eager to learn.. but what?

hey there! rookie rn here.

i am a new graduate rn from another country. i recently migrated here to the usa and i will be starting my work next month.

i am also a new member of allnurses.com. :balloons:

i am very much interested in taking up higher-level education but, sadly, i am confused and unfamiliar with all the post-graduate nursing courses available here in the us. most of these courses are non-existent in my country that is why i don't know anything about them.

for instance, what exactly is the difference between a nurse practitioner (np) and a clinical nurse specialist (cns)? do they have different roles/functions or do they basically perform the same things?

i have also been surfing the web for rn training programs. i actually found a lot.

but i do have to ask. what is the difference between a critical care training program and an acute care training program? i always thought critical care falls under or is a part of acute care. i guess i'm wrong.

i hope someone/anyone can shed light on my confusion.

thank you very much! :bowingpur

are you interested in becoming an advanced practice nurse? there are four areas: nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, certified registered nurse anesthetist, and certified nurse midwife. one must have a masters of science in nursing and graduate from a program for one of these specialties.

click on this link for the differences/similarities between the np and cns:

different roles for cns

there are specialty tracks within an np or cns program including, but not all inclusive, acute care, geriatrics, ob-gyn, pediatrics, trauma, family practice. many more. i think that's to what you refer.

hope this helps to answer some of your questions. enjoy the site here at allnurses.com.