FNP vs PNP

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I want to go back to school to become an NP, however I'm not sure if I should do FNP or PNP. My experience as an RN has only been in peds; I have no adult experience besides my clinical during nursing school. Any advice???

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

Well, I would imagine that an FNP would make you more marketable, because you could care for adults as well as peds.

What type of programs are there for you locally? I would not advise doing an online NP program.

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I live in NY. So there are programs online and in class.

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I can't comment about the ease or difficulty of attending FNP school with a peds background, but...

In my region, I've met PNPs who are having trouble finding jobs at peds offices. The pediatricians would prefer to hire FNPs (since they have more adolescent/adult/family/women's health focus). The PNPs found they were getting pushed into newborn nurseries and mother-baby units, which is ironic since they didn't necessarily like neonates.

I know it can vary a lot regionally, so I'd try to get more information about the geographic area you're most likely to work. One of my good friends, a PNP, had a great pediatric clinic job in one state, but moved to another state and took a hospital job on mother-baby since none of the local peds offices would hire her (even with peds NP experience!!!)

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