Clinical Nurse specialist???

I live in IL and per our nurse practice act, the CNS, NP, CNM (cert nurse midwife) and CRNA (cert reg nurse anesthetist) all have the same nurse practice act. There is no "short" MSN as far as I know in IL. Am unsure what you are asking?

As to the CNS, yes, we do (sometimes) provide direct care and other times, we make policies, are involved in staff development, management, etc., which are indirect care.

An NP usually provides direct patient care.

Thank you traumaRUs. I was leaning more toward CNS Medical-Surgical or FNP. I like medical-surgical field, but I'd rather provide direct patient care than sit in the office & do management work etc... I have to make up my mind soon.

When I got my MSN, the program (Indiana, Valparaiso University) was set up like this:

With a MSN, you were a CNS, with a specialization in whatever field you chose

then...

to become a NP (family practice variety) you added 10 credit hours on at the end, after MSN graduation.

Wow - does that course still exist? I'm desperate to add an FNP or peds NP to my resume!

If you're a non-resident, consider the fees wherever you go. You generally need to have lived in a state for 12 months to be eligible for in-state tuition fees. You are not eligible for any federal aid or many loans as a non-resident (some permit this if you have a US citizen to co-sign). If you go fulltime, you could complete the MSN in 18 months to 2 years.

I worked in a Med-Surg hospital a couple of years ago. There, each specialty floor had its own CNS or a few. There was a diabetes specialist, a cardiac specialist, an ostomy specialist, a psych specialist, etc. I was one of them. Our job was to do staff education and to see patients within our specialty, to provide input about what might help the patient. We talked to the patients' doctors regularly. While we were usually associated with a specific "floor," we went to all areas of the hospital if we were asked to consult. We definitely had patient contact. The hospital had a few NPs, but most of the NPs who worked there, came from the offices of the MDs they worked with, and saw patients from their practice who happened to be admitted.

Whispera - that is what my job is now: I work for a nephrology practice and see those patients when they are hospitalized. Much depends on the state practice act, what a CNS can and can't do.

I also worked in a private practice, and saw my own patients, assessing, diagnosing, prescribing medications and treatment, ordering tests, evaluating treatment, and adjusting it. I didn't see the doctors' patients, only my own. It was their preference that I didn't go to the hospital to see patients, though, so if any of mine were admitted, they would be the attending provider rather than me. Then, when hospitalization was over, the patient was "mine" again. I didn't mind them doing this, since it meant I didn't have to be "on call" 24/7 and didn't have to drive all over creation.

Aw yes, the driving! I have 28,000 miles on my new SUV - I just got it Nov 07! I drive a lot!

I sure hope you get paid for mileage!