FNP vs ACNP help!

[pink816]

hello-

I have been browsing the NP forums for a while and have a few important questions.

I am looking into NP but have heard a lot about how FNP is more practical because of being able to care for all ages. With being a FNP would I be able to do hospital rounding or is it mostly clinic/office work? I do like the hospital aspect of nursing. I don't think I would just want to be in an office all the time although that would have its benefits too.

I work in a cardiac ICU and really enjoy the cardiac aspect. Some of our NPs do make rounds for the physician so i guess my question is are they FNP or ACNPs? What are the pros and cons of both.

I also have heard about acute care NP (we have one at our hospital) but she is not able to work in the ER because kids may come through there. I don't wanna limit myself in that way, thats why I am thinking FNP is best.

I read about post masters certificate. What do people think about doing FNP and then getting post masters certificate. How much schooling is involved for a certificate?

Thanks so much for the help!

[hopefulprayers1]

Great question, I'm wondering the same thing also. If a person has an FNP and ACNP certificate are they still limited to adults in critical conditions? or can they treat children in critical conditions? and if they can't treat children in critical conditions are they still able to treat children in the er?

[UVA Grad Nursing]

FNP programs prepare you to be a primary care NP and to see patients in all age groups. The ACNP certification prepares you to see clients in inpatient acute and critical care settings.

Some states are adjusting their Nurse Practice Acts to align NPs to work in the settings that relate to their preparation. For example, primary care NPs may be prohibited from working in acute/critical care settings or in some specialty clinics.

In the past, hospitals and state boards were not as concerned about the how the certification aligned with the practice setting. This is no longer the case. At UVa's Medical Center, those with FNP certifications who are seeing patients in specialty units/clinics are being told to go back to school for post-masters ACNP certification. Many other academic medical centers are making the same move.

I would encourage you to consider what type of patient/setting you want to see. Then select the program appropriate for that type of practice