PNP Students Present Research on Screening for Anxiety in Pediatric Primary Care

Three Columbia Nursing doctoral students presented their recommendations on anxiety screening in pediatric primary care at the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners’ (NAPNAP) National Conference on Pediatric Health Care, held March 10-13, 2025, in Chicago.   

Nico Miller, Jocelyn Velazquez, and Julia Klein, students in the Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Program, reviewed current anxiety screening practices and offered evidence-based recommendations for early detection and management of anxiety in pediatric patients in their poster presentation. 

“The purpose of our research was to highlight increasing mental health concerns — particularly anxiety disorders — being seen in pediatric primary care settings,” Klein said. “We conducted a narrative review to inform best screening practices for pediatric providers and highlighted first-line management strategies when anxiety disorders are identified.” 

She added: “The conference reinforced the scarcity of pediatric psychiatric providers across the country, and the opportunity that PNPs have to fill this gap in care with appropriate training and guidance.”  

Contemporary Pediatrics covered the research in an article published earlier this month.