PNP or FNP for increased job opportunities?

[rnmindy]

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.

[BostonFNP, APRN]

Very wrong. What I am about to say is from my experience and observations. My sister is a ped rheumatologists. I was in nursing school when she was in med school and I was a new nurse when she was a resident. Her training and experience is completely different from a family practice doc. I have also worked with many peds residence so I know their experiences. Family practice docs do not go through all the peds specialties and if they do it is very brief. The depth of knowledge and experience of a pediatrician vs a family practice doc in peds is vastly different. I probably have more knowledge from being a PICU RN than a family practice doc in managing kids with chronic issues. In my opinion for a well child or simple illness, there's little to no difference. However, for complex illnesses a PNP or pediatrician would be better. There are exceptions, which are typically based on experience.[/quote']

Again. They get the same basic education to provide competent care. It is absolutely true. They would not be allowed to practice if their training and experience was not sufficient.

Specialities are a completely different beast. We are talking a out primary care. If your sister is a pediatric rheumatologist then ask her how comfortable she would feel treating a patient with diabetes, or an ectopic pregnancy, or metabolic syndrome, or Ewing's sarcoma. Primary care and speciality practice are different in breadth and depth of knowledge.

[JeanettePNP, MSN, RN, NP]

I'm not going to argue over "who knows more," but strictly in terms of qualifications and job opportunities, FNP does seem to give you the most bang for your buck. A FNP can legally do whatever a PNP, adult NP or WHNP can do, with at most 1-2 extra semesters of training. In fact I question why we even need all those other certifications if FNP's can be trained to do it all in about the same time as they can be trained in a specialty. An FNP who wants to work with kids won't need to go back to school later, whereas a PNP who decides later to work with adults will have to redo ALL the clinical courses. I'm thinking now of going back for FNP because I work in a practice that sees both adults and peds, and I feel restricted and limited in what I can do. Yet I am working (more than) full time now and it will be almost impossible to fit school into my schedule.

[tryingtohaveitall]

I'm not going to argue over "who knows more" but strictly in terms of qualifications and job opportunities, FNP does seem to give you the most bang for your buck. A FNP can legally do whatever a PNP, adult NP or WHNP can do, with at most 1-2 extra semesters of training. In fact I question why we even need all those other certifications if FNP's can be trained to do it all in about the same time as they can be trained in a specialty. An FNP who wants to work with kids won't need to go back to school later, whereas a PNP who decides later to work with adults will have to redo ALL the clinical courses. I'm thinking now of going back for FNP because I work in a practice that sees both adults and peds, and I feel restricted and limited in what I can do. Yet I am working (more than) full time now and it will be almost impossible to fit school into my schedule.[/quote']

I work with two FNPs who are having to do exactly that- go back to school for their post master's acute care PNP because the hospital requires it for pediatric acute care. So what you say is true for primary care but not if you want to specialize.

[JeanettePNP, MSN, RN, NP]

A PNP with primary care certification would have to do the same thing.