Acute Care NP

allnurses Guide · Dec 20, 2010

PM me if you want more info.

I know people who did ACNP at Penn and they loved it there too. I think it's more $$ than Pitt. The tuition rates are probably on the websites.

frUABgrad · Feb 10, 2011

: ) : )

hrodgers · Feb 15, 2012

So it's been awhile since I last commented on this thread, but I am still curious on a few things. I recently submitted my application to U Penn's ACNP program and am super excited, hopefully I'll hear for an interview soon! It's really and truly an ideal job description for me, but when I think about getting a job after graduation though, I continue to be a little nervous....Is it true that they are starting to tighten the laws and scope of practice for ACNPs and regular Adult/Family NPs? So that if you have an Acute Care degree, you can only work within ICUs or ERs and if you have the Adult/Family you can not? I'm just worried that if I can not find a job in an ICU and would like to branch out and work with a Cardiology team perhaps, that I would not be allowed because I would not be using all of my Acute Care skills and thus would not be fulfilling the requirements to maintain the license? Does this make any sense? The idea of investing so much time and money in an education and degree that will not produce a job afterwards is simply terrifying! As I've mentioned before, I would like to stay working in the VA system but would be willing to leave temporarily to gain some experience as an NP if that's what is offered... Just curious on this! Any and all ACNP's please comment and let me know the latest that you've heard regarding this situation... Thank you!

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Feb 15, 2012

So it's been awhile since I last commented on this thread, but I am still curious on a few things. I recently submitted my application to U Penn's ACNP program and am super excited, hopefully I'll hear for an interview soon!

Good luck! that's obviously a well-respected program. Do know that the Hosp of UPenn have many ACNP's on staff.

It's really and truly an ideal job description for me, but when I think about getting a job after graduation though, I continue to be a little nervous....Is it true that they are starting to tighten the laws and scope of practice for ACNPs and regular Adult/Family NPs? So that if you have an Acute Care degree, you can only work within ICUs or ERs and if you have the Adult/Family you can not?

ACNP training does not limit one to working only in ICU's and ER's. The program prepares you to provide chronic care as well as acute and critical care on the entire spectrum of adult health. You will be expected to be competent in the clinical care of patients with health problems affecting all body systems in a wide variety of settings including out-patient, ER, hospital wards, and ICU. Your clinical rotations will cover all those settings. Your only limitation with ACNP are strict primary care NP roles and peds.

I'm just worried that if I can not find a job in an ICU and would like to branch out and work with a Cardiology team perhaps, that I would not be allowed because I would not be using all of my Acute Care skills and thus would not be fulfilling the requirements to maintain the license? Does this make any sense?

You do not need to work in an ICU as an ACNP. For example, the field of Cardiology covers a wide spectrum of the health-illness continuum that goes from out-patient care to the full-blown decompensated patient with multiple drips in the CCU. It is absolutely acceptable for ACNP's to work in this specialty field, in fact, Cardiology is one area of specialization where many ACNP's work.

The idea of investing so much time and money in an education and degree that will not produce a job afterwards is simply terrifying! As I've mentioned before, I would like to stay working in the VA system but would be willing to leave temporarily to gain some experience as an NP if that's what is offered... Just curious on this! Any and all ACNP's please comment and let me know the latest that you've heard regarding this situation...

You'll have to keep an eye and an ear out for what fields your metro area hires NP's. I've never had problems getting hired as an ACNP in the cities I've lived in.

hrodgers · Feb 21, 2012

Thanks Juan - you are always so reassuring! I'm sure I'll have plenty of opportunity to due clinicals at HUP while I'm in school that may/potentially/hopefully lead to a job opporutnity after graduation. I don't work there but have heard great things about the hospital. I know finding an ACNP position is a lifetime away, first things first GET ACCEPTED, right?! I just always like to have a plan set out and it's difficult to forsee the possibilities 2-3 years away. And thank you for clarifying the scope of practice thing...I just hear different things from different people about the NP boards trying to 'tighten' the scope for ACNP and FNP/ANP to give them more distinct separation, because I guess for so long there has been a bit of overlap. Anyways, thanks again and I'm sure this won't be the last time we speak! Take care! (P.S. where do you work right now?)

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Feb 21, 2012

I am employed by the the medical center within the campus of the state university in San Francisco, CA (I think that's obvious enough without stating the medical center's actual name!).

kimposbl · Nov 22, 2012

Hi Juan, (or any ACNP who has an opinion) I currently work at your academic medical center in San Francisco, CA on a med/surg General/Specialty Surgical Unit and I'm planning to apply to the university's Adult Acute Care NP program. Have you seen ACNP grads get jobs in the ICU or ED although they have little to no critical care experience? I know one NP who works and follows pulmonary pt's in med/surg and ICU, even though she never had bedside experience in the ICU. I only have 1 yr of experience in the ICU when I was in NY, and now work on a med-surg floor since I relocated to SF and couldn't find a ICU position at SF's academic medical center. I am sad I may have lost my critical care experience since working on the med-surg floor for a year. But I'm still hoping to start the ACNP program before life gets too busy (e.g. having kids). Do you recommend waiting to apply to the acute care NP program, or just start the ACNP position right away hoping for an ICU opportunity to come up again?

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Nov 29, 2012

Hi Juan, (or any ACNP who has an opinion) I currently work at your academic medical center in San Francisco, CA on a med/surg General/Specialty Surgical Unit and I'm planning to apply to the university's Adult Acute Care NP program. Have you seen ACNP grads get jobs in the ICU or ED although they have little to no critical care experience? I know one NP who works and follows pulmonary pt's in med/surg and ICU, even though she never had bedside experience in the ICU. I only have 1 yr of experience in the ICU when I was in NY, and now work on a med-surg floor since I relocated to SF and couldn't find a ICU position at SF's academic medical center. I am sad I may have lost my critical care experience since working on the med-surg floor for a year. But I'm still hoping to start the ACNP program before life gets too busy (e.g. having kids). Do you recommend waiting to apply to the acute care NP program, or just start the ACNP position right away hoping for an ICU opportunity to come up again?

Like I've said before, ICU or ED experience is not a requirement for admission to most ACNP programs. However, if you are interested in a purely ICU position as an NP, your best chance of getting that is to have good ICU RN experience at the bedside. I won't say it's not possible for someone without good critical care experience to get hired but in order to be competitive in the field, one must have the experience to be placed on top of the candidate pool. With that said, there are many other fields aside from ICU that ACNP grads without critical care experience can easily qualify for.

shuccrn · May 21, 2013

I know this post is old, but I am considering going back for my MSN. Now, like most people, I'm not sure if I should go the ACNP route or the Adult NP route. If I were to go back to school for my ACNP and get my degree, but down the road change my mind and decide I wanted to to primary care... would the training I received be sufficient in a primary care setting? Any advice??

Thanks :)

allnurses Guide · May 28, 2013

No it would not. ACNP trains you for adult care. Most primary care requires all ages. In addition, ACNP trains you for care of ACUTELY ill patients, not for primary or preventative care. Some states don't prevent you working in the different areas, but you should work in an area for which you are licensed, educated and certified. You could do a post-masters FNP or ANP if you wanted to do primary care later.