How to become an er np or surgical np?

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Specializes in Family Practice & Emergency Department.

i've been looking around and haven't seen any np program with my specialty of interest. So would i just need to complete a fnp program and then move onto a fellowship? Or would i just need to go the cns route? I would like to be a np in the er or a cardiothoracic surgical np. Any help on how to go about this? I greatly appreciate any info. :)

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What exactly do you envision yourself doing when you say cardiothoracic surgical NP? In million years I would never let an NP do anything in MY cardiothoracic surgery other than standard first assist type of things. Until all the programs start requiring gross anatomy and intensive surgical rotations, I don't think NPs belong there!

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Specializes in Family Practice & Emergency Department.

i envision myself consulting the patient and assesing them for or with the surgeon before the opereration and first assisting in the OR and then checking up on post-ops.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I can't speak to cardiothoracic APNs but in the ER, you either need an FNP with intense ER clinicals or two programs; one for adults and one for peds.

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i envision myself consulting the patient and assesing them for or with the surgeon before the opereration and first assisting in the OR and then checking up on post-ops.

In our hospital you would need an ACNP and RNFA. If the position also does peds then you would need a PACNP also.

David Carpenter, PA-C

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I would recommend you check with your state board of nursing (or the state board in which you want to practice). For example, to work in an ED (ie, work on pt's in monitored beds) in Maryland, the BON requires ACNP. The only drawback there is that you wouldn't be able to see kids unless you have also FNP or PNP. (FNPs are allowed to work in areas of fast track/urgent care). I would also venture to guess that to be a first assist and see pt's pre and post op in the hospital setting, the Maryland BON would require at least ACNP, and prob RNFA- like David said.

I would def start by checking with the your BON-- and also, search for jobs that are posted right now to get a feel for what possible, future employers might be looking for. Hope this helps... It's a big decision picking a specialty- one I tossed back and forth for months.

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Specializes in Surgical and Medical ICU.

Surgical PAs assist in harvesting SVG for open heart cases. How wuld this be any different?

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Surgical PAs assist in harvesting SVG for open heart cases. How wuld this be any different?

Mainly because PAs have a surgical rotation within their program.

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Mainly because PAs have a surgical rotation within their program.

Its a little more complicated than that. PAs scope of practice is derived from the supervising physician. So if the supervising physician is a CV surgeon then this is within their scope. The reason ARC-PA requires a surgical rotation with operative experience so that PAs have basic knowledge of surgery.

NPs scope of practice is defined by their licensure, certification and training. Depending on the state the powers that be (either credentialing or BON) has determined that the appropriate advanced practice credential is the RNFA. Medicare has determined that the RNFA does not meet the requirements for NPP so they require NP or CNS (in states that consider them APNs) certification. Some states you can work in the OR with either the NP (CNS) or RNFA certification. In others its both. To bill for medicare requires NP (CNS).

David Carpenter, PA-C

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Specializes in Family Practice; Emergency Medicine.

I believe there MAY be an Emergency NP certification/program curricula somewhere.......no surgical NP programs out there.......as of yet....the best thing to do for surgery would be get your FNP training, and find a surgical group interested in hiring an NP....I've seen NPs do everything from round on pts, assist in surgery and harvest the vein grafts for a cabg......they will cross train you.......

as for ER......I recently spent about 3 years practicing in the ED.....likewise, I was really just cross-trained there and learned as I went.....but, that was after my initial couple years in practice in a family practice/urgent care setting.....

ACNP----acute care nurse practitioner may be the way to go and make you more marketable for the ED....

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Specializes in ER, OR, PACU, TELE, CATH LAB, OPEN HEART.

I just returned from AACN NTI in DC. While there I spoke with a representative from Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. They have a fairly new program that is a DUAL certification FNP/ACNP with focus on Emergency Care. The program is MSN, 5 semesters, first two on campus, the following three semesters "flexible weekend workshop format", with the fifth semester a clinical immersion in emergency care. Requirement is BSN/RN and two years recent clinical experience.

Here is the link:Vanderbilt School of Nursing

Good Luck.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Emergency, Education, Informatics.

I seem to recall a problem with some graduates of the Vandi program being able to work in a state, because they didn't have enough of the appropriate clinical in each area. I don't remember reading if that issue was resolved, so that may be a non issue. You just have to do your homework when choosing a school. Sometimes it's not the Docs and the Medical Boards that are our problem, it's our own boards of nursing.

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