Which NP Specialty is Right For Me?

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.