Advanced Practice Registered Nurse

Advanced Practice Nurse
Advanced practice nurses are RNs with a specialization in an area of nursing such as acute care, cardiology, geriatrics, pediatrics and more. These professionals have similar responsibilities as licensed physicians and can serve as a nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, a nurse anesthetist or certified nurse specialist.

Certified nurse-midwives provide neonatal care for women and infants while nurse anesthetists administer anesthesia prior to surgical procedures. Nurse practitioners work as primary caregivers, focus on prevention and health. In the same way, certified nurse specialists conduct diagnoses and treat illnesses.

Where advanced practice nurses usually work closely with doctors, they can also treat patients without help. Other responsibilities of these nurses include ordering x-rays, laboratory tests and referring patients to specialists.

Education Requirements for Advanced Practice Nurses
Students who are interested in the field of advanced practice nursing must obtain an RN degree. Aspiring advanced practice nurses can enroll in two-year associate programs in nursing or opt for a four-year bachelor degree to become a registered nurse. Students in RN programs learn how to examine, counsel and diagnose patients. They also need to get license as a RN prior to enrolling in a master's program with a focus in their area of interest.

A master's program in nursing takes 1-2 years to complete. Some of the courses included in this advanced degree are health challenges, health optimization, primary healthcare, and clinical nursing practice. The precise curriculum depends on the area in which students opt to specialize in. Advanced practice nurse certification programs are also available.

Career Opportunities and Advanced Practice Nurse Salary
Advanced practice nurses can find rewarding jobs in a number of healthcare settings. Depending on your career preferences, you can opt to become a radiology nurse, an emergency nurse, ambulatory nurse, flight nurses, infusion nurse or perioperative nurse. These professionals can earn about $60,000 to $140,000 on an annual basis. The precise salary of an advanced practice nurses depends on their experience, area of specialization as well as the geographic location of their workplace.

Online Nursing programs for Aspiring Advanced Practice Nurses
Students who have already obtained an RN degree and are working in healthcare settings can improve their career prospects by enrolling in an advanced nursing program online. These programs are very flexible and so are excellent learning options for those who have to take care of their professional responsibilities in addition to their career objectives. The online programs are self-paced and thus allow learners to complete them at their own convenience. In addition, the advanced degrees for nursing professionals are also more affordable, which is another benefit of these programs.