How to Become a Certified Nursing Assistant

 A certified nursing assistant is a person in the healthcare field who provides hands-on care to patients. However, these individuals are under the supervision of registered nurses. Usually, CNAs are responsible for bathing, dressing, and helping patients perform normal daily activities. Many people consider this line of work to be the foundation of the medical community. A CNA offers compassionate services. A strong candidate is patient and communicates well.

How to Become a CNA

Unlike other careers in the medical industry, CNAs are not required to have college degrees. However, certain training is required. After graduating high school, a candidate must receive nursing assistant training. This is commonly completed at a local community college. The program must be approved by the state’s nursing board and by the National League for Nursing Accredited Commission. Typically, it takes up to 12 weeks to finish training.

 When a person completes this training, he or she is required to pass a CNA certification exam. This test includes a written and a practical section. The United States Department of Education provides oversight of the accreditation process. Also, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education monitors programs.

Places Where CNAs Work

A CNA’s working environment is quite flexible. Many individuals find jobs in hospitals and nursing homes. Others are employed in clinics or private doctor offices. Also, it is possible to work as a home health aide.

CNA Duties

 To repeat, CNAs offer care to people who are injured, ill, or disabled. An individual who can’t properly care for himself or herself may need assistance from this professional. There are a number of duties that this person performs.

• Taking vital signs and recording health issues
• Repositioning bedridden patients
• Dressing wounds
• Gathering supplies for nurses or doctors
• Cleaning rooms or preparing them for patients
• Bathing patients
• Stocking supplies 
• Helping with bathroom issues and other grooming activities

Average Salary and Employment Outlook

Due to the rise in the elderly population, the demand is high for this type of career. It is expected to rise into the future. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are over 1 million CNA jobs in the field. The average median salary is approximately $28,500. Many CNAs decide to further their education and employment opportunities by becoming RNs.

For more information regarding CNAs, visit salary.guide

Clinical Nurse Specialist

A clinical nurse specialist or referred to as (CNS) is an advanced practice nurse and has hands-on experience, advanced knowledge, and a certification in a certain specialty. Becoming a clinical nurse specialist is following by extensive training and graduate-level nursing education that prepares them to adequately assess, diagnose, and handle patient problems. The typical nurse practitioner is tasked with taking a patient’s health history and following up with them as their primary care provider, but a clinical nurse specialist tends to focus on research, education, and consulting.

Duties of a Clinical Nurse Specialist

Clinical nurse specialists are responsible for several things, mostly but not limited to directing nursing staff, in terms of teaching and supervising, in a clinical practice setting such as a hospital, hospice, clinic, or home. The following is a full list of all the duties they would carry out:

• Work with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment.
• Establish nursing policies or standards.
• Establish nursing policies or standards.
• Supervise patient care personnel.
• Maintain medical or professional knowledge.
• Train medical providers.
• Support the professional development of others.
• Follow protocols or regulations for healthcare activities.
• Establish nursing policies or standards.
• Advise medical personnel regarding healthcare issues.
• Develop medical treatment plans.
• Analyze patient data to determine patient needs or treatment goals.
• Develop medical treatment plans.
• Advise medical personnel regarding healthcare issues.
• Treat acute illnesses, infections, or injuries.
• Monitor patient conditions during treatments, procedures, or activities.
• Evaluate patient functioning, capabilities, or health.
• Develop procedures to evaluate organizational activities.
• Train medical providers.
• Examine patients to assess general physical condition.
• Collect medical information from patients, family members, and other medical professionals.
• Manage healthcare operations.
• Communicate detailed medical information to patients or family members.
• Monitor medical facility activities to ensure adherence to standards or regulations.
• Conduct research to increase knowledge about medical issues.
• Manage healthcare operations.
• Develop educational programs.
• Diagnose medical conditions.
• Prescribe medications.
• Prepare reports that summarize patient diagnostic or care activities.
• Supervise patient care personnel.
• Train medical providers.
• Develop medical treatment plans.

• Teach classes in an area of specialization.

Salary for a Clinical Nurse Specialists 2021

According to, salary.guide, the annual wage for a clinical nurse specialist can range from $53,410 to $116,230. The following is a more in-depth chart.

Clinical Nurse Specialists Salary 2021 – How Much Do Clinical Nurse Specialists Make?

How To Become A Clinical Nurse Specialists

To start off the path to becoming a CNS, education is the first step, and the following is a list of all the educational requirements needed:

•  Completion of the NCLEX-RN exam
• Achieved active and unrestricted RN license
• Graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree
• You must hold an MSN or DNP degree (DNP if you plan on focusing on research)
• Required courses in graduate program

• • Advanced pharmacology
  • Advanced pathophysiology
  • Advanced physical/health assessment
  • Theory and ethics
  • Research methods
  • 500 supervised clinical hours required

A clinical nurse specialist needs to have an unrestricted and active RN license, following a graduate-level degree (i.e., MSN, DNP) and certifications for their specialty area.

For more information regarding nursing salaries, visit salary.guide

Nurse Practitioner

Nurse practitioners are clinicians that mix clinical expertise into treating health conditions and diagnosing while focusing more on disease prevention and health management. The career path is quickly rising to be the health partner of choice for millions of Americans.

Duties of a Nurse Practitioner

            A nurse practitioner is assigned with diagnosing and treating acute, episodic, or chronic illness, either a part of a healthcare team or independently. They can order and perform diagnostic tests such as lab work or x rays and prescribe medication. Duties of an NP include:

• Analyze test data or images to inform diagnosis or treatment.
• Treat acute illnesses, infections, or injuries.
• Diagnose medical conditions.
• Prescribe medications.
• Prescribe treatments or therapies.
• Train patients, family members, or caregivers in techniques for managing disabilities or illnesses.
• Prescribe medications.
• Order medical diagnostic or clinical tests.
• Operate diagnostic imaging equipment.
• Analyze test data or images to inform diagnosis or treatment.
• Record patient medical histories.
• Provide health and wellness advice to patients, program participants, or caregivers.
• Develop medical treatment plans.
• Monitor patient conditions during treatments, procedures, or activities.
• Maintain medical or professional knowledge.
• Advise patients on the effects of health conditions or treatments.
• Diagnose medical conditions.
• Communicate detailed medical information to patients or their family members.
• Treat chronic diseases or disorders.

       There are many specialty areas that a nurse practitioner could choose from, such as acute care, adult health, family health, gerontology health, neonatal health, oncology, pediatric health, women’s health, and mental/psychiatric health. 

How to become a Nurse Practitioner

          If you’re planning on becoming a nurse practitioner, keep in mind that there’s a lot of work that builds up to it. All NPs need to complete a master’s or doctoral degree program; once that is done, then they must go through advanced clinical training beyond their initial professional registered nurse preparation. No work experience nor on-the-job training is needed to become a nurse practitioner. 

Salary of a Nurse Practitioner

          According to, salary.Guide, The annual salary for an NP ranges from $82,960 to $156,160 a year, and the hourly wage can vary from $39,88 to $75.08. 

For more information regarding nursing salaries, visit salary.guide

Critical Care Registered Nurse

             Critical care nurses are crucial in the medical field by monitoring and treating patients that have life-threatening illnesses and injuries. CCN’s work environment is fast-paced and has no room for mistakes and constantly be on their A-game.

Critical Care Nurse Duties

            Critical care nurses usually require the same skills as registered nurses but undergo further training to care for acute or critical illnesses. The typical day for a CCN would be monitoring critical medical support equipment and tending to patients that have life-threatening injuries. Key skills for a CNN include:

• Ability to access and treat patients swiftly and accurately
• Critical thinker in a fast-paced environment
• Good communicator between patients and families
• Physically fit for long, intensive shifts

According to, salary.guide, the following is a list of some of the duties that a CNN would carry out: 

• Monitor patient conditions during treatments, procedures, or activities.

• Analyze test data or images to inform diagnosis or treatment.
• Treat medical emergencies.
• Administer non-intravenous medications.
• Operate diagnostic or therapeutic medical instruments or equipment.
• Prepare medical supplies or equipment for use.
• Administer intravenous medications.
• Test patient heart or lung functioning.
• Monitor patient progress or responses to treatments.
• Monitor patient progress or responses to treatments.
• Record patient medical histories.
• Develop medical treatment plans.
• Monitor patient conditions during treatments, procedures, or activities.
• Analyze test data or images to inform diagnosis or treatment.
• Administer blood or other fluids intravenously.
• Assist healthcare practitioners during examinations or treatments.
• Collect biological specimens from patients.
• Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment.
• Record patient medical histories.
• Examine medical instruments or equipment to ensure proper operation.

 Critical Care Nurse Work Environment

            There are multiple environments that a CCN will be surrounded by, such as the ICU, which stands for intensive care unit and is the most common environment that a CNN will work in. It’s very important for a CNN to be able to adapt and stay calm under high-stress situations and make decisions that could result in life or death while they’re in the ICU. They could also be working as a step-down unit in the ICU, which is where a CNN will take care of and look after a patient that doesn’t need as much immediate care and illness/injuries aren’t as serve as someone entering the ICU but aren’t stable enough to be sent medical floor or home. Another environment that a CNN could work in is at home, called a TeleICU, where a critical care nurse supports other nurses that are in the ICU. 

Requirements For Becoming A Critical Care Nurse

            A critical care nurse requires having an undergraduate degree. The quickest way to get that completed would be to get an AND, but a BSN comes with more advantages in the eyes of the medical field. The next step would be to pass the NCLEX-RN and receive an RN licensure; every state requires all nurses to have an RN license. The last step would be to acquire acute care experience to qualify to be a critical care nurse. 

Salary for a Critical Care Nurse

            According to, salary.guide, a CNN salary in 2021 can range from $53,410 to $116,230 yearly and $25,68 to $55.88 hourly. 

For more information regarding nursing salaries, visit salary.guide

Emergency Room Registered Nurse

What does an ER Nurse Do?
An emergency room nurse is a registered nurse who provide care to patients that are in urgent medical situations. Most of the time they work in the emergency room at hospitals or clinics, helping patients needing urgent care. A patient could walk into the emergency room with a wide variety of illnesses or injuries, which means an ER nurse needs to have a vast knowledge on how to treat a lot of these illnesses and injuries. ER nurses are on their feet for long periods of time and their hours vary a lot from daytime shift to graveyard as well as working the weekends.

Emergency Room Nurse Duties

Here are a few duties that an emergency room nurse may have to carry out:

• Triage (assign degrees of urgency and order of treatment) to patients so those who have more critical issues get care first
• Take patients vital signs
• Administer medication to patients
• Record their patients’ symptoms
• Help other doctors with medical procedures or other tasks
• Provide education/information and support to patients and families

Skills they need to master and acquire while being in the emergency room consist of remaining calm under pressure, being able to think and react quickly in life or death situations, work well and communicate with fellow doctors and their medical team, and be understanding with their patients and help with grief their patients family may have.

Difference between ER Nurse and Trauma Nurse

A common misunderstanding that people have is mixing up an ER nurse with a trauma nurse. Both careers have similarities but it’s important to know that they’re not the same thing. An ER nurses’ job is to treat conditions that patients enter the emergency for, such as wounds, broken bones, and other problems that aren’t necessarily life-threatening at the moment. A trauma nurse works in the ICI where patients need immediate care and have generally have life-threatening issues. Trauma nurses possess advanced skills in life support, as well as CPR and the use of a defibrillator.

Requirements To Become an Emergency Room Nurse

            First step to becoming an ER nurse is to acquire a degree through a nursing program at a college or university. A Bachelor of Science is what most employers look for, but there are some that will accept an associate of science in nursing. The next step is to acquire a nursing license, which they’ll have to take the NCLEX-RN and contains 265 questions and can take up to 6 hours to complete. After becoming a registered nurse, they will want to look for work in an emergency room to gain ER specific training needed to become an ER nurse.

Emergency Room Nurse Salary

An emergency room nurse salary can have multiple factors that determine how much they make per year, such education, certifications, and how much experience you have. But the average salary for an ER nurse in the United States as of 2021 is $77,700 but can range from $69,400 to $86,300.

For more information on nursing salaries, visit salary.guide.

Cardiac Nurse

Cardiac nurses are a key component to the medical field, being that cardiac disease is such a deadly illness, and number one cause of death in the United States. Cardiac nurses need to have a comprehensive knowledge base, considering the cardiac field is always expanding and coming out with new therapies and future treatments.

What does a Cardiac Nurse do?

A cardiac nurse is responsible for basic patient care, communication skills, and having compassion for their patients. The following is a short list of some of the skills and knowledge they need to have and know:

• Being able to have good communication
• Critical thinking
• Catheterization
• Patient care
• Defibrillation
• Advanced cardiac life support
• Knowing the cardiac medications and what they treat
• Knowing what the common cardiac conditions are
• How to perform cardiac-focused assessments
• Knowledge on Telemetry and heart rhythms

How to become a Cardiac Nurse?

If someone wanted to become a cardiac nurse, they would have to acquire a BSN or ADN, a BSN takes 4 years to complete and a ADN takes 2 years. These programs are offered at community colleges or universities and prepare them to become professional nurses. After that, passing the NCLEX-RN to receive a RN license is required by every state, the NCLEX-RN is an exam that evaluates their nursing knowledge and skills. Once someone is a RN, they can start working in cardiac nursing at entry-level roles to gain experience in the work field. To acquire certifications, two years of experience and 2000 hours of clinical cardiac-vascular nursing on top of 30 continued education hours are needed.

How much does a Cardiac Nurse make?

A cardiac nurse salary can have multiple factors that determine how much they make per year, such education, certifications, and how much experience you have. But the average salary for a cardiac nurse in the United States as of 2021 is $70,959 but can range from $62,937 to $80,033.

For more information regarding nursing salaries, visit salary.guide

Labor and Delivery Nurse

What is a Labor and Delivery Nurse?

            Labor and delivery nurses are a vital part of the patient care team at a hospital. They’re in charge of caring for a patient that is pregnant and their child. The job can differ depending on the hospital location and the size.

What does a Labor and Delivery Nurse Do?

           There’re many different tasks a Labor and delivery nurse is responsible for; the following is a shortlist of some of the jobs they might carry out:

• Maintaining pregnancy in patients that are antepartum mothers.
• Assessing and monitoring fetal
• Managing patients that are in labor, which includes induction assistance, epidural assistance, management for pain, education, and delivery support
• Administering medication and immunizations
• Informing patients about medications, labor, pushing, delivering, and postpartum care for the baby and mother
• Charting (through electronic medical record)
• Caring for newborns and making sure an infant is healthy
• Working well together with the care management team

The L&D has to keep in touch with the patient’s midwife, charge nurse, anesthesiologist, lactation nurse, delivery nurse if the patient has one, and the family. Working well together with the care team is an important skill needed because their jobs revolve around each other.

How do you become a labor and delivery nurse?

To become an L&D, the first step is to acquire an ADN (associates degree nurse) and pass the NCLEX-RN exam to be eligible for an RN License. ADN programs can take up to 2 years to complete, offered through community colleges or universities. After achieving your ADN and RN, you will need to get a Bachelor of Science in nursing to meet the IOM mandate and competitive advantage. BSN typically takes up to 4 years to finish. An alternative would be a “bridge” program from ADN to BSN; this can take up to 12-24 months to complete, allowing for a student to achieve their BSN in less time. Lastly would be a Master of Science in Nursing. This isn’t a requirement to become a professional Labor and delivery nurse, but it opens the doors to getting administrative nursing opportunities. There would be plenty of other educational opportunities if you chose to continue pursuing further education, such as certifications, internships, and practicums.

     How much do Labor and Delivery Nurses Make?

The salary for an L&D nurse can be affected by multiple things such as education, experience, skills, and certifications. The average pay for an L&D is $75,000 a year but can range from $62,009 to $93,913.

For more information on nursing salaries, visit salary.guide

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist 

       Certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNAs) provide critical care at the most important times in their patients’ lives. They are responsible for the patients’ comfort and safety, administering anesthesia safely before a patient’s medical procedure. This career requires extensive education and experience

What does a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist Do?

     A CRNA spends most of their time with patients. The following is a list of tasks they might carry out:

• Examining a patient’s medical history and requesting diagnostic studies
• Coming up with an anesthetic plan appropriate for a patient
• Discussing risks of procedures and side effects with the patient and their family
• Performing spinal, epidural, or nerve blocks
• Monitoring a patients’ vital signs during and after they undergo surgery to prevent complications as well as manage if there are any
• Prep and administer anesthesia

CRNAs must work together with fellow doctors and nurses to develop the best pain management plans for each patient. While becoming a nurse anesthetist requires time and attention, the effort is well worth it. CRNAs not only work autonomously, but they also earn the most money of all advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs).

How to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist 

            Becoming a CRNA requires extensive education. A master’s degree and national certification are currently required to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist, but this will change in 2025, when a doctoral degree will be required. By January 1, 2022, all CRNA degree programs must include a doctorate degree, according to the Council on Accreditation (COA) of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs. At that time, all students enrolled in CRNA master’s degree programs must transfer to a doctoral program. Because it takes two years for a student with an MSN to get a doctorate, those intending to meet the DNP deadline in 2020 would have to be well into their doctoral program’s first year. While the new certification standards do not specify what type of doctoral degree CRNAs must get, the Doctor of Nursing Practice is expected to be the most popular option (DNP). Other possibilities include:

• PhD
• EdD
• DNS

How much do Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists make?

            A Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist’s salary can have multiple factors that determine how much they make per year, such as education, certifications, and how much experience they have. But the average salary for a CRNA in the United States as of 2021 is $183,580 but can range from $133,970 to $223,451.

 

For information regarding nursing salaries, visit salary.guide

Clinical Nurse Specialist

            Clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) are advanced practice nurses with hands-on experience, advanced knowledge, and certification in a specific specialization. The CNS must complete graduate-level nursing education and substantial training in order to practice autonomously and appropriately assess, diagnose, and manage patient problems. The patient population types that a clinical nurse specialist treats, the type of care needed, the medical setting, or the type of sickness or illness that they treat characterize the sort of specialized area that a clinical nurse specialist works in. A common misconception is that clinical nurse specialists and nurse practitioners are the same thing, but they’re not the same thing, even though they are both advanced nurses with separate scopes of practice. Clinical nurse specialists typically focus on research, education, and consulting, whereas nurse practitioners typically do duties such as taking patients’ health histories and functioning as their primary care providers.

What does a Clinical Nurse Specialist do?

            Some of the duties that a CNS might carry out include:

• Evaluate and design population-based programs of care along with patient-specific programs
• Work efficiently with other healthcare professionals to best serve the patient
• Supervise other nurses and staff
• Diagnose a patients’ health problems
• Order tests to be done and then analyze them
• Conduct research and help maintain departmental policies, stands, and procedures

How to Become a Clinical Nurse Specialist

      If you’re thinking about becoming a CNS, keep in mind that there’s a long path to take before reaching that goal. Aspiring CNSs should be aware that they will need to complete a graduate-level nursing degree. Students pursue advanced pharmacology, advanced pathophysiology, and advanced physical/health assessment courses while pursuing a graduate degree. Ethics, research techniques, and healthcare system management will be among the other crucial topics. Prospective clinical nurse specialists can apply for various CNS certifications such as adult health, pediatric health, and others after completing an MSN or DNP program through organizations like the American Nurse Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). The following is the educational requirements to become a CNS:

• Complete and pass the NCLEX-RN exam
• Have an active and unrestricted RN license
• Achieve a Bachelor of Science in Nursing
• If targeting research, an MSN or DNP degree is usually required
• Complete 500 clinical hours that have been supervised within the population that you’re going to be specializing in

There’s plenty of certifications that you can acquire to further education or be certified in a specific specialty.

How much do Clinical Nurse Specialists make?

            A clinical nurse specialists’ salary can have multiple factors that determine how much they make per year, such as education, certifications, and how much experience they have. But the average salary for a CNS in the United States as of 2021 is $109,437 but can range from $89,397 to $129,375.

 

For more information regarding clinical nurse specialists and other nursing salaries, visit nursesalary.net

Family Nurse Practitioner

  A career as a family nurse practitioner may be appealing to professionals who wish to deal with patients of all ages (FNP). FNPs examine patients of all ages, administer drugs, and develop treatment regimens.

What does a Family Nurse Practitioner do?

    Family nurse practitioners use their additional nursing expertise to diagnose, monitor and treat sick people of all ages, sizes, and shapes. Family practice revolves around primary care. From urinary tract infections to upper respiratory ailments, FNPs deal with the basic healthcare requirements that walk in the door at any clinic or hospital in the country. They keep track of chronic illnesses like cirrhosis and diabetes and conduct regular exams to prevent issues from developing. They are dependable and knowledgeable healthcare providers that care for a wide range of patients. The following is skills and duties a FNP may have:

• Make ethical decisions
• Critical thinking
• Use effective communication skills
• Diagnosing patients
• Creating care plans for patients’
• Working efficient with the healthcare team

How do you become a Family Nurse Practitioner?

Someone wanting to become a FNP needs to earn an associate degree in nursing or a Bachelor of Science in nursing. Getting a ADN requires you to earn a BSN afterwards or enroll in a “bridge” program. The next step would be to pass the NCLEX-RN and receive an RN licensure; every state requires all nurses to have an RN license. FNPs require an advanced nursing degree to practice, so RNs with 1-2 years’ experience can enroll in an MSN program. Next requirement is to pass the national FNP certification board exam, if you pass you can acquire a state licensure as a nurse practitioner.

 

How much do Family Nurse Practitioners make?

 A family nurse practitioners’ salary can have multiple factors that determine how much they make per year, such as education, certifications, and how much experience they have. But the average salary for a FNP in the United States as of 2021 is $112,280 but can range from $96,824 to $130,792.

 

For more information regarding nurse practitioners, visit salary.guide