Advanced Practice Nursing

Get the Information You Need on Advanced Practice Nursing

If you are looking into how an advanced practice nurse can help you and your family, you may want to know what kinds of roles they have, what their education is, and what kinds of jobs they do on a daily basis. Someone who goes into advanced practice nursing has many different options in terms of what their specialization can be, and if you are interested in pursuing this route of education or are interesting in hiring an advanced practice nurse for your personal needs, you should reach out to a clinic today with more questions. Below, you will find out different information on the education, training, and different focuses that an APN might have.

Training

An advanced practice nurse must complete some form of advanced degree in addition to 4 years of nursing school from an accredited university or nursing program. It is possible for an APN to have a master’s or hold a doctorate in nursing. These degrees can prepare them for the four main roles an APN may take on:

1.     Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)

2.     Nurse Practitioner (NP)

3.     Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)

4.     Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM)

In addition to selecting the role that they would like to pursue, an APN must also pursue a specialty. Some of the most common choices are:

  • Neonatal
  • Women’s Health
  • Pediatric
  • Gerontology, and
  • Psychiatric/Mental Health

Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS). The role of a CNS is mainly to help with the diagnosis of problems and develop the correct care plan for how a patient should manage their problems and symptoms. A CNS will usually support many other healthcare practitioners in their role, including other nurses, physicians, and patients.

Nurse Practitioner (NP). People typically know nurse practitioners as the most common form of APN. NPs focus on a wide variety of patients from infants to geriatric patients and help to establish a solid diagnosis of an illness before a treatment plan is in place.

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). The role of a CRNA is to administer anesthesia to patients, and their role is not much different than a physician anesthesiologist. They can also help to provide different forms of pain management to patients in forms other than anesthesiology. Because of the type of care they provide, they are typically the highest paid form of APN, and in addition to the typical requirements needed for an APN, they must also complete the nurse anesthesia program that is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Education Programs.

Certified Nurse Midwife. A midwife can either be a certified nurse-midwife or a certified midwife. Midwives usually help women regarding forms of contraception, pregnancy care, during the childbirth process, postpartum, and even with newborn care the first month or so after the child is born.

Getting in Touch with an APN For my Needs

If you have a need for an APN after your loved one was abused in a nursing home, you should contact a nursing home lawyer today for more information.