California NP's

[HeartRN90, MSN, RN]

I am looking into becoming an NP, I live in Los Angeles, CA. I know there are different types of NP's but in my work experience I've only come across Family NP's. Is that the only NP field that California really utilizes? I was interested in the Acute Care NP field but in looking for schools I don't see any other program offered apart from the Family NP license. Any information would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

[Corey Narry, MSN, RN, NP]

There are many types of NP's in California just like in any other state but majority of institutions across the state only offer FNP. However, the large universities in urban areas have other NP track offerings such as ACNP, WHNP, NNP, and Psych/Mental Health NP. In the LA area, UCLA and CSU-LA both have ACNP programs. Thomas Barkley, an ACNP, who offers review classes for the ACNP boards is a Professor at CSU-LA. I have met ACNP's who work at UCLA Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai. Before deciding on a track, I recommend you weigh the pros and cons of each and determine for yourself where you would fit best based on your career goals, your past nursing experience, and the kind of NP job market in the area you live in.