Another thread got me thinking that this might be a good topic for people to consider before going to school. There are still students, practicing NPs, hiring physicians and school perpetrating the fallacy that FNPs are able to practice in any arena. Not true so before you spend time in an expensive program that might not allow you to be hired in your desired specialty please do your due diligence.
Some of it varies by state depending on your BON as well as local culture hiring practices. Examples include psychiatry. In my area, although as everywhere there is an extreme shortage, you can not practice solely in psych without a psychNP designation. Another example is acute care and emergency medicine. At this time hospitals in my area will not hire FNPs in the inpatient attending role, or in the ED although a few have managed to get in the ED in the Urgent Care section. Generally if you don't have an extensive background, documented orientation or fellowship in a specialty you probably shouldn't be practicing solely in that area, definitely check with your BON to clarify.
Please don't fall prey to employers and schools who have little regard for your license and scope of practice. As they say "its all well and good until somebody loses an eye".
Im merely researching this area right now, debating going to NP school. I have been told that getting your FNP is overall more marketable. An observation - I worked in a major East Coast pediatric hospital, and while there that hospital laid off a bunch of NPs.......and the Acute NPs went first, and then they told all NPs that they needed to get their FNP to continue employment. These were all NPs in specialist areas in NICU and sedation that I knew of, and I then left the facility, but I was told that that was the new trend. That an FNP could be oriented into an Acute NP role, but not the other way around. Again, I dont know much about this but its what I saw and was told about 2 years ago.
Im merely researching this area right now, debating going to NP school. I have been told that getting your FNP is overall more marketable. An observation - I worked in a major East Coast pediatric hospital, and while there that hospital laid off a bunch of NPs.......and the Acute NPs went first, and then they told all NPs that they needed to get their FNP to continue employment. These were all NPs in specialist areas in NICU and sedation that I knew of, and I then left the facility, but I was told that that was the new trend. That an FNP could be oriented into an Acute NP role, but not the other way around. Again, I dont know much about this but its what I saw and was told about 2 years ago.
I find this to be strange but it really is all up to the state board of nursing whether this practice is justified. Lot's of hospital do things without considering the BON which controls APRN scope of practice in every state. Some states are very laissez faire about what NP's can do, while others are very prescriptive in the variety of roles.
Im merely researching this area right now, debating going to NP school. I have been told that getting your FNP is overall more marketable. An observation - I worked in a major East Coast pediatric hospital, and while there that hospital laid off a bunch of NPs.......and the Acute NPs went first, and then they told all NPs that they needed to get their FNP to continue employment. These were all NPs in specialist areas in NICU and sedation that I knew of, and I then left the facility, but I was told that that was the new trend. That an FNP could be oriented into an Acute NP role, but not the other way around. Again, I dont know much about this but its what I saw and was told about 2 years ago.
Frankly that makes 0 sense. Pray tell the advantage of a FNP over an Acute Care NP in a hospital setting.
The only place there's a true advantage is in the ED, typically in the fast track because they can treat all the patient populations, where the acnp wouldn't be able to manage women's health issues or kids. That's sort of it though.
fetchfelix
33 Posts
Im merely researching this area right now, debating going to NP school. I have been told that getting your FNP is overall more marketable. An observation - I worked in a major East Coast pediatric hospital, and while there that hospital laid off a bunch of NPs.......and the Acute NPs went first, and then they told all NPs that they needed to get their FNP to continue employment. These were all NPs in specialist areas in NICU and sedation that I knew of, and I then left the facility, but I was told that that was the new trend. That an FNP could be oriented into an Acute NP role, but not the other way around. Again, I dont know much about this but its what I saw and was told about 2 years ago.