What is Advanced Practice Nursing?

A nurse with a master's degree is called an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN), and they come in four varieties:

Nurse Practitioner (NP) – provide basic care focused on a specific population or health need, with the ability to write prescriptions. Family Nurse Practitioners are an example of this.

Certified Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) – administer anesthesia for all types of surgery.

Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) – provide specialist care in a number of areas: cardiology, oncology, neonatology, OB/GYN, pediatrics, neurology, and mental health.

Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) – provide prenatal care, delivers babies, and provide postpartum care to normal healthy women.

APNs deliver services that were previously delivered by physicians. Nurse Practice Acts vary widely among states, and they define just what advanced practice nurses can do. Depending on your specialty, after 5 years of practice you can expect to earn $50,000 to $100,000 or more. As of March 2000, 7.3% of the total RN population were prepared to practice in at least one advanced practice role.