国际教育学院、国际合作与交流处、港澳台事务办公室

There are four distinct nursing professions in New York State: Registered Professional Nurse (RN), Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and Nurse Practitioner (NP). RN and NP are two common nursing professions in New York. 

纽约州有四种护理职业执照：注册护士(RN)，临床护士专员 (CNS)，有执照的实践护士(LPN)，和执业护士（NP）。CNS目前在纽约州已不常见，而LPN的执业资格低于RN，故不在这里讨论。

Registered Professional Nurse (RN) 注册护士

RNs may work independently, in collaboration with other health care personnel or under clinical supervision (i.e., from a physician or nurse practitioner). They work in a variety of settings, such as hospitals, nursing homes, community residences, mental health facilities, clinics, private practices, surgery centers, county health departments, correctional facilities, work places, camps, schools and private homes. RNs make nursing assessments and nursing diagnoses, and also plan, implement and evaluate nursing care. RNs do not make medical diagnoses or prescribe medical treatments or drugs.

注册护士可以独立工作，也可以与其他医疗人员合作（例如医生或者执业护士）。注册护士可以在医院，疗养院，精神病院，私人诊所，手术中心，政府医疗中心，监狱，学校工作，也可以受雇于个人。注册护士可以进行护理评估和诊断，以及计划、执行和评估护理操作。注册护士不可以进行医学诊断，也不能给病人开药方。

Nurse Practitioner (NP) 执业护士

A Nurse Practitioner (NP) is an RN who has earned a separate license as an NP through advanced clinical nursing education (usually a master's degree) in a distinct specialty area of practice. Nurse practitioners may diagnose, treat, and prescribe for a patient’s condition that falls within their specialty area of practice. Nurse practitioner specialty areas include: Acute Care; Adult Health; College Health; Community Health; Family Health; Gerontology; Holistic Nursing; Neonatology; Obstetrics and Gynecology; Oncology; Palliative Care; Pediatrics; Perinatology; Psychiatry; School Health; and Women's Health.

注册护士如果通过额外的临床护理教育和培训（通常取得硕士学位），考取特殊领域的执业护士执照后，即成为执业护士。在其相应的领域内，执业护士可以对病人进行医学诊断，治疗，并且可以开出药方。执业护士的领域有：急症护理，成人健康，大学生健康，社区健康，家庭健康，老年医学，整体护理，新生儿学，产科与妇科，肿瘤科，姑息治疗，小儿科，围产医学（产期保健），精神病学，学校健康，和妇科。