Masters in Nursing Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
The Nurse Practitioner is one of four traditional options for advanced practice nursing that is the goal of a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program. One of the areas of specialization for nurse practitioners in training is the area of acute care. RNs that have completed a Master in Nursing in Acute Care Nurse Practitioner usually are employed in hospitals, working in intensive care units, in post-operative surgical wards, oncology treatment, or in emergency rooms. Acute care is one of the most challenging of nursing choices because it involves working with people who are seriously ill or have suffered major injuries.
Nurse practitioners are trained to assess and diagnose patients as well as carry out instructions from physicians. Nurse practitioners can prescribe certain types of medication. In outpatient settings a nurse practitioner often functions much like a physician, seeing patients, providing treatment, and prescribing medication. An Acute Care Nurse Practitioner may take also act in a patient management role in an ICU or treatment center for seriously ill patient. A Master of Nursing Acute Care Nurse Practitioner may make daily rounds with or without a physician, seeing patients and recommending changes in treatment or, after checking with a physician, in medication. Acute care often involves oversight of such treatment apparatus as intravenous drips, neurological or cardiovascular monitoring, and various types of rehabilitation treatment.
As traditional schools of nursing have developed online programs they have increasingly been offering the MSN with a number of specializations. Because of the requirement for extensive clinical hours associated with the Master of Nursing in Acute Care Nursing there are not a lot of degrees for this career track offered 100% online. However many nursing schools offer classes for these programs online, requiring campus visits has needed for meetings with faculty or student advisors and for the development of a clinical practicum. Because MSN students are all RNs with active licenses, often nurses who are enrolled in this program and working in a hospital can do their clinical hours in their place of work, and do much of their studying at home.
