ACNP vs FNP

[indoamerican]

I am looking for NP programs and this encyclopedia of search resulted me in a land of oasis, I am unable to decide wheather I should opt ACNP or FNP hence seeking my fellow nurses advice.

I am more of an ER/OR guy and like ACNP (love the adrenalin rush), but parallelly I dont want to loose rendering primary care/hospitalist role. As if today there's a lot of crossing over between the two roles but talks are coming about the law changes, dnp programs, and people being restricted to their license scopes. I am in this oceanic dilemma. My dear fellow nurses with ACNP and FNP licenses could you all share your job experiences like what exactly you do, I think your replies would not only help me but would help thousands of other nurses who are in the same fix in choosing a speciality. Thanks to each and every one and good luck.

[suvatata94]

Yes. Its' called ACNP/FNP with ENP focus.

Tat.

[melmorris]

Do they have it as a distance learning track also ? Might be interested in that for myself - wouldn't take as long since I have the FNP part already -- So when you go to take your board certification - will you take both or the ENP one only?

[suvatata94]

Yes. They have distance format. I'm from Dallas. Actually driving Nashville this coming week:)

It Is actually not an official ENP certification. After I graduate I will have ACNP and FNP and also will be able to market myself as an ENP. If you already have FNP I would suggest to apply to ACNP with Er focus. A lot of hospitals soon will required for FNP's to go back to get their ACNP. Alot of Dallas hospitals already do.

I really have pnly positive comments about Vandy and you will hear this from all their students. They have 95% attritation rate.

Let me know if I can help. I have research a lot of NP's programs.

Tat.

[melmorris]

I live in New Braunfels TX, here most ER's are not requiring the ACNP to work - some of the hospitalist groups are using ACNP's now around here -- I remember actually reading an article not too long ago about a hospital up north somewhere that actually hired NP's to be hospitalists -- they worked along side and with the physician hospitalist groups but were employed by the hospital --

I currently work for a cardiology group and am mostly office based mainly because my workload is huge and I don't go to hospital - have on occasion gone over to do a quick stress test or two but that is about it -- we used to have a PA that worked with our docs in hospital only but when he quit they never replaced him --

I really like the office based practice - I have been with this group for 7 1/2 years so the pts are so used to me and many will only see me - They become very dependent sometimes - I run a coumadin clinic and a lipid management clinic as well as some nuclear stress testing in the office and then see pts for follow up visits, answer lots of phone calls, screen and make decisions on any outside labs/tests done etc besides a lot of other pieces of the practice - the day is long and goes by very quickly.

I also do some part time ER work too - and they have mix of PA's and FNP's ( mostly PA's currently) but no discussion of making us do the ACNP upgrade.

Best luck to you in your program and beginning your practice - I hope that you enjoy being a nurse practitoner as much as I do --

[in2bate71, BSN, RN]

Yes. They have distance format. I'm from Dallas. Actually driving Nashville this coming week:)

It Is actually not an official ENP certification. After I graduate I will have ACNP and FNP and also will be able to market myself as an ENP. If you already have FNP I would suggest to apply to ACNP with Er focus. A lot of hospitals soon will required for FNP's to go back to get their ACNP. Alot of Dallas hospitals already do.

I really have pnly positive comments about Vandy and you will hear this from all their students. They have 95% attritation rate.

Let me know if I can help. I have research a lot of NP's programs.

Tat.

Tat,

What made you choose the Vandy program over the ACNP program here in the DFW area? I'm looking at applying to an ACNP program next year and, for convenience sake, thinking about UTA but I don't know much about that program yet.

95% attrition rate?

Thanks.

[suvatata94]

Oops-sorry- I mean 95 graduation rate.:)

[shortlittleRN]

"95% attrition rate" !!! WOW!!! I'm glad that was a typo. Big difference between 'attrition' and 'graduation'. I'm currently in an FNP program now and due to graduate in Dec 2010. My initial plan was ACNP, but changed my mind before my clinicals b/c FNP is much more marketable; but still interested in ACNP. I'll have to take a look at Vanderbilt's program.