Advanced Practice Nurses
Any registered nurse with a bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN) can apply to a master's degree program to train to become an advanced practice nurse (APN). Once admitted to a program, it usually takes two to three years to finish. After that, the nurse must pass national licensing exams. There may also be regional exams an advanced practice nurse needs to take, which vary from state to state. There may also be state exams in order for an advanced practice nurse to prescribe medication. Advanced practice nurses can also go on to get doctoral degrees.
There are four specialties for advanced practice nurses. They include nurse practitioner (NP), certified nurse-midwife (CNM), certified nurse anesthetist (CRMA), and clinical nurse specialist (CNS). All four of these can write prescriptions in their areas of specialty. The medications they are allowed to prescribe may vary from state to state, and may involve particular course work.
Nurse practitioners deliver health care to certain segments of the population. Once called "physician extenders," they are now able to practice on their own. Nurse practitioners pick an area of nursing specialization. Choices include family, geriatric, adult, pediatric, and neonatal nursing. Nurse practitioners can also specialize in community health, home health, occupational health, and women's health nursing, as well as acute care nursing, oncology nursing, parish nursing, and psychiatric nursing. Training programs for nurse practitioners can be found at large nursing schools where other medical professionals are being taught, as well as career colleges.
Certified nurse midwives deliver babies, as well as provide well woman care and care of mom and baby before and after birth. They can deliver babies in a number of settings, including homes, birthing centers, and hospitals. Although they can administer medications during labor, usually nurse midwives do not, according to the wishes of the mother in labor. It is estimated that soon approximately 10% of deliveries in the United States will be done by nurse midwives. Across the world, more than two-thirds of all babies are delivered by midwives – who are not necessarily nurses.
Nurse anesthetists administer anesthesia to patients during surgical procedures. They do essentially everything a physician trained as an anesthesiologist does. Right now, about 65% of the time a patient requires anesthesia, it is given by a nurse anesthetist. To be able to apply to a nurse anesthetist program, a licensed registered nurse needs a BSN or bachelor's degree (which ones are acceptable are decided by each program), and at least a year of acute-care nursing experience. It takes two to three years to finish a nurse anesthetist program. Nurse anesthetists are among the highest paid nurses, with an average yearly pay of around $165,000.
Clinical nurse specialists provide care in any one of a number of areas, including cardiology, pediatrics, mental health, oncology, neurology, obstetrics and gynecology, neonatology, and mental health among others. Clinical nurse specialists focus on their area of study in one of five ways. According to the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists, they can focus on a population, such as women or children, or a setting, such as the intensive care unit or the emergency room. They can choose to identify themselves with a medical subspecialty or disease, such as cancer or diabetes. They can choose to deliver a particular type of care (like rehabilitation or surgery), or they can define themselves in terms of the type of problem they manage, for example, stress or pain. Clinical nurse specialists can have many duties, including clinical practice, teaching, research, consulting, and management. They may be case managers or they may teach others. Clinical nurse specialists can continue their education and receive doctorates, as can other advanced practice nurses.
The demand for advanced practice nurses, like the demand for nurses in general, is increasing.
Published: 2009-10-14
