nurbac

I am stunned that nursing administration would concur with such a card. We have dry erase boards in our patient rooms where the RN and care tech write their names so that the patient has a way to easily remember their staff members. This institution may have had such an idea in mind, but its execution is in very poor taste and as a professional nurse I would have to refuse to participate.

The percentages of time would depend on how the institution utilized the CNS role. I spend about 70% of my time in nurse development, 20% in direct patient care, and 10% in the other stuff. This may change as I am beginning to work on a stroke project. If you go to the ANCC (American Nursing Credentialliing Center) you can find the exams offered for the CNS. They are somewhat limited by specialty with Med/Surg being sort of a generalist exam to hold certification. For instance I am certified in medical surgical nursing as well as advanced diabetes management. Good luck! Let me know if I can help! If you would like to e mail me personally my address is [email protected]. There is also a list serve for Clinical Nurse Specialists that you can hook up with.

The role of the CNS really varies from institution to institution. For instance I am responsible for 5 med/surg units in terms of monitoring standard of care, nurse development, policy review and change. Some CNSs focus on a particular disease process such as CHF or diabetes. Usually you are "assigned" to specific areas. Again, there is not a universal definition of the CNS role and your priviliges will vary from state to state. I practice in Alabama and we are required to have a second license to use the title "CNS" but all states do not require that. Hope this helps some. :)

The role of the CNS is generally utilized in the hospital setting. Ability to move beyond the scope of the RN varies from state to state (prescriptive authority, etc). Some states require a separate license to practice as a CNS. Typically nurse practitioners work outside the hospital with a collaberating physician. The CNS role can be extremely varied and fun! For instance at my hospital we are primarily patient focused along with staff development. If your interest is prevention of teen pregnancy and perhaps working in an outpatient setting there could be opportunites in either arm of the profession. Look around in your area to see what hospitals have to offer. Working as an NP in a physician's office might be an option, but education is rarely reimbursable and most physician's look to the NP to generate monies for the practice. Good luck whatever you decide!

Our 351 bed hospital currently has 3 CNS positions. We all report to the director of education which can be strange at times as we are assigned specialty areas and work closely with the directors of the service line.