Types of Nurse Practitioners: 5 Different NP Specialties to Know

If you are a nurse or nursing student who enjoys learning, helping patients, and always developing your skills, you may be a good fit to become a nurse practitioner (NP). An NP is an advanced practice nurse who works directly with patients but has greater roles and responsibilities than a registered nurse (RN).

Here are a few common types of NP specialties:

• Family Practice (FNP)
• Psychiatric / Mental Health (PMHNP)
• Acute Care (ACNP)
• Adult Gerontology (AGNP)
• Pediatric (PNP)
• Women’s Health (WHNP)

1. Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)

Family nurse practitioners (FNP) provide primary and specialty care to patients of all ages, from pediatric to adults. They examine, diagnose issues, and develop treatment plans for individuals. FNPs also teach patients about disease prevention and wellness care and make referrals to specialists.

FNPs often work in a variety of environments, including hospitals, clinics, doctor's offices, and even health insurance organizations.

Learn more: How to Become an FNP

2. Psychiatric / Mental Health (PMHNP)

Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs) provide a full range of primary health care services, including diagnosis of patients with mental illness and psychiatric disorders. PMHNPs develop care plans for individuals, which may include medication, counseling and psychotherapeutic treatment.

Whole health begins with mental health, and it’s a PMHNP’s responsibility to help patients find their voice by diagnosing and treating common mental illnesses, including anxiety, depression, insomnia, dementia, and much more.

PMHNPs work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, clinics, private psychiatrist practices, and community-based mental health services.

Learn more: How to Become a PMHNP

3. Acute Care (ACNP)

Acute care nurse practitioners (ACNPs) provide care across the lifespan similar to FNPs. The ACNP provides care in the acute care setting. and can provide the same level of care as FNPs. ACNPs are often found in emergency rooms, inpatient hospitals and ICUs where they treat critical, acute, or life-threatening conditions.

4. Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGNP)

Adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioners (AGNP) provide primary health care to persons across the adult lifespan from adolescence (beginning at age 13) through end of life.

AGNPs examine, diagnose issues, and develop treatment plans for individuals, but may choose to focus on acute care (treating illness) or primary care (with a greater focus on health and wellness care).

AGNPs work in a variety of environments, including hospitals, community care centers, and private clinics. You may also find that an AGNP that has a geriatric focus my work in nursing homes and home health to educate patients and caregivers how to manage their chronic conditions or diseases.

Learn more: How to Become an AGNP

5. Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP)

Pediatric nurse practitioners can work in a similar primary care capacity as AGNPs and FNPs, although they focus their care on the pediatric patient population, including newborns, infants, toddlers, adolescents, and young adults.

You can also potentially pursue certification in acute care depending on what kind of jobs you're looking for in the field.

Learn more: How to Become a PNP

6. Women’s Health (WHNP)

A women's health nurse practitioner (WHNP) specializes in the care of women throughout their life. WHNPs focus on a wide scope of reproductive, obstetric, and gynecological health, as well as general wellness and disease management. These nurse practitioners may provide wellness visits, perform procedures related to women’s health, prescribe birth control and other medication. These NP’s may also provide pregnancy care for the low risk patient. It is not uncommon to see these NP’s partnering with an OB/GYN to assist in management of hospitalized patients as well.

WHNPs work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, clinics, home health, assisted living, and nursing homes.

These are just a few of the most common types of nurse practitioners. NPs can continue to discover their strengths, earn more experience and obtain additional education/certification to refine their professional emphases.

Learn more: How to Become a WHNP

How much does a nurse practitioner make?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), nurse practitioners earn an average salary of $128,490 per year ($61.78 hourly).*

Types of nurse practitioners and their salaries

Estimating average salary across each specialty is difficult to pinpoint given the wide range of possibility within each discipline based on years of experience, type of clinical care facility and state of practice. The BLS estimate is a good starting point for determining how much you could potentially make in the field given it accounts for specialties across the spectrum of nurse practitioners.

How you can become a nurse practitioner

To become a nurse practitioner, you’ll need to earn an associate or bachelor’s degree in nursing, become a registered nurse (RN), and gain work experience. You will also need to earn a graduate degree - a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) with a nurse practitioner specialization of your choice.

Certification is available for some NP specialties and required in most states. Becoming certified demonstrates knowledge and skill and can help increase your salary potential and improve an already positive job outlook.²  The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) both offer certification options.

Programs we offer

Herzing University offers multiple nurse practitioner programs for RNs interested in the specialties listed above.

Once you earn an MSN and become a nurse practitioner, you can then become eligible to enroll in an online post master's DNP program to earn the terminal degree in nursing and reach for the highest heights in the nursing profession. If you have a BSN, you may qualify for either BSN to MSN NP or BSN to DNP NP pathways.