Nursing Career: What are the different titles i.e.- BSN, RN, A, LVN, LPN, ect.?
I have always wanted to become a Nurse and I have been doing some research and came across the different Nursing ‘titles’ such as RN (Registered Nurse), BSN(Bachlor’s in Science of Nursing) NA?(Nurse Assistant), CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist), LPN and LVN.
I would just like to know if there are any more such titles?
What fields can a Nurse can specialize in?
LIke, if I like working with kids for example, what would I have to specilize in?
and What are the differences in all the titles mentioned above in terms of career and schooling?
If you have a list of the different types of nursing titles or any reference websites, that would be great!
Thanks
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NA or CNA = nursing assistant or certified nursing assistant. Not really a nurse. It’s about a 1 month program, doesn’t earn you a degree, but you can be certified or licensed through the state.
LPN or LVN = Licensed Pracitical or Licensed Vocational Nurse. Usually a 1 year program, does NOT earn you any degree, but you are eligible for state licensure as a LPN / LVN. More educated than a nursing assistant, can pass certain medications, perform certain skills like wound care, etc., but still not as qualified or hold as much responsibility as a RN
RN = registered nurse, you can be one with a minimum of a 2 year Associates Degree. Trained in all aspects of anatomy, physiology, disease pathology. Expected to perform complex assessments of the patient, create nursing diagnoses, establish goals and a care plan designed to meet those goals. Retains a high level of legal responsibility, even if tasks are delegated to assistive personel like CNAs or LPNs.
BSN = Bachelor of Science in Nursing, which is just a 4 year RN degree. Both the 2 year and the BSN graduates sit for the exact same licensure exam and earn the same RN license. The difference between the 2 is many more general education courses, and ,more nursing courses which would include Public Health Nursing, nursing research, nursing leadership / management, and more in-depth learning about different nursing care models and the history of the profession. With a BSN degree you are more qualified for administrative or management positions, but not at any advantage over 2 year RNs if you are only seeking a regular hospital staff nursing job – my hospital pays only $1 more per hour for BSN staff nurses.
CRNA = an advanced practice nurse who specializes in Anesthesia through a masters degree; the highest paying nursing job available, starting at about $100,000 per year – but highly competative field and you must be a stellar performer both academically and professionally to even get accepted into anesthesia school
There are many specialties you can get into, many of which were listed above in a previous answer. But I will say that you can work in any number of areas as a RN. If you really enjoy your specialty area, there are certification exams you can take to earn the title RN,C or you can go back to graduate school to become a Clinical Nurse Specialist of a specialty or a Nurse Practitioner to work with specific populations (like Pediatrics, or Gerontology).
BSN = RN + 4 year degree in nursing
RN = 2 year associates program
APRN = RN + graduate degree
LPN = 2 year program with licensure
CNA = certificate program
Nurses can specialize in any healthcare field. If you want to work with children, you would work in pediatrics. If enter into a 4 year nursing school, you will get experience in almost every field.
Here are list of some things nurses can specialize in:
Ambulatory care nursing
Advanced practice nursing
Behavioral health nursing
Burn nursing
Camp nursing
Cardiac nursing
Cardiac catheter laboratory nursing
Case management
Clinical nurse specialist
Clinical research nurse
Community health nursing
Correctional nursing
Critical care nursing
Developmental disabilities nursing
District nursing
Emergency nursing
Environmental Health nursing
Flight nursing
Forensic nursing
Gastroenterology nursing
Genetics nursing
Geriatric nursing
Health visiting
Hematology oncology nursing
HIV/AIDS nursing
Home health nursing
Hospice nursing
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Nursing
Intavenous therapy nursing
Infectious disease nursing
Legal nursing
Legal Nurse Investigator
Maternal-child nursing
Matron
Medical-surgical nursing
Military and uniformed services nursing, including Public Health Service
Neonatal nursing
Neuro-surgical nursing
Nurse anesthetist
Nurse-midwife
Nurse practitioner
Nursing educator
Nursing informatics
Nursing management
Obstetrics gynecology nursing
Occupational health nursing
Oncology nursing
Operating room nursing
Orthopaedic nursing
Ostomy nursing
Pain management and palliative care nursing
Pediatric nursing
Perianesthesia nursing
Perioperative nursing
Plastic and reconstructive surgical nursing
Private duty nursing
Psychiatric or mental health nursing
Public health
Pulmonary nursing
Quality improvement
Radiology nursing
Rehabilitation nursing
Renal dialysis nursing
Renal nursing
Research
School nursing
Sub-acute nursing
Substance abuse nursing
Surgical Nursing
Tele-medicine nursing
Telemetry nursing
Telephone triage nursing
Transplantation nursing
Travel nursing
Urology nursing
Utilization management
Wound care