Before applying to NP school, one of the most important questions that you should answer for yourself is “What type of nurse practitioner do I want to become?” While many of us have experience working in a certain setting (ICU, clinic, emergency room, general pediatric floor, etc.) or with a certain population (babies, children, women, older adults, etc.), that does not mean that we automatically have a specialty in mind when considering becoming a nurse practitioner.
In order to choose the right specialty for you, it can be helpful to consider the following:
What NP Specialties Can I Choose From?
It’s best to know your options before making a choice after all. There are many types of nurse practitioners and it is helpful to understand that when you go to NP school, you are choosing 1) the population(s) you want to treat and 2) what setting(s) you want to care for your patients in.
Different types of NPs:
- Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner (AGNP)
- Acute or Primary Care certification
- Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
- Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP)
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP)
- Acute or Primary Care certification
- Psychiatric – Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)
- Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner (WHNP)
The list above covers the different types of NPs in which you can go to school for and become certified under a certifying board and does not include the endless sub-specialties within each of these.
For example, you can become a Pediatric Neurosurgery Nurse Practitioner as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner or a Cardiac Surgery ICU Acute Care Nurse Practitioner as an Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner.
Some sub-specialty areas include:
- Allergy and Immunology
- Cardiovascular
- Dermatology
- Emergency
- Endocrinology
- Gastroenterology
- Hematology and Oncology
- Neurology
- Occupational Health
- Orthopedics
- Pulmonology and Respiratory
- Sports Medicine
- Urology
Keep in mind that beyond becoming a NP, you could also become a Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM), Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), or Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS). We encourage you to explore these options as well if you have not yet done so.
What Do the Different Types of NPs Do?
While it is definitely key to know what your options are, it is also extremely helpful to have a basic understanding of what the different types of NPs do. In choosing the right specialty for yourself, having a grasp of what your day-to-day might look like will assist you in making your choice. This can be done in multiple ways including shadowing, internet research, following NPs on social media who share their experience, or informational interviews of NPs in your community.
Why Do You Want To Become a NP?
Before making the leap to applying to NP school, really think about why you have decided to become one in the first place.
Here’s more prompts that can help you think about this question more deeply:
- What do you see yourself doing as a NP? What do you not want to do?
- What about your current job makes you happy?
- Why are you passionate about nursing?
- What do you enjoy learning about?
- What are your strengths? What about weaknesses?
Choosing the right specialty can take some time, but putting in the work to find the right path for you will help provide you with the confidence and awareness you need to become a competent and wonderful NP.
Already in NP School?
Consider the points above in the context of your situation – What are your options? Do you understand what your job would look like within all these options? Why do you want to be a NP anyway? The beauty of nursing (including advanced practice nursing) is that you have some flexibility.
Free eBook Download for Nurse Practitioner Students
Want to learn more? Download this FREE eBook from BoardVitals, The Complete Guide to Becoming a Nurse Practitioner. It includes information written by nurse practitioners (such as myself) to help guide aspiring NPs on the road to a full-fledged nurse practitioner.
Or check out the BoardVitals blog for more articles on Advanced Practice Nursing.
Preparing for an upcoming nursing exam? BoardVitals offers the top nursing exam preparation questions targeted to the specific topics and formats of every major exam for RNs, LPNs, nurse practitioners, and other advanced practice nurses.
