurse practitioner (PNP) role in the US in 1964, US PNPs have been providing quality health care to children of all ages. Despite the firm establishment of the role, many UK nurses may still not be familiar with, or have a limited perspective of, what PNPs actually do in the US. As nurses in the UK continue to examine the boundaries and possibilities of advanced practice, the potential for diverse development within paediatric care should be explored and promoted. To assist UK nurses in this exploration and to pro provide them with a deeper, more personalised, insight and understanding of the role, PNPs practising in different parts of the US have been asked to talk about their practice and to share their views on some relevant issues. This article will look at these practitioners’ responses, focusing on variations in the scope and practice settings of the UK PNP.