NURSE ENLIGHTENMENT: DIFFERENT TYPES OF NURSES (Part 3)
The Advanced Degree category of types of nurses includes those who have successfully completed masters or doctorate-level work.
NURSE PRACTITIONERS (NPs)
Nurse practitioners coordinate patient care and provide primary and speciality health care. They are highly skilled advance practice nurses who have completed a Master's Degree in Nursing. They have the expertise in the diagnosis and management of common medical conditions.
- Take and record patients' medical histories and symptoms and set up plans for patient's care and contribute to existing plans
- Perform physical exams
- Perform and order diagnostic test and interpret laboratory results, EKGs and X-rays
- Observe patients and diagnose various health problems
- Diagnosing and referring patients to other health care professionals as required
- Operate and monitor medical equipment
- Educating and counselling patients and their families how to stay healthy or manage their illnesses or injuries
CLINICAL NURSE LEADER (CNLs)
A nurse who would provide direct clinical leadership at the point of care, working to insure that care delivery is safe, evidence-based, and targeted towards optimal quality outcomes for the cohort of clients served by the CNL.
Determine a treatment plan for patients
Collect and evaluate patient's treatment results
Oversee the patient’s medical team
CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALISTS (CNSs)
They provide direct and indirect patient care in all settings and in specialty areas like:
- Critical care
- Gerontology, Oncology and Cardiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Adult care and Pediatric care
- Respiratory care
- Psychiatric mental health
CERTIFIED NURSE MIDWIVES (CNMs)
Nurse midwives perform gynaecological and obstetrical care for the female clients because they had additional training in obstetrics and gynaecology. Most people think that they are nurses who deliver babies. Though it is their primary function, they do more than delivering babies.
- Practice primary or preventive care that includes annual exams and reproductive visits for women.
- Play an important role in physical assessment, prenatal care, family planning, assistance during labour and delivery and neonatal care.
- Counselling and educating the public on birth control methods.
- Parental and post-partum care for the mothers and babies
CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANAESTHETICS (CRNAs)
They are highly skilled advanced practice nurses that administer anaesthetic agents to patients. And because of the critical nature of their role, they hold a lot of responsibility. The main duties of a CRNA are:
- Administer anaesthesia to patients who are undergoing surgical procedures.
- Monitoring vital signs of patients during the surgical procedures.
- Ensuring patients awaken from the anaesthesia comfortably.
- Perform preoperative evaluations of patients.
- Work closely with anaesthesiologists, surgeons, dentists and other healthcare professionals.
- Maintain medical records.
- Advise the physician of any adverse reactions of patients.
- Assists in training of medical personnel in CPR, Anaesthesia and Respiratory Care.
- Work as part of the surgical team in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).
Published at: 06/18/2015
