PNP to FNP

Specialties NP

Updated:   Published

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What would be the requirements/process for a current PNP to be eligible sit for an FNP boards? Anyone have experience with this?  We have an excellent PNP working with a specific  population with a chronic illness that is now living into adulthood. > 30 years of age.  How difficult would it be for this PNP with expertise in managing this unique population, to also see adults?

1 Votes
Specializes in Med-Surg/Tele/ER/Urgent Care.

Isn’t the age limit for peds 18? They would have to complete FNP program and pass certification exam. It maybe considered out of scope to see adult patients but check with BON.

1 Votes

Agree. Just wondering if there is a post NP certification available to go from PNP the FNP. Just wondering if anyone has done this and what is required - course work and clinical requirements.  

2 Votes
Specializes in Med-Surg/Tele/ER/Urgent Care.

I know some WHNP, Geriatric NP, 2 Adult CNS, & Psych NP that pretty much had to complete the entire FNP curriculum with the exception of the portion they were already certified in. The WHNP got to skip the Women’s Health semester, however both the Adult CNS & Psych NP, Gero NP to complete the entire FNP program. It may depend on the program the PedsNP attended & the FNP programs they apply to.

2 Votes

Ugh. Thanks. 

1 Votes
Specializes in Med-Surg/Tele/ER/Urgent Care.

GNFamily Practice is “cradle to grave”, a broad scope of practice.The education is intense to cover peds, women’s health including prenatal/post partum, geriatric and general adult health. And basic psych, for example depression/anxiety. In my program we did use DSMV. Your reaction is interesting.

1 Votes
On 12/24/2021 at 3:27 PM, daffymom said:

Just wondering if there is a post NP certification available to go from PNP the FNP.

The person would complete a post-masters certificate to sit for the FNP boards. Just to clarify, when other posters are saying they'd have to complete the entire FNP program, they could skip a lot of the common core coursework that's shared by all NP programs (3 Ps--patho/pharm/assessment, all of the leadership/statistics/professional practice BS).

Usually post-masters NP certificates can be done in a year; for instance, if I were a PNP, I could do a one-year neonatal post-masters certificate to become an NNP. FNP might take a little longer because they have more total clinical hours than other NP progams given their broad scope of practice. It wouldn't take as long as 'redoing' NP school or starting from scratch, but it would still take a while (including several months of spending 2-3 days a week in clinical). After that, as PPs have said, they'd have to pass the FNP boards.

I agree that peds 'graduates' are a tricky population as they transition to adulthood, especially with 'pediatric-specific' conditions (we see this a lot with congenital heart disease). At least where I work, our hospital is having to build out entire adult-focused programs with adult providers for those specific conditions (like adults living with congenital heart disease).

2 Votes

Thanks. Really appreciate your comment 

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