Nurse Practitioner Specialty Comparison

Nurse practitioners (NPs) are playing an increasingly vital role in a wide range of healthcare settings, meeting critical needs across patient populations. As healthcare demands grow, choosing a specialty aligned with your strengths and interests can position you to make a meaningful difference. The table below offers a side-by-side look at each specialty to help guide your decision.

Explore Nurse Practitioner Specialties

Choosing the right NP specialty is an important step in shaping your career and impact on patient care. With high demand across all NP specialties, now is an ideal time to pursue your path. Whether you’re passionate about primary care, acute care, pediatrics, mental health, or working with specific populations, our NP programs provide specialized education and hands-on clinical training to prepare you for success in whichever area you choose. 

Use the chart below to explore and compare NP specialties, understand each distinct role, and discover the best fit for your professional goals.

Specialty Responsibilities Patient Population Level of Acuity Healthcare Settings
Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP (AGACNP) Treatment of acute and critical illnesses, and complex chronic conditions Late adolescents, adults, and older adults with acute and critical illness High Hospital critical care units, medical-surgical units, specialty clinics
Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP (AGPCNP) Primary care, health promotion, disease prevention, chronic disease management, and treatment of episodic illness or injury Mid-adolescents, adults, and older adults Low to moderate Primary care clinics, long-term care facilities, nursing homes, home healthcare
Family NP (FNP) Primary care, including women’s health; health promotion, disease prevention, chronic disease management, and treatment of episodic illness or injury,  Infants to older adults Low to moderate Primary care clinics, urgent care, school-based health clinics, outpatient clinics, private practices
Psychiatric Mental Health NP (PMHNP) Prevention and treatment of mental health conditions and psychiatric disorders, individual and group psychotherapy, and medication management Children to older adults with mental health conditions and psychiatric disorders Moderate to high Inpatient and outpatient psychiatry programs and mental health clinics, community and behavioral health clinics, chemical dependency clinics, school-based clinics, private practices
Pediatric Primary Care NP (PNP-PC) Pediatric primary care, including well-child care, chronic disease management, basic behavioral health, developmental assessments, and treatment of episodic illness or injury Infants to late adolescents Low to moderate Pediatric clinics, pediatric hospitals, school-based health centers, outpatient clinics, private practices
Pediatric/Neonatal NP (PNP-NNP) Neonatal and pediatric care, neonatal critical care, and well-child exams

PNP: Newborns to late adolescents

NNP: Preterm neonates to age 2

Moderate to high Neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), pediatric clinics, pediatric hospitals
Pediatric Acute Care NP (PNP-AC) Treatment of complex, critical, and chronic illnesses, disabilities, or injuries; stabilization of critically ill pediatric patients Infants to late adolescents with acute and critical conditions High Pediatric intensive care units (PICUs), pediatric inpatient units, pediatric emergency departments, pediatric urgent care facilities, pediatric trauma centers, pediatric specialty areas

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Interested in the Nurse Practitioner programs? Learn more about how to pursue a nurse practitioner degree by requesting more information or speaking with an Admissions Counselor.

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