Nursing

Licensed Practical Nurses provide basic patient care, primarily in nursing homes and long-term care settings.

LPN’s monitor patient health, perform wound care, enemas, assist patients with moving, record fluid intake and output, and provide basic comfort services like bathing and personal hygiene.

Most LPN’s work in nursing homes and other long-term care settings, but the overall hiring outlook for LPN’s is not strong. Employers increasingly prefer hiring nurses with more advanced education, preferably BSN nurses.

Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM’s) are a specialized type of Advance Practice Registered Nurses, who provide a higher level of care, for women throughout their lives, but most commonly during childbirth.

As an Advanced Practice Nurse, CNM’s can prescribe medication, provide medical care for relatively healthy women, and provide some labor and delivery care for low-risk births.

To become a Certified Nurse Midwife, you must have earn a bachelor’s Degree in Nursing, and complete the master’s degree program to become an advanced practice nurse.

Nurse Practitioners are Advanced Practice Registered Nurses who provide higher levels of care: conducting exams, ordering tests, providing some diagnosis, and prescribing medications and other treatments, often in a primary care setting.

Nurse Practitioners, or NP’s, must earn a Master’s Degree in addition to a B.S.N. Once in practice, NP’s can prescribe medications, diagnose illnesses, coordinate complex patient care, or conduct medical research. Many NP’s work in hospital administration, managing parts (or even an entire) clinic, hospital, or health system.

Registered nurses provide the front-line patient care that helps coordinate the care and recovery of patients in hospitals, nursing homes, and out-patient offices. Today, the most common entry-level nursing degree is the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), although there are Associates Degrees in Nursing (ADN) programs available at many community colleges.

Nurses record patients’ medical histories and symptoms, operate medical equipment, perform diagnostic tests, give patients medicine and treatments, and educate patients and families. Learn more at the HOTT nursing portal. BSN nurses often hold management roles in hospitals managing other nurses.

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA’s) are responsible for providing anesthesia to patients during surgeries, child birth, and other procedures. Anesthetics are a type of medication allowing patients to numb pain or safely “sleep” during the surgery.

As Advance Practice Registered Nurses, CRNA’s practice with a relatively high degree of autonomy, and have high levels of responsibility for patient safety during surgery, working with surgeons, anesthesiologists, and other health care professionals.

CRNA’s must have a Bachelor’s degree in nursing, one year of experience in working as a registered nurse in an acute care setting, and graduate with a master’s degree from a nurse anesthesia program.

Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) perform the basics of personal care for patients, providing hands-on care directly to patients.

The majority of these tasks include helping patients eat, bathe, and dress. A CNA may also be required to answer calls for help, deliver messages, serve meals, make beds, clean patient rooms, and assist patients getting out of bed.

Most CNA’s work in long-term care facilities, and despite their relatively low pay, the number of CNA’s are expected to grow over the next few years.