FNP to ENP?

Specialties Doctoral

Published

I'm currently starting my 2nd year of FNP-DNP (2 out of 3 years). My goal is to work at in an ED (most likely starting in a level 2/3 ED and finally to a level one trauma as a NP). Is it hard to find an ED job as a FNP? And should I start looking for additional training to be ENP certified? I'm currently an ED RN for 3 years and would have another 2 years of ED experience while finishing up the FNP-DNP program.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

This doesn't actually answer your question but worth considering. In my area limited FNPs are only used in the urgent care part of the ED but they prefer an Emergency NP certification because they can work anywhere in the ED. License wise I think FNPs are fine in the urgent care section but if it were me would go ahead and get the board certification in the specialty I was focused on both for my skill set as well as the legal aspect.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thank you. I'm pretty interested in getting my certification-----but haven't found anything regarding FNP to ENP. There's a program that is both FNP-ENP, but that would mean I'd have to retake all their classes for the FNP program. Do you know if there's any programs for FNP to take to get ENP certified without having to go through the whole FNP program again?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

I'd google it but my guess is that like with other post-masters certs you would get credit for a few of the core NP classes and only have to take the ENP specific classes and do an additional 500 or so clinical hours.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

What about an acute care NP.?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care; Recovery.

The emergency certification is offered at University of South Alabama. It is a dual cert acnp and fnp. I was just accepted into this program. It is completely online except the clinical portion.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Outpatient Psychiatry.

As you may have read, a lot of the emergency-minded NPs do both acute care and family training. My state doesn't recognize the ENP cert, but if I wanted to work in the ED I'd probably take the national board test in addition to whatever tests I had to take (FNP, et al).

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Vascular Neurology and Neurocritical Care.

If you look on the ANCC website, you'll see that the ENP certification available by then is a portfolio certification only. This that you cannot get your INITIAL board cert with them. Per their requirements, you'll have to get board certified in another specialty like FNP, ACNP etc and have some ER experience, at which point you can qualify and apply for the ENP certification.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Tele, Cardiac Post Op, ER.

Are you ready to do rotating schedules for the rest of your career as a ED NP?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
Are you ready to do rotating schedules for the rest of your career as a ED NP?

Not everyone is enamored with M-F 9-5 thing, in fact I would hate it. I'm quite content doing rotating schedules for the rest of my career.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I actually prefer the rotation of schedules. The ED MD I work with do 10-12 hours shifts and they enjoy that. I'm also doing 12 hours shifts as an RN (for the past 5 years) and LOvE it. The reason I don't see myself working in a clinic is due to the 9-5 M-F schedule.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

The University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston offers an Emergency/Trauma program as a Master's and Post Master's. I have included the page info link.

https://nursing.uth.edu/prospstudent/msn-postmasters/emergency/

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment