CRNA or ACNP?

Nurses Career Support

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  1. CRNA or ACNP

    • 2
      CRNA
    • 1
      ACNP

3 members have participated

Hello everyone, I was accepted into a BSN program (it begins in just a couple of weeks and I am super excited!) and ever since I decided on a career in nursing I have known that I want to pursue a graduate degree. I know that I either want to pursue becoming an ACNP or a CRNA, I just can't decide which one I would like to pursue; so I figured I would ask for some opinions on both jobs! :)

So if you are either an ACNP or a CRNA, or you know someone who is, if you wouldn't mind filling me in on some of the pros and cons to each? Such as salary, typical work schedule, typical benefits, etc.

I know this may seem premature but I like to plan ahead and make fully thought out decisions; I am very detail oriented which is one of the reasons that I feel both of these jobs would be a good fit for me. Anyways, thank you for reading this long post, and if you can provide me some advice, it will be greatly appreciated!!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

It's always good to have a goal - very helpful for making decisions. However, you probably need to make sure that you are a good fit for acute care nursing before making a commitment (emotional or otherwise) to either of those AP choices.

I don't think it makes any sense to ask strangers to 'vote' on your choices when we know absolutely nothing about you - LOL.

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Thanks for the reply HouTx. I have already spent a lot of time in the ICU and CCU between working, volunteering and being the family member of a patient. I am friends with a couple of ICU nurses and have talked to them extensively about their jobs, and I will be requesting acute care for my clinicals. I know that I will be a good fit for acute care, emotionally and otherwise, but I agree that it was important for me to figure that out first.

Also, I added the poll so that if someone didn't want to actually write out a reply they could leave their opinion quickly; I had no intent of people 'voting' on which career I should choose, since as you said, they know nothing about me. I 100% agree, that wouldn't make any sense lol.

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Both positions require some flexibility and usually involve long hours. I know CRNAs that have to be on call a lot, work variety of shifts. Same is true of the ACNP depending on whether you are practicing in the ICU or elsewhere in the acute care setting. I am pretty sure the ACNP now have to have their Doctrate, not sure about CRNAs. Both pay really well, but you have to give up some of your personal life in both of these positions. Both have a lot of potential for growth, and with the new healthcare guidelines Nurse Practionners are suppose to be able to practice independently from MDs depending on which state you live. Both are good choices. Not sure if either is going to be "over flooded" and create job problems down the line.

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