PMHNP getting a post-doc FNP?

[talu84606]

I'm graduating from a PMHNP program-family specialty this May (hooray!) and while I absolutely LOVE my psych program, my clinical placements, courses and whatnot, I am seriously considering heading back to school as soon as I can (like in 2013 hopefully) to get a post-doc certificate as an FNP. Now, while the thought of more school at this point in my life fills me with dread just a little bit, the thought of getting becoming an FNP fills me with joy. My logic is this, I am currently living in the city while I finish school and I'm fine with living in the city for few more years, for however long it takes for me to complete ALL my schooling basically, but eventually (sooner rather than later) I want to go back home, which is pretty rural. And that's the kicker I guess, I want to have a wide range of skills, because in a rural setting you sort of need to be a one-stop-shop and I know psych is woefully under-represented everywhere, especially rural communities, but it's also more difficult to find pure psych NP jobs in rural setting. Most places I've seen need the medical aspect just as much as the psych part and I want to give myself lots of options and training. I've met and worked with a few rural FNP's and actually known one rural FNP who was actually getting her PMHNP certification, so I know there is some sort of market out there.

Anyway, the long and short of it is, would it be professionally more logical to wait a few years, get some much needed experience under my belt and then go back for FNP certification or should I get the schooling done now when I'm young and have fewer obligations/responsibilities? I'm sort of of the mind of just get it out of the way now, but I wanted to see if that made any sort of sense in the real world and I figured you all here might have some idea of how useful FNP certification is and if it's really worth it.

Thanks!

[cecej]

I'm in a somewhat similar situation. I'm starting my FNP program in June and was thinking about getting a post-doc pmhnp, or do both while in school. Is that possible and how long does it normally take to do one after the other?