Emergency NP...any regrets?

[Mdavidsoninc]

Hello guys! I was hoping to reach any grads or students from an ENP program. Do you regret spending the extra time completing a program like this? Do you find having certification in both family & acute in your current practice or job searching helpful or unnecessary? I have the option to start a FNP program or a ENP dual program next month and looking for a little guidance. It's 8 semesters vs 9 semesters and I am thinking of going longer for more education. My 12 year career has been in the ED with a short stint in Burn ICU. I see myself doing ED work after graduation or possibly hospitalist/ICU. I'm not seeing myself in a clinic M-F but not ruling it out completely. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[chillnurse, BSN, RN, NP]

i would just do family then work for a year or two and attend seminars to learn skills needed for ER. Might be nice to learn to put lines in and such but at least in my area the docs do all the lines. Just trying to save you some $$ in the long run. I am sure you already know much of the skills needed for er anyway with your previous experience.

i work in the hospital only with an fnp degree. I'm sure you could do the same for sure.

[Mdavidsoninc]

Thanks for the response. Actually the dual program will cost me less but after reading the bad reviews of the dual program I'm scared to accept. An FNP friend in my area said if she were me she would do the dual program but it also wouldn't matter too much in our area.

[chillnurse, BSN, RN, NP]

cost less? hmm, why does it have bad reviews? I can't really comment on an enp program itself. I always just figured its best to get out of school as fast as you can. better to get paid for getting experience than spending unpaid time in clinics. good luck with what you choose to do.

[matthewandrew, NP]

In california you can't practice internal med if you don't have ACNP. They're phasing out FNP being able to practice inpatient. Now they can only so fast track ER.

Matthew, RN

[zmansc, ASN, RN]

In california you can't practice internal med if you don't have ACNP. They're phasing out FNP being able to practice inpatient. Now they can only so fast track ER.

Matthew, RN

Do you have a reference for this? I see several job postings for FNPs in CA ERs.

[Corey Narry, MSN, RN, NP]

I'm trying to avoid this topic because first of all I'm not an Emergency Departement NP. However, since California was mentioned, I'd have to weigh in a bit. There is no California Board of Registered Nursing rule that only ACNP's work in in-patient roles. However, there are institutional preferences in some hospitals where certain roles are only open to ACNP's. In the Bay Area, the hospitals where the ICU NP groups work only hire ACNP's for the ICU role but it does not mean that other NP's do not get hired in other in-patient roles because they actually do.

[zmansc, ASN, RN]

I'm trying to avoid this topic because first of all I'm not an Emergency Departement NP. However, since California was mentioned, I'd have to weigh in a bit. There is no California Board of Registered Nursing rule that only ACNP's work in in-patient roles. However, there are institutional preferences in some hospitals where certain roles are only open to ACNP's. In the Bay Area, the hospitals where the ICU NP groups work only hire ACNP's for the ICU role but it does not mean that other NP's do not get hired in other in-patient roles because they actually do.

That makes more sense. I think it's the same here in NM.

In some of the most rural facilities the NP may be the only provider in the ED. These facilities often prefer FNPs because they can serve the entire patient population. As the town/facility grows, so does the staffing of the facility.

My own ED is staffed by a MD/DO (rarely one who is board certified) full time and an NP/PA 12hr/day. All of the NPs are FNP, they did consider an ACNP, but ultimately decided against that and I know part of the issue was how would we handle the pediatric patients. The physician's take most of the lvl 1-2 pts, but not all, it is between the two providers how they choose to divy up the patients.

I know in the city next to us, their ER is staffed with one MD/DO (usually board certified but not always), one NP/PA in the main ed and one NP/PA in the fasttrack area. Their main ED operates very similar to ours as far as the NP/PA staffing/patient load.

I don't know about the level 1-2 trauma center, teaching hospitals, etc sized facilities.

[allennp]

As Juan said in here in WA state we see very few ACNP, and most.... All??? Of inpatient positions are held by FNP at least In The university and level 1 centers.

Mostly the same in the private hospitals around that I am aware of. The larger centers have internal credentialing for any procedures you do just as they have for the residents and fellows or require proof of same. All ER's that I know of will only hire FNP's due to the kid issue.

[PG2018]

What does an ENP train in? Basically, I'm asking is that a hybrid of acute/family? ER can be A LOT of primary care stuff probably more so than emergent. Sounds interesting. If my state had that, I'd probably study and train in it just for enlightenment. I am, however, a psych guy.