TYPES OF NURSE – USA

When it comes to dealing with people, we automatically think of nurses, what most people don’t know is that through this profession there are more specializations within this professional area. And according to the growth, development and especially the technology that is implemented in the health area, the evolution of nursing increasingly demands from the professional. With this arises the importance of different types of nurses: 

· Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA); 

· Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN); 

· Registered Nurse (RN); 

· Nurse Practitioner; 

1. Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA): 

A Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) is fully involved in the daily lives of patients, where they will help with their needs while being observed by a Nurse Supervisor. CNAs work in various healthcare facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes, schools that require the presence of one. In any case, the Certified Nursing Assistant works with several different functions at the same time. Some of your responsibilities are: 

· Assisting patients with elimination; 

· Answering patient calls/bells; 

· Bathing patients; 

· Combing hair, shaving, caring for nails and brushing teeth; 

· Cleaning rooms and bed linens; 

· Documentation of information obtained; 

· Dressing wounds; 

· Feeding patients, measuring and recording their food and liquid intake; 

· Gathering supplies for the RN or MD; 

· Helping with medical procedures; 

· Obtaining vital signs per protocol; 

· Preparing rooms for admissions; 

· Stocking supplies; 

· Turning or repositioning patients; 

To become a CNA you need to complete a Certified Nursing training program and be approved by the state you wish to apply. 

2. Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN): 

An LPN or LVN is a type of nurse responsible for providing essential care to patients, such as helping them to eat, dress, bathe, assist with administering medication, among others, always working under the supervision of registered nurses (RNs). 

Generally these professionals have the following responsibilities: 

· Monitor patients’ health—for example, by checking their blood pressure 

· Administer basic patient care, including changing bandages and inserting catheters 

· Provide for the basic comfort of patients, such as helping them bathe or dress 

· Discuss the care they are providing with patients and listen to their concerns 

· Report patients’ status and concerns to registered nurses and doctors 

· Keep records on patients’ health 

These responsibilities may also vary according to the state in which the professional applies to work. For example, some states allow the LPN or LVN they can reinforce teaching done by nurses about how family members should care for a relative; help deliver, care for, and feed babies; collect samples for testing and perform routine laboratory tests; or feeding patients who need help eating. In other states, these same professionals are limited to certain tasks. 

To become a licensed practical nurse (LPN) or licensed professional nurse (LVN), it is necessary to receive some educational training from an institution of higher learning: 

2.1 Earn a High School Diploma or Ged; 

2.2 Enroll in an accredited LPN/LVN training; 

2.3 Request authorization for test; 

2.4 Schedule your NCLEX-PN exam; 

2.5 Expect your results; 

2.6 Start working as LPN/LVN; 

3. Registered Nurse (RN): 

Registered nurses care for sick, injured, and healthy patients in a variety of settings and teach the public about health and wellness best practices. These nurses offer clinical care, resources in which they guarantee their safety. 

The workplace of these nurses vary according to their respective functions, some Nurses provide intensive care in the intensive care unit of a hospital, while others assist in blood donation units or in pediatrics giving attention to children in a hospital or office. 

There are a wide variety of specializations that an RN can work on. 

Registered nurses must obtain a license in the state in which they wish to practice, which includes passing a national exam and meeting state-specific requirements. 

3.1 Surgical Assistant Registered Nurse: 

This specification provides direct assistance to patients during the perioperative period and assists surgeons during procedures. Responsibilities can range from tasks such as skin preparation, wound exposure, performing tissue dissection, suturing, and other surgical aids. 

3.2 Home Care Registered Nurse: 

These types of Nurses provide in-home care for patients, who often need post-discharge follow-up from a hospital or other healthcare setting. 

3.3 Emergency Room Registered Nurse: 

They are usually nurses who work in the emergency department of a hospital. Emergency nurses are responsible for stabilizing patients prior to transfer to the operating room, intensive care unit and/or medical-surgical unit, as well as for the discharge of clinically stable patients. 

3.4 Labor and Delivery Nurse: 

These nurses care for mothers during labor and birth and provide the baby’s initial postpartum care under the supervision of a midwife or physician. They must be especially good at communicating and understanding the psychological and medical needs of the parents so that they can provide psychological and emotional support while the mother and baby remain in the hospital. 

3.5 Clinical Nurse Supervisor:

A clinical nursing supervisor typically has a wide range of responsibilities, performs initial assessments of new patients – such as reviewing charts and talking to nurses, family members and other healthcare professionals, coordinates nursing staff efforts with those of other departments, prepares reports about the progress of patients in relation to recovery goals, among other features. 

3.6 Nurse Case Manager: 

A nursing case manager reviews health plans for each patient, whether recovering from serious injuries or dealing with chronic illnesses. They are responsible for creating and managing the care plan for patients with chronic or serious conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and cancer. Schedule your patients’ medical appointments and follow up to ensure they attend. Communicating about a patient’s health condition with the patient and their family. 

3.7 Critical Care Registered Nurse: 

This type of Nurse has responsibilities to include monitoring, assessment, vital sign monitoring, ventilatory management, medication administration, IV insertion and infusion, central line care, Swan-Ganz catheters, and maintaining an ongoing record of the patient’s status. 

3.8 Oncology Registered Nurse: 

An oncology nurse works with patients who have or are at risk of getting cancer. Oncology nurses provide necessary assessments, administer treatments, and communicate with all patient care providers to help develop a plan tailored to each patient’s needs. 

3.9 Health Informatics Nurse Specialist: 

Health informatics professionals interact with doctors, nurses, specialists and IT professionals. Day-to-day tasks for computer specialists vary, but most jobs will include data collection and analysis, designing workflows, measurement, end-user education and training, systems management, and managing discussions between end-users and software developers. Some of the most common health informatics skills include problem solving and communication. 

3.10 Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN): 

An advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) is a registered nurse who has undergone advanced specialized training to gain skills, knowledge, and experience in a specific patient population or skill set. APRN is specific to four types of nurses: 

1. Nurse; 

2. Certified Nurse Midwife; 

3. Specialist Clinical Nurse; 

4. Certified Nurse Anesthetist. 

3.11 Clinical Nurse Specialist: 

Clinical nurse specialists are registered advanced practice nurses who are prepared for postgraduate (master’s or doctoral) degrees in nursing. Like other advanced practice registered nurses, they are trained in advanced physiology, pharmacology, and physical assessment in addition to their specific areas of expertise. They may diagnose, treat, prescribe and bill like other APRNs as permitted by their state regulations. 

4. Nurse Practitioner: 

In general, Nurse Practitioners are trained to assess, diagnose, request and interpret medical tests, prescribe medication and collaborate in patient care. A nurse’s scope of practice varies from state to state, and sometimes even from hospital to hospital. NPs typically provide primary care and urgent care services as well as critical care to a diverse patient population.