Perinatal Clinical Nurse Specialist

Specialties CNS

Published

Is anyone here a Perinatal Clinical Nurse Specialist? I'm currently in a perinatal clinical nurse specialty program, but planning to switch to a Certified Nurse Midwifery program. I've been advised that this would be the best option because many hospitals are doing away with CNSs. There also seems to be more jobs and opportunities for a CNM compared to a CNS. What are your thoughts?

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I can't speak to perinatal CNS but I'm an adult health and peds CNS and I'm currently in school for an FNP.

I too feel that CNS is being phased out unless you live in a state where CNS=APRN and you can bill for your services.

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The NCBSN website can clarify some of these issues of CNS practice with rx auth or lack thereof. CNSs are not being phased out by any means, but it is the act of many CNSs in states like California and New York going back for NP licensure due to the current restrictions. If we don't fight for what we want, changing over to the NP role might help in the short term, but we will be characterized as easy to give up and no one will listen to us when we say we are worth free practice and rx auth.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Per the ANCC and the Consensus Model, Adult Health CNS and Peds CNS exams will both be phased out in December 2015.

This is not advancing the CNS role but rather forcing those of us who are CNS's to go back to school for something more viable.

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You can still renew the certifications if you already have them, but new graduates cannot take those exams. I remember NCBSN saying that no exams would be taken away, and obviously that didn't happen. I know a lot of CNSs in practice who felt this was another blow to our already poor visibility. Why do you feel like you need to obtain another degree and certification? Maybe I didn't understand your comment correctly.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

@Mommy - I don't want to derail this thread but at the present time I only see adult pts so I can not renew the peds CNS by practice hours - I must retest.

So...in five years when I come up for renewal once again, there will be NO test available to take, hence I'm back in school for what I should have done in the first place.

I also wanted to correct my earlier post: the Peds CNS exam now retires in Dec 2016 (they have recently moved it one more year)

And finally....the push is for FNP to be outpt ONLY, so I will cont to use the adult CNS to see pts in the hospital.

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Didn't mean to derail. I understand.

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