PNP or FNP for increased job opportunities?

Specialties NP

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Ok, I have applied for the University of South Alabama for their PNP-PC program and I really have only ever done Peds. I absolutely know that I don't want to do adults. I keep being told that I really need to do the FNP program because by only doing PNP I am severly restricting my job opportunities after graduation. I was told the same thing when graduating nursing school, that I should work on a Medicine unit for at least a year then transfer to a more specialized area. I NEVER worked on a Medicine or Telemetry unit and don't have the desire to. My location is south Louisiana. What are your thoughts as far as finding a PNP position in this area pretty easily after graduation? Thanks in advance for your input.

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Specializes in Emergency.

My thought is if you know what your passion is, go for it. It may be more difficult to find your first job (or may not, I have no idea about the job market there), but you will probably be much happier with the job you find. Also, your passion will make you better, and help you when you are networking and meeting others with whom you eventually will be a co-worker with.

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You know everyone keeps telling people who want to specialize not to - they try to funnel them into FNP programs for job security. The thing is, eventually the FNP market is going to be oversaturated and you can stand out in a pediatrician office interview by being the only one there actually trained in pediatrics..

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Specializes in PICU.

In some areas the FNP market is over saturated already. Just do what you want, because that is what will make you happy. And you are better prepared to care for kids as a PNP than you are as an FNP.

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Specializes in Anesthesia, Pain, Emergency Medicine.

Most of this is simply not true.

1. FNP can work anywhere so if it saturated in one part of the country, PNPs will also be saturated.

2. I am fairly sure that there are very few places that are saturated.

3. FNPs get basically the same pediatric training and there is no difference in care vs PNPS.

In some areas the FNP market is over saturated already. Just do what you want, because that is what will make you happy. And you are better prepared to care for kids as a PNP than you are as an FNP.
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Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.
Most of this is simply not true. 1. FNP can work anywhere so if it saturated in one part of the country PNPs will also be saturated. 2. I am fairly sure that there are very few places that are saturated. 3. FNPs get basically the same pediatric training and there is no difference in care vs PNPS. [/quote']

How does an FNP get the same training as a PNP? Seriously. I'm taking a peds specific pharm class. My friend, same school but FNP, is taking a more general class. She will have 1 peds experience. I only have peds experience. How exactly is our training the same? Our programs are basically the same length. So if she can get basically the same training in peds then why is my peds program so long? Oh because we don't basically have the same training.

I'm doing peds because I believe if all things are equal and 2 candidates walk into a peds hospital or office and one is an FNP and one a PNP...the PNP is more likely to get the job. Around here...you don't see many, if any, FNPs in primary care offices or at the children's hospitals.

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Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.
How does an FNP get the same training as a PNP? Seriously. I'm taking a peds specific pharm class. My friend same school but FNP, is taking a more general class. She will have 1 peds experience. I only have peds experience. How exactly is our training the same? Our programs are basically the same length. So if she can get basically the same training in peds then why is my peds program so long? Oh because we don't basically have the same training. I'm doing peds because I believe if all things are equal and 2 candidates walk into a peds hospital or office and one is an FNP and one a PNP...the PNP is more likely to get the job. Around here...you don't see many, if any, FNPs in primary care offices or at the children's hospitals.[/quote']

It seems strange but it's mostly true.

FNP programs have both pediatric and adult-Geri based pharmacology classes, patho classes, management classes, growth and development classes.

PNPs do have more clinical experience in pediatrics, on the whole, though I graduated with several FNPs that had almost 1000 hours of pediatric clinical time.

Many peds hospitals, at least academic centers, do hire FNPs because they can continue to manage their patients as they age.

Not exactly the same in the end, but there is a benefit and a drawback to each.

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Specializes in Anesthesia, Pain, Emergency Medicine.

There is no peds specific pharm. There is general pharm that all NPs take.

Part of the 3 Rs. :)


  • include at a minimum, three separate comprehensive graduate-level courses (the
    APRN Core) in:
    o Advanced physiology/pathophysiology, including general principles that
    apply across the lifespan;
    o Advanced health assessment, which includes assessment of all human
    systems, advanced assessment techniques, concepts and approaches; ando Advanced pharmacology, which includes pharmacodynamics,
    pharmacokinetics and pharmacotherapeutics of all broad categories of agents.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.
There is no peds specific pharm. There is general pharm that all NPs take. Part of the 3 Rs. :) [*]include at a minimum three separate comprehensive graduate-level courses (the APRN Core) in: o Advanced physiology/pathophysiology, including general principles that apply across the lifespan; o Advanced health assessment, which includes assessment of all human systems, advanced assessment techniques, concepts and approaches; ando Advanced pharmacology, which includes pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and pharmacotherapeutics of all broad categories of agents. [/quote']

I am taking a peds specific pharm class. My program requires 2 pharm classes. I have already takes advanced pharm. I now take a peds specific pharm course. So yes, there can be a peds specific pharm.

My friend in FNP is not basically getting the same education as me. She is not taking in 1 quarter what I take in 5-6 quarters of peds specific classes.

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Specializes in Anesthesia, Pain, Emergency Medicine.

No offense but pharm is pharm. what you are taking is probably therapeutics. Do you really think adult pharm is different from peds pharm or geriatric pharm etc?

I took a pharm class last year titled pharmacology for the ACNP. Guess what? It was no different from the pharm I had in my masters CRNA program. It was no different from my FNP pharm. it was no different from the 12 semester hours f my DNAP program.

pharm is pharm.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.
No offense but pharm is pharm. what you are taking is probably therapeutics. Do you really think adult pharm is different from peds pharm or geriatric pharm etc?

I took a pharm class last year titled pharmacology for the ACNP. Guess what? It was no different from the pharm I had in my masters CRNA program. It was no different from my FNP pharm. it was no different from the 12 semester hours f my DNAP program.

pharm is pharm.

I know what my class is. It is peds specific...therapeutic or not children are not adults. So again...my friend in FNP isn't learning in 1 quarter what I'm learning in 5-6 quarters. So our education in peds isn't "basically the same".

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Specializes in Anesthesia, Pain, Emergency Medicine.

Then your school is NOT following the consensus model. They are only hurting you although I fail to see how they teach "only" pediatric pharmacology. LOL

When you finish school and actually become a NP, you may figure out that there is really no difference in pharmacology. You just don't have the knowledge or experience to understand at this point.

Do you really think PCN given for strep throat in a 25yo works different in a 10yo?

Do you think treating a UTI in a 13yo with septra is different than treating a UTI in a 30yo?

Does it magically work different?

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