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FAQ

FNP vs. acute care NP: what's the difference?

Answer

There are two primary differences between a Family Nurse Practitioner and an Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner:

  1. Types of patients. FNPs work with patients across the patient lifespan, including children under the age of 13. As adult gerontology NPs, AGACNPs care for only adults ages 13 and above.
  2. Types of care. FNPs typically work in clinics, doctor’s offices, and other outpatient settings—and are not formally trained in acute and emergency care. Acute care NPs work in ICUs, hospitals and other inpatient settings to care for patients with trauma and more severe health issues.

If you have more interest in developing long-term relationships with patients, concerned more with preventative health, and love to work with children, FNP may be the best nurse practitioner career path for you.

Learn more about our MSN AGACNP online degree programs

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BLS pay estimates calculate the median annual wage for various occupations. Per the BLS the median wage for an occupation is: "The wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount, and half earned less. Median wage data are from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey." Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook 2024. BLS median wage estimates do not represent entry-level wages and/or salaries. Multiple factors, including prior experience, age, geographic market in which you want to work, and degree level and field, will affect career outcomes, including starting salary and earnings as an experienced employee. Herzing neither represents that its graduates will earn the median salaries calculated by BLS for a particular job nor guarantees that graduation from its program will result in a job, promotion, particular wage or salary, or other career growth.

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