Types of nurses?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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I'm sorry if this is strange or stupid question but the only types of nurses I have heard of have been CNA's and RN's....what other type of nurses are there?

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There are no stupid questions :)

A CNA is actually a Certified Nursing Assistant (not a nurse).

As for the types of nurses, there are LVNs (Licensed Vocational Nurses) and RNs (Registered Nurses). One can become an RN with either an associates degree in nursing or a bachelor's degree in nursing. However, if you want to go to grad school for an advanced nursing degree (for example: nurse practitioner, certified registered nurse anesthetist...), then you need to have a bachelor's degree in nursing. If you are an LVN or an RN with an associate's degree and you want to go to grad school (or you just want the bachelor's degree), there are programs out there to help you obtain that.

As for how LVNs and RNs differ in scope of practice, I will leave that discussion up to others more knowledgable than me in this area. I'm only a prenursing student, so I don't know much about specific differences between the two. I only know about the different nursing degrees that exist because I'd like to go to grad school someday.

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thank you that helped.....kinda lol, cause everyone kept asking when they heard i wanted to become a nurse what type what type....thing is I only knew of RNs....

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Are these people asking you what kind of unit you would like to work on? Such as intensive care, emergency room, labor and delivery, surgical, etc?

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CNA are not nurses. neither are med assistance. they are nothing like nurses. i know its petty but its kinda an insult lol. everyone has there own set of skills to contribute. but after all the hard work you put in as an rn to be grouped up with a cna is like come on.

But to answer your question there are two types of basic nurses RN or LPN (which is the same as LVN just depends on your state) If you wish to specialize you must be an RN and then go back to school. you can specialize in tons of different areas. like family practice, CRNA. or you can decide not to go back to school if you are an rn and take a certificate test to become specialized say in ped nursing, med/surg nursing.

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There are no stupid questions :)

A CNA is actually a Certified Nursing Assistant (not a nurse).

As for the types of nurses, there are LVNs (Licensed Vocational Nurses) and RNs (Registered Nurses). One can become an RN with either an associates degree in nursing or a bachelor's degree in nursing. However, if you want to go to grad school for an advanced nursing degree (for example: nurse practitioner, certified registered nurse anesthetist...), then you need to have a bachelor's degree in nursing. If you are an LVN or an RN with an associate's degree and you want to go to grad school (or you just want the bachelor's degree), there are programs out there to help you obtain that.

As for how LVNs and RNs differ in scope of practice, I will leave that discussion up to others more knowledgable than me in this area. I'm only a prenursing student, so I don't know much about specific differences between the two. I only know about the different nursing degrees that exist because I'd like to go to grad school someday.

Advanced practicing nurses like Nurse Practitioner, crna you need to have a masters. they are ALL master degree programs. Bachelors (BSN) is still just reg RN. And you MUST be an RN to become a NP, FP, CRNA. you in no way can do this as an LPN. LPNs and RNs are different. if you wish to do advance pracitcing nursing and are a LPN youll have to do a bridge program and become an RN but you must be an RN to become an advanced practicing nurse . I am a nursing student (RN) and im interested in becoming an advance practicing nurse. they also teach you all this stuff in nursing school

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People ask me what type of nurse I want to be all the time. Usually they are asking if I want to be LVN or RN, or they are asking what department I want to work in. ex: ER, OR, etc. So when someone asks you what type, they may mean what department.

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Oh well when they ask they just say "what type of nurse do you want to become" maybe the wording is why i got confused maybe they meant department. and im sorry about grouping nurses in with cnas i just didnt know

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