Should you complete a specialty rotation in NP school?

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If you’re interested in or terrified of completing a specialty rotation in NP school, this article is just for you! We’re discussing whether you should do a specialty rotation, the benefits, and challenges plus 3 tips for success.  

As an FNP, you’ll have opportunities in a wide range of practice settings. Most FNPs work in outpatient settings – primary care, urgent care, or specialty clinics. As NP students, our education and clinical rotations are centered around family medicine/primary care. However, some programs may offer you opportunities to complete rotations in other areas. Should you take this opportunity if you have the choice? What are the benefits? What are the challenges? 

Should you complete a specialty rotation in NP school?

Yes, it is worthwhile if you have the opportunity. Most NP students do not have any experience in the world of specialty clinics as RNs. It could be the perfect opportunity to see if you enjoy it. The more exposure you get to new practice areas the better. Even if you decide you never want to work in a specialty, it’s still valuable to know that. All the while, you’ll have gotten great exposure to a new area, hopefully you learned a lot that will help you be a better clinician. 

What are the benefits?

  • Find out whether you may want to work in a specialty clinic.
  • Learn more about a particular area of practice. You can begin to become an “expert” in this specialty area that will benefit you no matter where you choose to work later on. 
  • Get the inside scoop on how and when to appropriately refer to this particular specialty.
  • Provide better care in the future to your patients who present with problems associated with the area where you had specialty experience.
  • More guidance. The expectations of you are different. For example, in primary care rotations, you’re often expected to come up with the diagnosis and plan. Thee specialty world is complex and you’re less familiar with the diagnoses and treatments. Therefore, you should receive more guidance from your preceptor which can be wonderfully helpful!

What are the challenges? 

Coming from primary care training and clinical rotations, specialty rotations will definitely challenge you. Here’s why they can be challenging:

  • The preceptor you’re working with, whether an MD, NP, or PA, is likely an “expert” in this practice area. Your preceptor will have extensive training in this field. 
  • You’ll see patients that are complex. They were referred to the specialty practice because it was out of scope or beyond the knowledge area for the referring primary care provider. For instance, the patients usually have multiple medical co-morbidities, multiple medications, and are seeing multiple specialists. This all translates to medically complex patients. 
  • Most patients you’ll be seeing are follow-up appointments meaning they will already have been fully evaluated and will have an established diagnosis. 
  • If a patient brings up a concern that is unrelated to the specialty area, you don’t address it. Instead, you refer them back to their primary care provider or another specialist.  This feels very strange coming from primary care where your job is to address everything. 

3 Tips for Success in a Specialty Rotation as NP Student 

  1. Ask your preceptor the most common conditions and medications used so you can get familiar beforehand. 
  2. Similar to other rotations, you should focus on taking an appropriate history and completing an appropriate physical exam. After all, you’ll use these skills no matter where you end up working. 
  3. Understand how to place an appropriate referral. Work towards understanding at what point in managing a particular condition or symptom a patient should be referred to the specialist. What does the specialist wish primary care providers knew about referring appropriately? What workup should be done prior to initiating a referral? 

Completing a Specialty Rotation in NP School Summary

Specialty rotations as an NP student are intimidating and challenging but full of opportunity. That being said, if you have the chance, I’d recommend using the opportunity to grow your knowledge in a particular area and see if you may be interested in working in a specialty down the road.

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