Nurse Specialists
Specialists In The Nursing Profession - There are a number of clearly defined specialists among the various types of nurses, many of whom took advanced training after serving several years as a RN. One example is the Public Health Nurse (PHN), usually a RN who has undergone specialized training in the area of community health, and has successfully passed a licensing exam. The PHNs often work with public school administrations, non-profit agencies, city and county governments where they work with planners on health related issues, and while at the same time often performing the duties of a RN in a local hospital. Wherever there is a communicable disease outbreak, or the threat of one, you find the Public Health Nurse in the midst of things. Organizing and leading disease prevention programs is often one of the PHN's major activities.
Other RNs take up home health care as their chosen career path. These nurses emphasize personal care of people who are incapacitated or find it difficult to travel to a doctor's office or to a hospital for care. The Home Health Nurse (HHN) often works for or with a registered nursing agency. Some HHNs may spend their entire time taking care of an individual patient or a very small number of patients, providing not only care but companionship and consultation as well.
A RN may, through advanced studies, take up a career involving a somewhat narrower specialty, examples of which include becoming a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), a Clinical Nurse Specialist, or a Nurse Midwife. A Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) will have received further education and training in the area of obstetrics and gynecology, not only assisting in childbirth, but giving prenatal and postnatal care as well. The CNM may work as a member of a hospital staff, work for an obstetrician, or work independently. The position of the Nurse Anesthetist, the CRNA, normally requires at least a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing and specialized training in anesthetics. This specialized training may take several years, 2 to 3 at a minimum, and the nurse must also pass the necessary examinations to become professionally certified. The CRNA very often works with a team of individuals specializing in anesthetics, works under an anesthesiologist, or works independently. The specialized training that an entry-level CRNA must undergo is roughly equivalent to a Masters Degree or even higher. Specialists like the CNRA usually realize the highest salaries to be found among the members of the nursing profession.
Educational Opportunities And Salaries - To enter the nursing profession one may enroll in a School of Nursing at a major university or medical school with the aim of getting a degree and diploma, take classes at a community college, vocational school or junior college to gain an associate degree or certification, or simply take courses on line. Between 50 and 100 schools offer complete nursing programs on line including Kent State University, Indiana State University, the University of Phoenix, Gonzaga University and the University of Delaware, to name just a few.
Salaries, as we have mentioned, may vary from location to location but in most areas around the country there is a definite need for qualified nurses, and in many areas you will find a definite shortage of nurses. While entry-level salaries will be lower, a nurse can expect to earn from around $29,000 annually for a Certified Nurse Assistant, upwards to $140,000 a year for a specialist such as a CRNA. Registered Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, and Public Health Nurses typically earn between $65,000 and $70,000 per year. One can either aim for the top by satisfying the total educational and training requirements up-front, or start at an assistant's level and take classes and special training along the way, until the desired career goal has been met. Nurses are very special people, having not only broad medical and technical skills, but also the ability to relate to and care for others.