FNP wanting to specialize

It depends a lot on where you will be hired and what will be your scope of practice. If you work outpatient in, say, cardiology office, you can expect to be trained. Where I am, many FNPs work for specialists practices, both in- and outpatient. But, AFAIK, it can be dufferent if you want totally different specialty. Working only in women's health will require you to get postmaster's certificate and become Board certified in this specialty. Sometimes employer can pay for this (again, where I am now, hospitalist FNPs are mass sent to nearest online school to do that, hospitalist practice footing the bills) but these NPs are employed there for years, they are not fresh grads from school.

Hello everyone.

I am currently in school to become a FNP. I am wondering if once I graduate, if I want to do something else besides be a FNP in a primary care clinic, will I need further certification or will I have to take more classes?

For example, right now I think I am interested in OB/GYN. Besides taking boards for FNP, will I have to take boards for anything else to practice as an OB/GYN NP? Will I be allowed to practice as an OB/GYN NP with only an FNP certification?

I don't know if I will have to take another semester of classes specializing in this or if a job could hire me and I would just receive on the job training for it.

Thank you in advance!

Just curious here. If you wanted to do OB/GYN why didnt you become a midwife?

OB/GYN would mean you'd need post masters certification program for midwifery. If you don't want to deliver babies women's health post masters program would open more doors in GYN clinics.

You can do a lot with FNP if you have proper TRAINING in the area but ideally you'd be certified in the areas. To be certified you must go through a program that qualifies you for certification.

Not necessarily. You could of course apply but most likely these jobs would go to a Women's Health NP..

I honestly think it just depends. I have a friend who is a AGNP, yet she works in a OB GYN office specializing in oncology.

My current OBGYN is a family nurse practitioner; she has no specialization or additional certification.

FNP encompasses Women's Health. As a FNP student I was taught by both WHNP & midwife (pelvimetry, prenatal/postpartum,contraception including implanting & IUD insertion & of course paps, no further certification required. Delivery of babies is not part of FNP scope though. Family Practice includes care of women, men & children. It is known as "cradle to grave".

In my state, the FNPs can't deliver, but they can do all the family planning, contraception, pelvic exams, and other gyeno work they want.

Yes you CAN work OB/GYN (aside from delivering babies) as a FNP (I have a former classmate who is currently in an OB/GYN clinic as FNP) BUT...

if you know you want to work in OB/GYN why not do Women's Health? If a potential employer in a OB/GYN clinic has to choose between a FNP and Women's Health NP who do you think they will offer a job to?

If you KNOW KNOW KNOW it's where you want to be and you do NOT want in primary care why would you bother with FNP? If you think you're okay in primary care then keep with FNP and if when you apply for OB/GYN jobs you don't get many bites maybe go back for post master's.

I think it really depends on what area of the country you are in. In ND, the vast majority of NPs are FNPs. Yes, there are a few WHNP, NNP, PNP, PMHNP, AGNP, etc, but VERY FEW. By far the majority of NPs working in the specialty areas are FNPs. I work in primary care which of course FNPs are ideally trained for, but as far as I know, the specialty areas train FNPs on the job. I know that is true for my classmates that work/worked in specialty areas.