Nursing Ranks And Pay

Nursing is a complex field, and while there are many types of nursing jobs, it can be difficult to know exactly what each one entails. Whether you’re a new nurse who wants to find the right niche or an experienced practitioner looking for ways to advance your career, this guide will help you understand how nursing rankings and pay differ depending on what kind of care professional you want to be.

Licensed Practical Nurse

While LPNs can provide basic care to patients, they are not allowed to perform many of the more complex tasks as an RN. LPNs are educated and licensed to perform routine tasks like taking vital signs, administering injections, and changing dressings. If you’re considering a career in nursing as an LPN, here’s what you need to know about salaries and job growth:

Registered Nurse Pay

Registered nurses (RNs) have a bachelor’s degree in nursing. They may work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and schools. RNs can specialize in different areas such as critical care, oncology, pediatrics or ambulatory care.

There are many factors that affect RN salary, including geographic location, the size of the hospital, and the type of employer.

Hospitals typically offer higher salaries than other healthcare facilities because they generally have more patients and employ more nurses.

The average annual salary for an RN in the United States is $65,490. This can vary dramatically depending on where you live; for example, registered nurses in Hawaii make an average of $88,000 per year while those in New Mexico make just $51,000 per year.

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist

The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) is the highest-paid nurse in the United States. CRNAs are highly trained RNs who work under direct supervision of anesthesiologists in operating rooms and other high-level settings. Their primary responsibility is to administer anesthesia to patients who are about to undergo surgery or receive another type of invasive medical procedure.

Although you can find nurses with general clinical training working as CNAs, only those who have received advanced education through specialized programs may be eligible for this position.

The median salary for a CRNA was $156,890 in 2012, according to the BLS’s Occupational Employment and Wages report . This figure includes both registered nurses and licensed practical/vocational nurses making more than $56 per hour ($137k/yr). For comparison purposes: A Urologist made around $208k while cardiac surgeons made more than 300k in 2013!

Certified Nurse Midwife

As a Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM), you’ll have the opportunity to provide women with full-spectrum care from preconception to postpartum. CNMs are trained to manage normal pregnancies and deliveries and provide primary health care for women throughout their lifespan. They may also assist with labor, delivery and postpartum care in collaboration with other professionals such as doctors or residents on site at hospitals.

Clinical Nurse Specialist Pay

• Clinical nurse specialists are advanced practice nurses (APNs) who have earned a master’s-level degree and acquired additional education, training, and certification.
• APNs have been shown to have better patient outcomes than non-APN nurses in many clinical areas, including emergency services and intensive care units.
• In order for an APN to be considered a CNS, they must:
• Have graduated from an accredited program that is approved by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
• Possess nursing experience under the supervision of a physician or other licensed healthcare provider. This can include working as an RN in any setting that provides acute care services like hospitals or home health agencies; however it may also include work as an LPN with no direct patient contact in order to meet this requirement if necessary depending upon location/state regulations
• The clinical nurse specialist salary is a good one, and it’s easy to see why. The job requires a person who is able to take charge of situations, solve problems, and provide leadership in the area of patient care. It’s a role that requires both knowledge and experience, which means that you’ll have to work hard if you want your pay to reflect the value of your contribution.A clinical nurse specialist salary starts at around $60,000 per year but can go up as high as $90,000 per year or more depending on the specific specialty field you choose. This job carries with it an increased responsibility level compared to other nursing positions, so it makes sense that the compensation should be higher as well.

Certified Nurse Practitioner

The CNP is a registered nurse who has earned certifications in family, adult and gerontology primary care. While CNPs do not require additional education beyond their nursing degree and license, they must complete a residency program, pass a certification exam and gain experience in order to be eligible for the certification.

As of May 2016, the mean annual wage for an RN with this level of training was $102,860 per year. Though each state regulates its own salary requirements and highest pay rate, CNPs can expect to earn between $90-$120 per hour on average.

The job outlook for CNPs is strong; according to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of all registered nurses will increase by 19% between 2014-2024—much faster than as compared to that of other occupations in general (7%).

Doctor of Nursing Practice

If you’re thinking about continuing your studies, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a nursing degree that can help you advance your career. It’s not quite as high up on the ladder as a Ph.D., but it’s also not quite as low down as an associate’s or bachelor’s degree. In fact, some people consider it an advanced practice degree—which means that while it doesn’t require anything more than a bachelor’s or master’s in nursing science (BSN), most DNP programs expect their students to have at least two years of clinical experience under their belts before starting the program.

It used to be called the “Doctorate in Nursing Science” (DNSc), but now DNP stands for both male and female nurses alike because “nurse” isn’t considered gender-specific anymore!

Knowing your options can help you get the best pay.

Knowing your options can help you get the best pay.

Researching the pay for each option is important. For example, Registered Nurses who work in oncology earn more than those who work in pediatrics. If you want to work as a nurse in private practice, research how much other nurses in that field make and what benefits they receive. It’s also important to be aware of any restrictions on where or how often you can work with certain types of patients (for instance, some hospitals have policies about whether or not LPNs are allowed to do IV starts).

Talk to your employer about their bonus plans and other special opportunities available only to their employees (like night shift differential).

Conclusion

These are just a few examples of nursing jobs, but there are many more. If you’re looking for more information about different kinds of nursing careers and what they entail, visit the federal government’s Bureau of Labor Statistics website at www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/nursing-jobs-and-earnings-information.html