NP specialty similar to postpartum nursing?

Published

Hi guys,

I'm currently finishing up my BSN program and I plan on going into postpartum nursing. Eventually I'd like to become an NP, and I'd like to find a specialty close to postpartum. I read about Perinatal NP but I'm not sure if this is really a "thing" because I can't find any perinatal NP programs, just pediatric NP or women's health NP. Any suggestions for what advanced practice careers would most closely relate to caring for newborns and mothers? I've also considered going the CNM route but I'd like to hear about what kind of NP specialties there are.

Thank you!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

Hello futurenurse1620,

We moved your thread to the Student NP forum for the best response.

Good luck with your plans.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

It sounds like you want to be a CNM...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Neonatal Nurse Practitioner.

Copy and pasted from my notes:

A nurse practitioner is a type of APRN. There are quite a few specialties. Think of them like medical residencies. Yes, you have to choose before you start. There is a good bit of overlap but none can do everything that any of the other can. It's becoming more and more common for NPs to be dual ceritified to expand their scope of practice (FNP/PMHNP, FNP/AGNP-AC -> emergency, PNP-PC/PNP-AC). As more and more states implement the consensus model, NPs become restricted to the role they went to school for. It’s not a bad thing. NPs looks bad when, for example, an FNP gets a job in an ICU and needs total on-the-job training because they didn’t learn any of it in school.

The most common is FNP - trained in PRIMARY CARE of people across the lifespan. This includes uncomplicated maternity care, but not delivery. FNPs are not generalists and aren't trained for acute care. States following the consensus model do not allow them to work in acute care settings.

WHNP (Women's Health) - primary care of women across the lifespan. More emphasis on OBGYN than FNP (Only CNMs deliver babies)

AGNP-PC (Adult/Gerontology-Primary Care) Emphasis on primary care from about 13 yo to old age.

PNP-PC (Pediatric Primary Care) Primary care from birth to about 21 yo. (Why would you choose this instead of FNP? Pediatricians around me are hiring PNPs more often because they do all of their clinicals in peds instead of just 1 semester.)

AGNP-AC (Adult/Geri Acute Care) - Acute care of adults. May work in hospital or specialty clinics

PNP-AC (Pediatric Acute Care) Acute care of children

NNP (Neonatal) Acute and primary care of infants up to 2 years old. Most NNPs work in NICUs with premature and critically sick infants. (Obviously the best specialty ?)

PMHNP (Psychiatric Mental Health) - psych and mental health care across the lifespan

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Neonatal Nurse Practitioner.

This doesn't mean that new specialties can't be created. They need specific educational standards, a certifying body, and state recognition. Emergency is a specialty that's starting its path towards this. There is a certifying body, but most states don't recognized ENP as an individual specialty and schooling is currently either FNP + experience or FNP + AGACNP.

There are also unregulated sub-specialty courses that usually add on to FNP or AGNP like palliative care or oncology.

Currently, CNM in a birth center is all I can think of that would meet your goals (plus some). In most hospitals, the OBGYN/midwife cares for the mother and pediatrics cares for the baby.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
On 2/8/2019 at 7:32 PM, NICUmiiki said:

Currently, CNM in a birth center is all I can think of that would meet your goals (plus some). In most hospitals, the OBGYN/midwife cares for the mother and pediatrics cares for the baby.

This is true. The baby factory in my city uses this model. The obstetricians and CNMs care for the mother and fetus up through delivery, and then the pediatrics service will assume the care of the infant after delivery.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion