Army MOS · Medical
68C Practical Nursing Specialist
Overview
Practical Nursing Specialists perform or supervise preventive, therapeutic, and emergency nursing care procedures. They carry out these procedures under the supervision of a physician, nurse, or noncommissioned officer.
Core Skills
- clinical documentation and recordkeeping
- electronic health record ehr usage
- patient triage and vital signs monitoring
- medication administration under supervision
- infection control and safety compliance
- basic diagnostics support and lab specimen handling
- patient education and counseling support
- interdisciplinary team collaboration
- confidentiality and hipaa awareness
- training and mentoring junior staff
Civilian Software & Tools
- eClinicalWorks EHR software
- Epic Systems
- MEDITECH software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Windows
- Microsoft Word
Civilian Career Paths
- Nursing
- Clinical Technician
- Emergency Medicine
Training & Development
Getting Started
- National Council Licensure Examination for Practical/Vocational Nurses (NCLEX-PN)
- Certified Electronic Health Record Specialist (CEHRS)
- Certified Hospice and Palliative Licensed Nurse (CHPLN®) · Funded · Promotion points
- Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA)
- Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) · Funded · Promotion points
Career Growth
- Associate: Infection Prevention and Control (a-IPC) · Funded · Promotion points
- Certification for Long Term Monitoring (CLTM)
- Certified Clinical Hemodialysis Technician (CCHT)
- Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP) · Funded · Promotion points
- Certified Clinical Transplant Coordinator (CCTC)
What the Work Involves
- Observe patients, charting and reporting changes in patients' conditions, such as adverse reactions to medication or treatment, and taking any necessary action.
- Measure and record patients' vital signs, such as height, weight, temperature, blood pressure, pulse, or respiration.
- Administer prescribed medications or start intravenous fluids, noting times and amounts on patients' charts.
- Provide basic patient care or treatments, such as taking temperatures or blood pressures, dressing wounds, treating bedsores, giving enemas or douches, rubbing with alcohol, massaging, or performing catheterizations.
- Answer patients' calls and determine how to assist them.
Related Occupations
- Registered Nurses
- Paramedics
- Nurse Practitioners
Typical preparation for these civilian roles: vocational training or an associate degree.
Equivalent Roles in Other Branches
Descriptions may be summarized for clarity. Verify all information with your branch career counselor or official military documentation before making career decisions.
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