Explain the differences

leslie :-D · Jul 16, 2005

can someone please explain to me the differences between what a staff nurse vs a nurse practionier is, and is there a big difference between someone being a certified nurse vs being a registere nurse.

hi enerbime,

a staff nurse is a nurse who needs to be licensed (lpn) or registered (rn) within their state's regulations. they can have a diploma, associates, bachelor's, master's or eve pHd but serve to work under their director of nsg. a nurse practitioner goes to school to specialize in one of sev'l areas; is minimum of master's level and works under her license, although often in conjunction with an md. but np's do have prescriptive authority whereas staff nurses do not. both must follow the guidelines as mandated by the state board of nursing.

there is no such title as a certified nurse. there are certified nursing assistants. for nurses, there are licensed practical nurses and registered nurses. hope this was helpful.

leslie

ckh23, BSN, RN · Jul 16, 2005

There is no such thing as a certified nurse, but a nurse can become certified in a particular field such as emergency and critical care.

suzanne4, RN · Jul 16, 2005

A nurse practitioner is a Master's prepared nurse with an MSN that can see and treat patients and has prescription privileges in most states.

purplemania, BSN, RN · Jul 16, 2005

yes there are certified nurses. Certifications do not give you a license to work, like being a registered nurse or licensed vocational/practical nurse. A certification states you have acquired additional knowledge in your area of expertise. The American Nurses Asso. awards 40 different certifications and there are many more awarded by various nursing organizations. HOWEVER, every certified nurse is first and foremost a nurse with a license.This may sound confusing to people outside our profession.