NPs currently working in Peds

[Stroudry]

For the NPs working in pediatrics, are you a PNP? FNP? ect?

I am looking to go back to school. I want to get my NP - Ideally I would like to work in pediatrics, but I am unsure if I want to get my FNP or PNP. I don't want to limit myself too much. I worked with infants after nursing school, but work with adults now. I know I prefer pediatrics, but would rather work than not work. I am leaning towards FNP for that purpose. However, I've noticed locally many of the pediatrician offices use only PNPs - I'm not entirely sure if that's just a coincidence or if they prefer to hire PNPs.

I searched, and have seen this posted a few times, but many of the posting over a few years old. I was just trying to get feedback from NPs working in the pediatric field.

THANKS!

[Annaiya, NP]

This tends to vary a lot by area it seems, so looking at what the peds offices in your area are hiring is a good idea. Where I am, PNP is definitely preferred. If you are an FNP with experience, you could probably get hired into a peds only position, but I haven't seen ads or met any new grad FNPs that start in peds only positions. Also, talking to some PNPs who precept a lot of students, the general opinion seems to be that FNP students are horrible with the kids and have no clue how to work with kids. One of my preceptors said she refuses to precept FNP students anymore, because of the number of bad experiences she's had. If you really want to see kids, and be good at it, I'd suggest PNP. If you later decide you want to see some adults you can always go back for a post-masters certificate for adults.

[JeanettePNP, MSN, RN, NP]

To echo what Annaiya said, it really depends on where you are. In more rural areas, FNP's may be preferred because there may not be enough peds patients to make an exclusively pediatric practice. But in bigger cities you are more likely to find work in pediatrics as a PNP than an FNP. In a PNP program you will get much more pediatric-specific education and skills as opposed to spending maybe one semester learningn about pediatric conditions. Honestly, in my school the FNP program was only one semester longer than the PNP program, and I don't see how that one extra semester could possibly give you enough grounding in treating patients of the entire lifespan. In school health though I have encountered many FNPs, maybe because of all the reproductive health they do with teens.

[rnsrgr8t]

I think it depends, as others have said, the area where you are. Where I am, the pediatric hospital hires PNP's and FNP's (probably an equal mix". You have to have 5 years pediatric experience to be hired though (they count RN experience). I precept tons of grad students and primarily precept FNP students (the local U does not have a PNP program) and I found them to be wonderful. You are limited though to only ever working with pediatrics for your career with a PNP. I worry sometimes, with the economy being the way it is, how hard it would be to find another job if I had to. I picked PNP when I went to grad school because I had only worked with kids in my RN career and had NO interest in treating adults, AT ALL. Since you have a nursing background in both, FNP may work fine for you. Do some research locally and talk with local PNP's and FNP's to see what the market is. Good Luck!