How does a nurse practitioner differ from a clinical nurse specialist?

They are very similar. Both are usually master's degree prepared.

But there are usually two main differences, the first is that Nurse Practitioners are licensed as such through the state board of nursing. They function in almost the same capacity as a doctor, diagnosing patients and prescribing medications, etc. A Clinical Nurse Specialist has received advanced training in a specialty and takes a certification test through an accredited education program, but they do not receive a license from the state nor are they generally used as primary care providers.

The other difference is that Nurse Practitioners have more of a broad scope of specialties - they may be, for example, a "Family Nurse Practitioner" who treats people of all ages for all kinds of conditions, etc., whereas a Clinical Nurse Specialist, with a more narrow scope of practice, focuses on one (or more) specialties such as Cardiovascular, Psychiatry, etc. and would have to certify in each one of those specialties.

This is the Washington state employment office site. You can look up information about the two jobs and compare the description and income and schooling. Look for the link on the left side of the page.

Tags

　　Male Nurse 　　Nursing Career 　　Nursing Job 　　Nursing Association 　　Nursing Assistant 　　Nurse Salary 　　Nurse Practitioner 　　Nursing Profession 　　Travel Nursing 　　Surgical Nursing 　　Radiology Nursing 　　Pediatric Nursing

Related information

A nurse Practitioner's annual salary?

Varies (like gas, food, housing, prices) from place to place. . . Guaranteed to pay ABOVE minimum wage, anywhere in the US But NOT guarateed to be a LIVING wage, in some locations. . .

...

Clinical Nurse Specialist vs. Nurse Practitioner?

Aww, I thought you were gonna ask which one would win in a fight!

...

Nurse practitioner versus physician assistant.?

A lot depends on the state you're in. But as a rule, they can do mostly the same things. Nurse Practioners are trained in the nursing model, PA's in the medical model. What this means ...

Can the nurse practitioner deliver my baby?

probably not, however texas has a wonderful network of midwives. i am still considering whether or not to contact one and just make arrangements to give birth in texas rather than louisiana. good l...

Can a nurse practitioner deliver babies?

Cutesy answer: Only if she's pregnant, because only a mother gives birth to a baby. Any fool can "catch!" Serious answer: If you want to attend births as a profession, then you ...

Can a nurse practitioner be a women's health specialist?

NPs often specialize in Gynecology. They can not do surgery but they can function pretty closely to what a MD does for most routine stuff.

...

Who makes more: A nurse practitioner or a clinical nurse specialist?

The average CNS in the US makes less than $70k per year, though there are many who do better, as the salary will vary dependent on location and facility. The average NP makes over $70k per year, a...

Can a nurse practitioner become a pharmacist/pharm-d?

yeah if they took all the prerequisite courses, pharmacy requires more chemistry/biochem then nursing does then finished pharm school (4 years) then passed pharmacy boards/law exams.

...