Just some random NP questions

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Hey guys this is my first post and I've been reading a lot about NP's and still have some questions. Hopefully it's not too much of a time sink for you guys, and thanks in advance.

If you go into a certain specialty and later decide you want to do something else, do you have to go completely through the other program or can it be truncated because you're already a NP in something else?

Are there many NP's doing surgery, or are they most like PA's who first assist?

I know this has been talked about, but I thought it would be nice to have it all in one thread, but what are the roles and options of each to the NP specialties?

Thanks again for your time

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Specializes in Cardiology, Psychiatry.

Once you have a MSN in a certain speciality you can take a post-Master's certificate for another. For me I'm currently in a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner track, when I'm finished, if I wanted to have my Family NP, I just have to take the classes I didn't have to take with the other one. As far as surgery, I'm not sure. I would imagine it would be more like assisting, simply because a NP does not get the required training to perform surgeries.

As far as the roles, each speciality has its own requirements. For me, as a psych NP, I will only be able to prescribe psych meds. It would be considered outside my scope of practice to prescribe cardiac or diabetic medications. Family/Adult is broad range, allowing for basically all treatments of adults/family. Peds is the same in that respect. At my school they also offer a Oncology NP which would be only for oncology. Each state is also different too. In Florida and Geogoria, NPs can not prescribe narcotics. Hope this helps.

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Specializes in ER; CCT.
Hey guys this is my first post and I've been reading a lot about NP's and still have some questions. Hopefully it's not too much of a time sink for you guys, and thanks in advance.

If you go into a certain specialty and later decide you want to do something else, do you have to go completely through the other program or can it be truncated because you're already a NP in something else?

Are there many NP's doing surgery, or are they most like PA's who first assist?

I know this has been talked about, but I thought it would be nice to have it all in one thread, but what are the roles and options of each to the NP specialties?

Thanks again for your time

Welcome to the boards. In my area there are many NP's assigned to surgical services, but they mostly work in the pre and post op environment. If it's surgery you are looking, please check out the RN first assist deal. Although I don't know any personally, I'm sure there are NP's out there that have dual functions. Here's a link for your review:

http://www.austinareaaorn.org/BeingaRNFA.htm

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