2026 Career Planning Guide
NURSING SPECIALITIES KEY: n Minimum Education required n Certifications required n Experience needed n Certification credential n Possible employment n Professional Organization n References / Resources
Nurse life care planners use the critical thinking skills of th nursing process to formulate a plan of care for a pa- tient’ s lifetime. The nurse life care planner applies the nursing process then develops the plan, which includes the costs and resources necessary to meet those needs. l Assesses and diagnoses current response to the disability / illness l Anticipates the effects of disability / illness and future needs as one ages l Collaborates with providers l Considers risks and promotes function over the lifet l Researches / documents the costs necessary to implement the care plan l Identifies desired outcomes of plan l Incorporates information and opinions from other providers l May identify available community, public, and insurance funding and how to access those resources
l May initiate aspects of the life care plan during its development, educate the consumer and family / guardian on plan initiatives, or provide for the plan to be implemented by case manager l Updates the life care plan based on evaluation process
n RN( BSN / MSN Preferred) n American Association of Nurse Life Care Planners( www. aanlcp. org)
n RN license for a minimum of 3 years plus two years of full time paid professional experience in a role( e. g., life care planning, community based case management, medical cost projections, Medicare set-aside allocations, lifetime nurse care planning, community based rehabilitation nursing, public health nursing, community based legal nurse consulting) that utilizes the nursing process in assessing an individual’ s long term / lifetime treatment needs and costs across the continuum of care.
n CNLCP
n Community health settings, independent practice, attorney offices, special needs trust, settlement brokers, insurance firms, etc.
Nurse Manager
Manage nurses, recruitment and retention of the nursing sta Conduct job evaluations, administrative work, and manage medical records, budgets and disciplinary actions.
n BSN; MSN or MBA encouraged n Nurse management certification exam n Experience working in clinical management recommended n CNE n Hospitals, ambulatory care centers, long-term care centers n American Organization for Nursing Leadership( www. aonl. org)
Nurse Midwife
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