Acute Care CNS: Any of you out there?

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Specializes in Med surg, cardiac, case management.

When I applied to the UIC program I had to choose a specialization and I chose Acute Care CNS; I was interested in doing differential diagnosis.

I didn't get accepted, but I'm considering going on after my MSN and maybe becoming a CNS. I was wondering about the acute care route, and if anyone else there has taken this path.

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I don't have my Acute CNS but have my CNS. I have a classmate with the same degree but works in acute care (ER) and she loves it. I am assuming Acute CNS is like an NP who works primarily in acute care?

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Specializes in Critical care.

I have MSN from a CNS program that was Acute Care. I have always worked in ICU setting, so worked as Critical care CNS when I graduated, even though with the state of TX and a CNS in Acute care because that is what the program track followed. The major was in Acute care nursing and so I had to apply for acute care CNS status as my APN status with the state.

Hope this helps.

Jeff

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Another thing to consider Joe is the state practice act and certifying tests. Is there an test for acute care CNS? I didn't think so...let me go look:

Here is what I found and there is no listing for acute care CNS:

http://www.nursecredentialing.org/TestReferences.aspx#

Choose Your Specialty

Nurse Practitioners

Acute Care NP

Adult NP

Adult Psychiatric & Mental Health NP

Diabetes Management - Advanced

Family NP

Family Psych & Mental Health NP

Gerontological NP

Pediatric NP

School NP

Clinical Nurse Specialists

Adult Health CNS

Adult Psychiatric & Mental Health CNS

Child\Adolescent Psych & Mental Health CNS

CNS Core Exam

Diabetes Management - Advanced

Gerontological CNS

Home Health CNS

Pediatric CNS

Public/Community Health CNS

Other Advanced-Level

Adult Psychiatric & Mental Health Nurse - Advanced

Diabetes Management - Advanced

Forensic Nurse - Advanced Practice

Nurse Executive - Advanced

Public Health Nursing - Advanced

So what test would you take? In IL, the CNS is an APN role. I work in a practice with several mid-levels including a PA, 3 FNPs and me; an adult health CNS. I do consults and care of ICU pts with nephrology issues as well as seeing chronic hemodialysis patients in the outpt setting.

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Joe (and others):

At my university, we program is officially called "Acute and Specialty Care CNS", and students develop a specialty focus (trauma, renal, neuro, burn/wound, infection control, cardiac surgery, digestive health, diabetes, etc,.) After completion of our MSN they are eligible to sit for CNS cerfitication in either Adult Health or Critical Care. At present, there is no certification examination for Acute Care CNS.

We used to have distinct programs for Adult Health and Critical Care, but collapsed these two programs into one in 2001 called "Acute and Specialty Care" since there was much overlap in the Adult Health & Critical Care curricula.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Very interesting UVA. thanks for the info.

I did an adult health CNS and finished in May 2006. We had an acute track, chronic track and geriatric track that we all did. I work in both acute care and chronic care.

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Specializes in Critical care.

AACN offers the CCNS exam. It is for Acute and critical care CNS role.

What is important is to look at what your state board of nursing accepts as valid examinations of your CNS role/ability, licensure.

Texas recognizes the CCNS exam as acceptable for proof of CNS, and thus the Advanced Practice tile of CNS. This is the exam I took to get my CNS status in the state of Texas.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Thanks for the info.

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I have an option to do Acute Care CNS. I wonder what is the list of specialties that Acute Care CNS can specialize at the end of the program. Any input?

Thanks in advance!

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Dear Joe NightingMale,

this may be unnerving (or, the wrong place to write you a message, I apologize to everyone) but I am one of the myriad pre-nursing students lurking on this board soaking up the info and I had noticed some of your posts before because you seemed to have similar interests and reasons for going into nursing as mine (the philosophical or sociological side, questions about meaning/responsibility in health and illness). I am dismayed to hear that you didn't get into UIC because that's where I want to go! For the GEP program. I was just wondering...do you have a sense of why you didn't get in? What route did you end up taking to become a nurse? And do you feel like your intellectual interests in health care are being satisfied by working as a nurse? Also, more practically, I am confused by your saying you might pursue the Acute Care CNS after your Master's...are you enrolled in a Master's for something else now? I thought the Acute Care CNS was at the Master's level.

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joe (and others):

at my university (university of jordan, amman, jordan), our program is officially called "master of clinical nursing sciences --> the program designed for acute care cns". the students here are developing a specialty focus (trauma, renal, neuro, burn/wound, infection control, cardiac surgery, digestive health, diabetes, etc,) unfortunately, after graduation we are just titled msn with out cns since we do not have nursing board or certificate exam. now the students who were graduated form this program are a lot. so, my question is: how can we request such certificate although my country in real need of cns cares.

what do you recommend?

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Specializes in Med surg, cardiac, case management.
Dear Joe NightingMale,

this may be unnerving (or, the wrong place to write you a message, I apologize to everyone) but I am one of the myriad pre-nursing students lurking on this board soaking up the info and I had noticed some of your posts before because you seemed to have similar interests and reasons for going into nursing as mine (the philosophical or sociological side, questions about meaning/responsibility in health and illness). I am dismayed to hear that you didn't get into UIC because that's where I want to go! For the GEP program. I was just wondering...do you have a sense of why you didn't get in? What route did you end up taking to become a nurse? And do you feel like your intellectual interests in health care are being satisfied by working as a nurse? Also, more practically, I am confused by your saying you might pursue the Acute Care CNS after your Master's...are you enrolled in a Master's for something else now? I thought the Acute Care CNS was at the Master's level.

Don't know why I didn't get in. Probably just the competition.

I did get into DePaul's generic MSN program, getting near the end. So far I've liked it pretty well.

But I'm still not sure what I want to do afterwards. Many of my classmates want to become CRNAs, but I'm pretty sure that's not what I want. I'd thought about CNS, but I'm afraid that might be too specialized. And maybe not needed. The faculty want me to try a PhD, but that too is heavily specialized, especially when it comes to research (which I don't like all that much). I'm considering the NP, but I have to do some more research...

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