Advanced Practice Nurse
An Advanced Practice Nurse is a nurse that has earned advanced medical education and performs a number of obligations that are above the regular duties assigned to a staff nurse. A nurse can be called as such when he or she earns a Master’s degree in Nursing, and has been assigned to specific positions that require advanced clinical knowledge and skills. The medical field in the US has reached a consensus that by 2015, nurses can only carry such title only after acquiring a Doctorate in Nursing Practice.
As the name of the job suggests, an Advanced Practice Nurse is expected to exceed the abilities of a general nurse. It is actually a position with different responsibilities, relying on the specificities of advanced academic training that a nurse has earned. Among the types of Advanced Practice Nurses are certified nurse midwives, pediatric nurse practitioners, gerontological nurse practitioners, adult nurse practitioners, psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, and many others.
Further education and practicum are therefore essential in order to pursue this career. Aside from having a Master’s Degree in Nursing, prospective Advanced Practice Nurses should also consider taking different nursing-related certifications that can further enhance their talents , job grade, position, and compensation. In connection to this, salary of Advanced Practice Nurses depends on their field of expertise. Nonetheless, the job is very lucrative. A nurse anesthetist, for instance, receives as much as $144,000 annually, while a nurse midwife only earns $88,000.00 per year.
