Family Nurse Practitioner vs Adult Nurse Practitioner

There can be some confusion about the specifics of what certain jobs entail within the medical industry. Whether you’re looking to hire a nurse for the home or you’re looking to begin your education to become a medical professional, you should take the time to learn the major differences between a family nurse practitioner and an adult nurse practitioner.

Below we’ll list brief definitions of what a nurse is expected to do, what a family nurse does, and what an adult nurse does. The duties performed by an adult nurse and a family nurse overlap in a lot of ways but are near polar opposites in others. Read on and we’ll help you to avoid any possible confusion in the future with regards to what exactly you should expect of your nurse or your future career in the medical industry.

Basic Nursing Duties

To list all of a nurse’s duties would take volumes, but it’s safe to say that they are the backbone of the entire medical industry. Where doctors are expected to have very specific knowledge regarding child healthcare or the ears, nose and throat, or disease and illness, a nurse needs to have an intermediate knowledge of literally everything. Where doctors may need to carry a pager for emergencies, a nurse typically handles a half dozen or more emergencies every single day.

A nurse needs to be able to manage clerical duties as well as providing a humane and sympathetic touch in dealing with patients. They need to know how to administer a shot while cleaning the equipment and disposing of hazardous materials. Nurses are, without a doubt, the hardest working and most versatile people in the medical community.

Family Nurse Practitioners

Family nurse practitioners, or FNPs, are a special type of nurses that specialize in the bigger picture of health. It’s not just the family, though that’s a part of it. A family nurse practitioner needs to understand a person’s social and cultural background, they need to know what the patient’s religion has to say on blood transfusions and what people of their culture tend to eat. They need to know about the person’s financial and socio-economic background. A family nurse practitioner doesn’t simply worry about a family, they have to be concerned with everything that defines the context of their patient’s life and health, everything from whether their family has a history of heart disease to whether or not they’re drinking clean water at home.

An average salary of FNP is between $75,000 to $97,000 depends upon experience and area.

Adult Nurse Practitioners

An Adult Nurse Practitioner(APN) is the one that most of us will be talking to primarily throughout our adult lives. From adolescence to old age, an Adult Nurse Practitioner is there to help everyone who is not already being helped by another specialized be they a pediatric nurse or a geriatric nurse. If you are an adult and you’re not being covered by a special need, chances are that you’re going to be primarily talking to adult nurse practitioners.

The duties that both perform are largely the same, but the direction that they come at the job is a bit different. Where a family nurse will know more about the bigger picture, an adult nurse practitioner needs to be just as involved on an individual level.

An average salary of APN is between $80,000 to $120,000 depends upon experience and area.

What is the difference between a practical nurse and a registered nurse?

How to Become an Anesthesiologist

The future is bright for anesthesiologists. Because there will always be patients, the need for pain management, hospitals and surgical procedures, there will constantly be healthy career opportunities for anesthesiologists. The average anesthesiologist’s income is approximately $410,000.

Because an anesthesiologist is a bona fide physician, he or she carries the same credentials, schooling and training as an M.D. or D.O. This article contains the steps you need to plan for your career as an anesthesiologist.

Keep in mind, with the exception of voluntary efforts and high school electives, each step contains an associated cost. Depending on your state, costs will differ.

Here are some suggestions for pre-college preparation for the aspiring anesthesiologist:

High School:

Study advanced sciences like chemistry, anatomy, trigonometry, humanities, physiology, algebra, biology, geometry, and physics. Volunteer at a hospital in order to gain exposure to the healthcare industry.

College schooling requirements for a medical degree in anesthesiology are as follows:

1. Obtain an Undergraduate Degree (Bachelor’s Degree).

Four years of college. Includes inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics, English and biology.

2. Be accepted into a university of medicine.

Includes completion of a rigorous premedical program at an accredited university. Premed students subsequently have to pass the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). This also involves personal interviews, applications, and additional qualifications testing.

3. Obtain a Medical Degree.

Four years of graduate school. Includes advanced classes in mathematics, chemistry, physics, healthcare practice, patient care laws and more.

4. Complete Residency Training

Four years of postgraduate training. Includes on-the-job training toward the American Board of Anesthesiology or the American Society of Anesthesiologists certification. Residency training is modeled to prepare residents as preoperative physicians who are totally responsible and accountable for patients who are scheduled for different types of surgical procedures.

An anesthesiologist must also accomplish the following requirements before being able to practice:

1. Pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) exam.

A thorough and all-inclusive examination for practicing medicine in the United States. This exam takes place in three steps. Preparation for this examination is paramount to a college course in itself.

2. Secure a medical license in desired state of practice.

Involves collecting and submitting verifiable credentials and completing application forms applicable to the particular state.

3. Pass the Primary Certification in Anesthesiology upheld by the American Board of Anesthesiology.

A two-part exam that also contains a training component designed to acquaint M.D.’s with the contents of the exam. Each certification examination consists of 350 questions. The answers are multiple choice.

4. Keep a clean background, including no record of drug abuse, criminal history or malpractice.

This is the area where all your hard work can sink your opportunity for a great career and a lucrative lifestyle. Without fail, employers perform extensive background checks. Your background follows you everywhere.

International Stipulations:

It is important to note if the medical degree is an international degree, the aspiring anesthesiologist must pass the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) exam.

Find out about, “Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)“

Phlebotomy Training And Certification in Arizona

What exactly is involved in becoming a phlebotomist?

Before you ever draw blood on any human subject, you must be fully versed on the anatomy and procedure required to achieve a successful venipuncture. In addition as part of the diploma or certificate program in phlebotomy technician, you will learn CPR and first aid. Essentially a phlebotomist is a medical assistant specializing in drawing blood. During the classroom courses, they get practice on dummy arms, before they start practicing on their classmates and other volunteers. Capillary punctures, requiring minute amounts of blood, then drawing blood using a tourniquet and collection tubes, is the progression of the coursework, All programs have an externship of anywhere from 150 to 200 hours, where the student must complete 100 unaided draws of blood. When all of these requirements are completed, then they can sit for the ASCP (American Society of certified Pathologists) certification exam for phlebotomist technologists.

Most employers of phlebotomists would prefer you have paid experience as a phlebotomist before they will hire you. That unfortunately is the “Catch 22”; in order to get someone to hire you; you have to be a proven entity in the field. This is not fair, but it is the reality in a lot of cases. Completing an approved phlebotomy training course and passing a certification exam will improve your chances in getting a job as a phlebotomist. The best chances you have in finding employment is in a private lab, like Labcorp, in a hospital setting, or rarely in a private physician’s office. The private physician will generally not have a certified phlebotomist on staff, rather people, i.e. medical assistants, nurses, who are knowledgeable in phlebotomy to draw blood and send in to the lab for analysis. The reason for this is simple; it is cost effective for a physician to avoid increasing his overhead for a person who is a specialist. Most phlebotomists would prefer to spend their time drawing blood, and not do other medical office work. The amount of times a blood sample has to be taken for analysis is in most cases, not enough to warrant hiring someone just to draw blood full time.

How to become a phlebotomist in Arizona?

In Arizona, you do not need to pass a certification exam to practice. However, it can only improve your employability if you obtain this certification. There are two organizations that certify phlebotomists ASCP (American Society of Certified Pathologists) and the AMT (American Medical Technologists). Both exams test your knowledge in phlebotomy by taking a pencil and paper multiple choice exams, the true test of any phlebotomist’s ability is in the field. If a phlebotomist cannot make it in real life situations, under stress, then perhaps phlebotomy as a career is not a good fit for their ability or temperament.

So how long does it take to become a phlebotomist in Arizona?
The average classroom time is 60 hours and the clinical is 160 hours totaling 220 hours.

How much will an Arizona resident expect to pay for phlebotomy training?

The classroom time is 60 hours and the clinical is 160 hours totaling 220 hours at $72 an hour which equals $15,840. If the student is not an Arizona resident the hourly rate is 320 dollars an hour. With this certificate the student can sit for the certification exam given by ASCP, and hopefully obtain gainful employment as a phlebotomist. You can also search internet for Phlebotomy Scholarships, or contact school’s guidance counselor for advise.

How much do phlebotomist make in Arizona?
It depends upon the experience, but an average Phlebotomy technician can make from $9 per hour to $22 per hours with benefits. You can go to Beauro of Labor Statistics and find out a median pay in your area.

What are the top 5 schools in Arizona to get phlebotomy training?

The top 5 schools in Arizona to get phlebotomy training are Central Arizona College, Phoenix College and Arizona College. Cactus Wren home care school, and Estrella Mountain Community College.

At Central Arizona College, the phlebotomy training program will culminate in a certificate; they do not offer a degree in phlebotomy. Besides drawing blood, a phlebotomist has to learn to maintain their composure in any and all situations that might come up in the field. For this reason this program’s requirement of eight weeks in the classroom and eight weeks in a clinical setting makes a lot of sense. We all know plenty of book smart people who cannot, due to poor interpersonal skills, keep a job. To get the certificate at this school, students need 100 successful venipunctures, 10 fingersticks, and complete 180 hours in an eight week clinical setting and lastly they have to observe a blood gas with respiratory therapy. Students are also fully versed in HIPPA, which insures the confidentiality of patient information.

At Phoenix College, they offer a certificate in Phlebotomy, which can be completed in less than two years. If the student already is a health care worker, the time period to take the specific phlebotomy coursework and practicum will take about a year. The techniques of drawing blood, the knowledge of how to prepare blood specimens for analysis by an outside labs, which tubes to draw for which tests, how much blood to draw, how to deal with difficult patients and hard to find veins are all topics covered in the coursework.

The total tuition costs, you will incur, are dependent upon how long it will take you to complete the coursework. The hourly rate per credit at Phoenix College is 76 dollars. You must complete at a minimum 100 successful venipunctures at a clinical site. The approximate costs for the courses is$ 1000, fees another $500, books, $ 300. So a total of $1800 for applicants who already have a degree in a health science, are a working health care provider or have already fulfilled the prerequisites at other institutions.

At the Cactus Wren training program, the cost for 40 hours of classroom instruction, and 100 clinical hours with the achievement of 100 successful unaided blood collection venipunctures is $1740. This will allow these students to sit for the national certification exam for phlebotomists.

At Arizona College, a diploma is offered in Phlebotomy. It takes 20 weeks, which includes a 5 weeks, 200 hours externship to complete. The total costs for this diploma program, according to their catalog amounts to $10,000. Is a diploma more valuable than a certificate program? In some employer’s eyes, perhaps it is, but the reality is that very few schools offer a diploma in phlebotomy; most only offer a certificate.

The last school in Arizona that offers a certificate in phlebotomy is the Estrella Mountain Community college. This program lasts 410 clock hours, with an 80 hour externship included in that number of hours. The costs for this program is $2500, not including books, which could add another 250 dollars to the total.

The choice of where you want to get phlebotomy training is up to you. The quality of the training you get is not always contingent on how much money you spent. If you can do the job, it does not really matter where you received your training.

Phlebotomy Certification Requirements In Wisconsin

Phlebotomy training in the state of  Wisconsin can be accomplished one of two ways. On the job certification comes when you have had specialized training that is focused on daily venipuncture of several people for the purpose of either drawing blood or plasma in a blood or plasma donation center, or through the more traditional route of college education.

The on the job training often requires that you be a certified medical assistant at the very least, a registered nurse at most. However, the benefits to learning and earning a phlebotomy certification this way is that the donation centers pay you a salary for it. You do have to meet their beginning training requirements and the phlebotomist salary doesn’t reach its full potential until you’ve passed the training and choose to stay on with the donation center. Otherwise, you can leave and find a job elsewhere, but the salary is such that many choose to stay and get more experience before looking for a job in a hospital or clinic.

With phlebotomy training in Madison WI has a couple colleges that can teach you what you need to know but they move you through a degree program in either nursing or an equal medical profession. Madison Area Technical College is the only one that bypasses all of that and requires high school graduation before entering their four credit certification program. Because it’s only four credits, it doesn’t count as half-time status, and therefore doesn’t count for Federal Student aid. You are on your own if you choose this route, although you might be able to find a scholarship to help defer the costs or an employer who will pay you back your educational expenses once you’re hired on. Phlebotomy certification requirements in Wisconsin are not that particular.

Once you have your certification, a phlebotomist salary in Wisconsin is approximately $25,000. Not a bad salary for a single person, but some medical professionals earn more than that. Also, that is the average, so it’s important to keep in mind that you might make more or less than this, and there really isn’t an “up ladder” for this career choice. If this is what you want to do and to learn, you need to go into it knowing these things ahead of time.

That being said, given the salary does not match the dangers involved, e.g., accidental needle sticks, blood borne pathogens, etc., you must really have a passion to learn about the circulatory system and how blood functions within the human body. You must also want to help people who may be sick and only their blood samples taken accurately by you can tell diagnostics the reasons why. There are many opportunities to help people as a phlebotomist or phleb technician, as they are more commonly called, but it is a unique career choice that requires the right type of people to do it.

Explore “Top 10 Scholarships For Phlebotomy Students” in your area.

Licensed Practical Nurse(LPN) vs Registered Nurse(RN)

What is the difference between a practical nurse and a registered nurse?

When you are comparing two professions the important first step is to define your terms. A practical nurse is a medical professional who has gone to school for 1 or 2 years, in a vocational, or community college setting. In school he/she have taken courses that allow them to do patient care in a hospital setting, sometimes in a doctor’s office. They are always being supervised by either a registered nurse, doctor, nurse practitioner or someone who possesses more medical expertise. Under the supervision of a registered nurse, a practical nurse can change dressings, take vitals, remove an IV line or start one. Does palliative care in a nursing home, work in a dialysis center, read to patients, and change soiled bedding and other things to improve the quality of life of the patients on their floor. They should always be mindful of the dangerous nature of their profession. They must use PPE (personal Protective Equipment); to make sure they minimize their exposure to blood borne pathogens. The biggest, but not only concern is AIDS, and HIV, but there are other viruses that can be transmitted by bodily fluids.

A practical nurse or PN has to be licensed in order to practice. The must pass a licensing exam in order to be considered a LPN. There is a definite hierarchy in the medical field. A certified nurse assistant or CNA has the least training, basically , feeds the patients, changes soiled bedding, transports patients from their rooms to testing facilities, can take vitals, lifts patients off of beds to wheelchairs or stretchers. There is a Medical Assistant who has more education and can ask for a higher salary, but basically does the same thing as a CNA except can also work in a medical office, doing administrative tasks along with the clinical. A medical assistant can work an EKG machine, draw blood and prepare specimens for analysis in a laboratory.

The job prospects are the best for the LPN’s or licensed practical nurses. they are able to work in a hospital setting under the guidance of the registered nurse. A practical nurse is different than the registered nurse in that she has not gone to nursing school. His/Her training allows her to work on a lower level, in that he/she must be supervised more closely. She/He may command a good salary, as a LPN, but it is not on the same level as a Registered nurse gets.

A practical nurse in a sense is able to do home care of disabled patients, who are unable to make it into a hospital setting. The visiting nurse service does employ licensed practical nurses to dispense prescribed medications, assist in the care and feeding of those patients who cannot do it for themselves; they can on occasion do food shopping, laundry for the patient. However, due to the higher salary a practical nurse would get, these tasks are more likely done by aides.

Another avenue for practical nurses’ employment is to become an educator in a health care institution. A practical nurse is often hired to teach a CPR course, basic first aid, diabetes education and nutrition. Often community colleges or schools where the practical nurse went are willing to hire a practical nurse to teach the same classes they took as a student. There is a requirement by some of these institutions that the practical nurse take some teaching methods courses before they are hired as teachers.

The job description is similar for the Registered nurse, as it is for the practical nurse, with a few major exceptions; the registered nurse has graduated from a 4 year Nursing School. If the registered nurse wants to go into the administrative, rather than clinical side of nursing a Master’s Degree is usually required as well. Often a registered nurse will start as a practical nurse, and as they realize the pay is much better as a registered nurse, they get more education to accomplish this. The job market is good for nurses, in hospitals, doctors offices, as educators, midwifes, in camps, schools and other places where a medical professional is needed. These days registered often find themselves in supervisory positions, doing more than their share of paperwork, updating patient charts, making schedules for the staff they are responsible for, and other administrative duties.

They still are called in to administer injections, start IV lines, take specimens for analysis, and lift patients from their beds, with assistance if needed from other staff members. A registered nurse is highly respected in a hospital setting, Often it will take many years of “grunt” work, until the administration will allow the nurse to become a Nurse Manager. If the Registered nurse is able to get more specific education, they can specialize for a particular department. Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Internal Medicine, Rheumatology, Dermatology all have a need for a registered nurse. These departments need a liaison between the patient and the physician, who often is too busy to talk to, and calm down the sick patients. Registered nurses can fulfill the job as Nurse Educators, Lamaze and Lactation counselors, mental health medication management counselors and even grief counselors, if needed.

Registered nurses, as do all medical professionals, suffer from the phenomena of burnout. Trying to be all things to all of the patients under their care, often leads to nurses forgetting to take time to take care of themselves. It is very important that all working medical professionals, even physicians, remember that there is only so much one person can do. It is crucial that everyone who is working with sick patients, to keep themselves healthy. A healthy mind and a healthy body are inextricably linked you really have to keep your mind as focused as you do your job. People’s lives are at stake, the job you are doing is a serious one. If you are not interested in assisting your patient’s to better living, then perhaps nursing is not the profession for you. Many people go into a profession, with all lofty goals, but when they are actually working in the field they realize, that perhaps they made a mistake. If this is the case, maybe a change of career is called for.

You can apply for registered nurse scholarships too.

How to Become a Nurse With a Psychology Degree

A nurse with a psychology degree is often referred to as a “psych nurse” or mental health nurse. In the past, one need only become a registered nurse and then receive certification to work in the mental health field. By 2025, the rules and regulations surrounding this type of degree and job description will change. Nurses will have to have doctorates in psychology before they’re allowed to help those with mental illness. This stems from years of progressive change and the realization that people with mental illness need care professionals who understand mental disease better than just the labels its given.

  1. Choose an appropriate nursing school. While you can become a registered nurse through vocational schools and the degree is just as good, you will still need a BSN in nursing before moving on. That only comes from a four year qualified nursing school.
  2. Graduate with a BSN, and get on track early to get a Ph.D. in Nurse Practitioning. There are two paths here, and you’re going to want the one that doesn’t involve a clinical nursing focus. Psychology and research is the focus of the degree you want.
  3. The degree will require you to have at least four years under your belt of related field experience. State hospitals, while extremely stressful, will provide this experience adequately; otherwise seek this experience in a psychologist’s or psychiatrist’s office, whichever is closer to the type of work you want to do once you’re finished. You can choose to wait to enter your graduate studies program while obtaining this experience or you can go part-time or full-time while working in the field. If you can handle the strain, you can get through the program a little faster by doing both at once. Not recommended for everybody, but it can be done.
  4. If you’re already a psych nurse who’s been in the field for years, the new laws and regulations do not apply to you. You’re very lucky, and you can share what you know with the new nurses coming in and onto your unit. Mentoring and finding a mentor is a great way to get your feet wet and learn about the different applications your job can have.
  5. Take your nursing exams seriously. How you do will dictate where you go to find work, even after you have a doctorate in psychological nursing. Be prepared to know and recall a lot about the different levels of anti psychotics, mood stabilizers, and other pharmacology as it relates to this field.
  6. Be involved in your non-violent crisis intervention training. You will be better prepared to handle out of the ordinary situations with patients and avoid malpractice lawsuits if you know what to do and when to do it.
  7. Graduate, and be sure to pay your registration and licensing fees. Keep them up to date as long as you practice.

Psych nurses have a very rewarding and intense career. It’s a fascinating line of work, but burnout does happen. Take care of yourself when you care for others with mental illness.

NCLEX-PN

What is the NCLEX-PN?

The NCLEX-PN is a test administered specifically to candidates seeking licensure as Practical Nurses. Once a practical nurse has made it through his or her coursework, they have to take the NCLEX-PN and pass before they are allowed to seek employment in their field. The coursework can be a one-year program in a vocational or community college that offers it, or minoring in nursing while attending a four-year college for a different degree.

Licensed Practical Nurses, or LPN’s, are one step below Registered Nurses, or RN’s. Nurse’s Aids or Nursing assistants are at the bottom rung, doing most of the grunt work. LPN’s are allowed to do triage work, administer medications, and a few other details CNA’s are not. They generally assist an RN assigned to the wing with details that the RN can’t always get to or need more assistance with than a CNA is allowed to provide.

Why is the NCLEX-PN test required?

Without the NCLEX-PN, LPN’s can not and should not practice anything akin to medicine. There are severe penalties for doing so.

How hard is the NCLEX-PN exam?

Yes the test is fairly tough. But “Practice makes man Perfect”, So just keep on reading and keep on taking different tests for practice.

What is the NCLEX-PN passing score?

Test results have complex structure and it changes, so do not waste your time figuring if you’ll pass or fail. Leave that stress for the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). You need to answer at least 85 out of 205 questions in 5 hours. Per every right answers, next question is harder than the previous question. Some time ago, there were 265 questions which 75 needed to be correct, in order to pass.

How to prepare for the NCLEX-PN?

There are ways to get past the test anxiety of taking the NCLEX-PN. While the tried and true method of flashcards is okay, it really only works for memorizing many different kinds of medication, their origins and what they are used for as well their side effects. As for the hands on testing of skills, only practicing every last skill you have learned in class can prepare you for this part of the exam.

Applicants also have to be able to analyze situations from a physiological or psychological point of view and summarize what they see as the answer or potential issue.

Review of all classroom materials, texts, and notes is still the most effective route to rote memory needed to answer parts of the exam. There are many test prep books available for the NCLEX however, and for a few dollars you can buy them from any online bookstore.

You have to be careful that the “cheat” books cover laws in practical nursing for your current state, otherwise you might have some wrong answers on your exam. Most states have some universal policies but there are a few variances from state to state as governed by the Board of Nursing there.

Free NCLEX-PN resources

Certain websites also have test preps for free available to those who need them. One site, http://www.testprepreview.com/nclex_test_breakdown.htm, offers the NCLEX-PN review and prep for free. They also have flashcards on the site you can use to help memorize anatomy, physiology, pharmacology and other topics that are likely to appear on the exam. Another free site to help you study is http://www.studyguidezone.com/nclexpntest.htm.

If you feel you’re not getting enough out of these freebies, you can always cough up $24.95 for a practice exam with the site, http://www.petersons.com/college-search/nclex-practice-test.aspx.

Finally a website that provides both a free practice exam as well as bundles of timed practice tests for a price is http://www.nclexpnprep.com/ designed specifically to assist PN’s in passing the NCLEX-PN.

NCLEX-PN registration

It should be noted, that if your instructors don’t regularly remind you to do so, you must register in advance to take the exam. There’s a fee that has to be paid with your registration; it covers the exam materials and the time the exam administrator spends with the group in the five hours of testing that’s allowed and, in some instances, part or all of your license if you pass. If you miss your first registration opportunity you only have a limited amount of time to take the exam before all of your nursing education becomes null and void. It is vital to your patients and your job that your education is current, and even after you have your license you will be required to continue updating your education annually. With all of the advancements in the medical field it’s understandable why this is law.

Of course, all of the above boils down to your education. In nursing, the requirements for graduation are becoming more strict in order to ensure that nothing but the best graduates from all of the nursing programs out there and patients are getting nothing but the best of care because of it. Hospitals and clinics are looking for the top of the class, not the bottom. If you barely pass your courses and somehow skim through the licensure exam, your chances of employment are going to be tight. You cannot take practical nursing or registered nursing lightly; it’s a very serious and intense career choice. Even if you meet a couple times a week to review with your fellow practical nursing candidates will make all the difference in whether or not you pass or fail the NCLEX-PN exam. Whatever path you choose to take to study for licensure, it is up to you to find out what works best.

View NCLEX-PN sample questions here.

Related Article:
“NCLEX-RN For Registered Nurse Licensure“