- A certified nursing assistant provides assistance in activities of daily living but usually does not perform medical procedures. Nursing assistants usually have under a year of formal training and most frequently work in long-term-care facilities.
- Licensed practical nurses have 12 to 18 months of full-time training and are able to perform some medical procedures, such as IV insertion and monitoring, usually under the supervision of a registered nurse.
- Registered nurses have at least two years of full-time training; they may care for patients receiving treatment in hospitals, work in doctor's offices or assist in providing community health care.
- A bachelor of science in nursing is not technically a new level of nursing certification; nurses with BSNs are usually registered nurses, but attaining a BSN can boost their salaries and levels of responsibility.
- A clinical nurse specialist is a registered nurse who has attained a master's degree or higher in a particular specialty of nursing, such as neonatal intensive care. Clinical nurse specialists may be independent health care practitioners, but in contrast to nurse practitioners, their areas of expertise are more tightly focused, and they are less likely to provide primary care.
- Nurse practitioners are registered nurses with a master's degree or higher in a specific area of nursing practice, such as family health care or pediatric nursing practice. Nurse practitioners may be independent health care providers in some states and may work under the supervision of physicians in others.
