Neonatal NPs - seeking clarification

elichan · Oct 1, 2016

1) Was reading the AANP salary chart here:

https://allnurses.com/nurse-practitioners-np/highest-paid-np-1069540.html?

And came across this post:

"NNPs obtain national certification through the National Certification Corporation (NCC). Currently, all states, with the exceptions of California, Kansas, and Indiana, require national certification for NNPs to care for patients."

I sourced the quote and it seems to be from a few years ago. Does anyone know if CA, KS, and IN still have this exception? Does the exception mean you can work as an NNP in these states but just don't require certification? I was a little confused by the wording.

2) What are the best resources for finding out current salary info by specialty by state?

3) Most importantly, I am currently in an accelerated RN-NP program. I got my RN and the options open to me were FNP or PNP. They also have an NNP program but it requires neonatal nursing experience first.

I am only interested in treating children or newborns. I worked with both groups on RN rotations and liked those best.

So, I was told by one professor that the FNP degree will allow me to treat children exclusively if I wish. I started the program a month and a half ago.

Then, a different professor (NNP) tells me that I won't be able to treat only children. Best case scenario, if I go to a rural area where they don't care which kind of NP they hire, I may be able to treat just kids. But, there is no guarantee they wouldn't know better or care, in which case I would not be a desirable hire as an FNP. They advised as an FNP ordinarily I'd be working either exclusively with adults or working with adults 70% and kids 30% at best in a family practice environment.

I should mention I opted for FNP and not PNP at my school because I was told the PNP program is much more difficult and I have already found the intensity of the program grueling during the RN portion. I was also told the salary is significantly lower for PNP so that seemed like a big detraction as well. That program also has more clinicals and maybe one more class than I'm taking (and I'm taking 7).

Anyway, I talked to another professor (PNP) who confirmed the information the above professor gave me about FNP limitations. I was told I could always switch programs or do a dual but it will take longer. I really do not want to treat adults. I want to treat kids or newborns. That is the work I'll find more fulfilling. But, I don't know who to believe or where to find out the correct information, because everyone in positions of knowledge and advice is telling me contradictory information from one another.