Janet,

I sympathize fully and am similarly frustrated with the restrictive legislation at the State level with respect to advanced practice. I am licensed as an APN with prescriptive practice privileges in NJ, trained as a CNS but also have a Pennsylvania license.  My background is Critical Care and my certification is in Critical Care and Neuroscience (CCRN, CNRN). My title is CNS Neuroscience but neuroscience is not recognized as an advance practice specialty in NJ. My collaborating physician is an Neurologist (not critical care) and much of my practice is not Critical Care (it is Neuro).  There seems to be too much pigeon holing and placing restrictions rather than allowing for expansion and development of roles.  There is definetly a place for a blended NP/CNS role - NJ has done a nice job with the APN title.  Joanne Turner, APN, CNS Neuroscience

 

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Swunderers

 Alabama Drug Treatment

    

 

 

I am a nurse from Texas. I want to take CNS certification this year. For this what should I do? I did not had my psych NP cert exam. Is NP cert exam necessary for getting CNS certification? Please help me with the required information.

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Alabama Drug Treatment

First of all, you must have the MSN, along with additional training, to become a Nurse Practitioner (NP, ARNP, etc...). You will take a separate exam to become a licensed as a NP. I feel like I need more experience to be a CNS because of staff development, education, etc. However, the CNS roles vary so much. By the time I finished the CNS program perhaps I would feel more competent?

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Mehek

 Alabama Alcohol Addiction Treatment

I think we all react negatively when someone tells us that we need "more education" or that our education is not good enough.  The reality is that, as professionals, we all need to be continually increasing our education.  A lot of new meds come out every year and it is important to be on top of that knowledge.  It really would not take long to complete a few more courses to satisfy the legislative restrictions and it would expand your skills.  Going back to school can be painful; I've done it several times.  But the time always goes quicker than I think.  I delayed going back to school several times only to realize a few years later that if I had just tackled one class at a time that I would have finished it and moved on much sooner.  I encourage you to look at the additional education as a choice for positive growth in your profession rather than as a negative.  Education is never a wasted effort. 

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JanMarie Fisher-Griffis, MSN, ARNP, PMHNP-BC

Janet,

It is a shame how behind PA is with giving prescriptive privileges to the CNSs here. The problem is the forefathers and their children.  It was a was a set back when we asked for title recognition only. That is all we received via the governor's health care reform. Some of the grandmothers that are  speaking for us, only wanted title recognition, because they are afraid of having prescriptive privileges.  I am like some of the others. I went to school to be a Clinical Nurse sSpecialist and a lot of my classes were with NPs.  If I wanted that, I could of pursued it then.  It is nice reading some of the forums here, to see where the screw up came from. Thanks a lot.  My work place has a NP in critical care doing the psych medication management! Passing the certificiation was a wiz to the person for psych. I understand easier than the CNS exam! Good luck. I think more calls to Ann Torregrossa at the Governor's office and calling your senators will help make someone think about it if nothing else.  If this is a state problem, then bother the state , from every angle.  One of Obamas people called me and I told them how we could be helping out, if they would help us out!

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Shani Williams