Fnp vs AG ACNP ... whats the difference? Is one "better" than the other?

[Aik0]

Hello everyone. I was wondering what the difference is between the two. Are you more marketable as an fnp or ag acnp? Does one or the other limit where you can practice? For example, can you only work in primary care as an fnp and not in the ER? How about with a specialty? Im interested in becoming a NP and ultimately practicing in orthopedics but im not sure which masters would be "better". Which one do employers like better...if any? How did you decide on your np degree?

Thanks

[Aik0]

Can someone move this to the student np forum? Thanks.

[zzbxdo]

It's highly regional and subjective per organization. Fnp doesn't mean you can't practice in critical care, I know several friends doing primary care going strait to acute care. They also have most of their RN experience in critical care. You definitely do get more clinical exposure in a acnp program.

[Aik0]

I talked to one of the recruiters at a school about their masters program and she told me that insurance companies will no longer reimburse NPs if they are practicing outside their "Scope" ie... if an FNP is woking in the hospital or if an AGACNP in an outpatient/primary care setting. Has anyone heard of this? I was interested in scrubbing in the OR (being a first assist) and maybe seeing patients in the clinic also. Can I do this as a FNP?

[sirI, MSN, APRN, NP]

Thread moved to Student NP forum.

[zzbxdo]

My region only has 1 acnp program. I work in a burn ICU and my nps are fnps, along with many fnp friends I know working in a variety of acute/cc settings.

[Dranger]

My region only has 1 acnp program. I work in a burn ICU and my nps are fnps, along with many fnp friends I know working in a variety of acute/cc settings.

My hospital does not hire FNPs anymore, exclusively ACNPs. Depends where you go.

[lwsoccjs]

In response to Aik0, I hope insurance companies actually continue to push for this. Fnp is not trained for acute care so why should we be practicing there? Makes no sense , more of a want than a need. Just because you feel the entitlement to work where ever does not make it right. Specialize in the area you want to practice there is no specialty that allows everywhere. So I am in an Fnp program because I want to practice from peds to adults in primary care , outpatient, with subacute instances or continuum of care. An AG in primary should work only with adults handling there primary care with all their commodities, and finally a AG in acute is the fast tracks or hospital seems pretty simple to me. Just because you know people with an Fnp is ER doesn't mean it's right, no different than any other backwards scenario that you see occur.

[pro-student]

With the Consensus Model, the push is to get NPs to practice within the scope that corresponds to their certification. Primary care NPs (FNP, PNP, AG/ANP) should really either be in primary care settings, or seeing patients for primary care issues. There are lots of places where this isn't happening but the goal is to tighten down and insurance, state policy, and maybe even accreditation bodies are likely to part of that effort.

It's important to understand that APNs in the US are trained and certified around specific populations (how RNs are trained in other English-speaking countries) and are not generalist. Yes even FNPs.