Comparing Diffeent Fields of Advance Practice Nursing

The role of the Advanced Practice Nurse can be differentiated from that of a Registered Nurse by level of education, expected clinical skills, job description, pay scales and level of participation in the decision making process. Below are the descriptions of the different fields of Advance Practice Nursing, namely, Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS), Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM), Nurse practitioners (NP), and Certified Nurse Anesthetists (CAN).

First, Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) posses advanced knowledge of the science of nursing with a specialty focus. Specialty focus is the hallmark of CNS practice. In addition to providing direct patient care, CNS influence care outcomes by providing expert consultation for nursing staffs and by continuously incorporating improvements in health care delivery systems. The outcomes of such practices will lead to:

• Reduced medical complications in hospitalized patients

• Reduced hospital costs and shorter lengths of stay

• Improved pain management practices

• Increased patient satisfaction with nursing care

• Increase professional development of nurses

• Reduced frequency of emergency room visit

CNS are licensed registered nurses who have graduate credentials (Master’s or Doctorate) in nursing. American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) offers national certification in various clinical nurse specialties. In 2008, the median annual salary of CNS was $80,240. Depending on the region of the country and clinical specialty, CNS salaries can range from $65,000 to over $110,000 annually.

Second, Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) is a registered nurse who, by virtue of her added skills gained through an organized program of study and clinical experience, as recognized by the American College of ...

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...egree is also required to become a nurse practitioner. In addition, certification by a nursing specialty organization is strongly recommended, although not all states require nurse practitioners to be nationally certified. All states license nurse practitioners prescribe medications independently, although some states have restrictions regarding the prescription of controlled substances.

In conclusion, an advanced practice nurse (APN) is a nurse with advanced educational and clinical education, knowledge, skills, and scope of practice. APN defines a level of nursing practice that utilizes extended and expanded skills, experience and knowledge in assessing, planning, implementing, diagnosis and evaluating care required. Nurses practicing at this level are academically prepared at the post-graduate level and may work in either a specialist or generalist capacity.