Want to become a CNS in pain management

[Heogog53]

Hi, I'm looking at going back to school in a number of things, but one area that I am very interested in is pain management. As someone who has been in both acute and chronic pain, I want to become an advocate for pain patients, including educating the patients and families about proper treatment of pain, etc. Anyone know if a CNS could get a job as APN in pain management?

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

In my area, pain management is handled as a multidisciplinary approach with anesthesia. We have two groups that do pain management: one with an MD anesthesiologist and the other with a few CRNAs, an NP (who does the medical side) and a couple of MDs.

You might want to look at the makeup of the pain management groups that you have in your area. Also do you want to prescribe? Is that in your state's scope of practice for CNS?

[Heogog53]

I have no idea what the scope of practice of a CNS is in my state. I'll have to check on that. I've have worked with CNRA's and ologists for years, so I have an idea of what they do. I'm not sure if I want to prescribe; I see my area as in working with patients and families, doing assessments, education, things of that sort. Some one in the pain management at a local university hospital told me that to work in pain management, I'd need a CRNA or an NP. I wondered if a CNS could get me into the multidisciplinary team as opposed to the NP. I guess I'm unenlightened about the exact role of a CNS in some ways.

Thanks for you answers. Now I have more to think about!