confused over titles !!

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Forgive my ignorance... was reading some of the posts here and well quite frankly I'm confused ! I'm a UK RGN, USA seems to have so many "different" nurse titles, and yet ya all nurses !! Here in the UK we used to have 2 tier nursing RGN and SEN, registered and enrolled, one being a bedside nurse the other the same but with managment responsibilities blah, blah, blah we now have only one qualification RGN, be it diploma or degree, can someone please explain all these tiers you seem to have!!

Thanx confused.gif

Pardon my intrusion....

I believe that some of the statements on this thread are VERY misleading...

For instance, a person with a MSN and a BSN are not necessarily nurses... For instance, lets say for example that a person graduates college with either of the two afformentioned degrees. Just because they graduate with a "masters degree" or a "bachelors degree" in nursing does not by any means make them a "Licensed Nurse" A.K.A. "Registered Nurse". Also of interest, is the fact that just because someone goes to medical school and graduates does not mean that they are a doctor...

In the USA, at least the last time I checked, anyone who completes a nursing program that is recognized by the State board of nursing where the school is located, must also pass the State's Board exam to become a fully fledged "LICENSED" nurse. (The same is true for MD's aka- doctors/physicians) Granted there are different tests for different breeds of nurses, RN's take one test, LPN's take another but MSN's, BSN's and Associate degree/Diploma grads that are RN's take the SAME test- regardless of what degree they have.

And therein lies what keeps nursing here in the US divided.

Also, in my experience, the level of education does not keep nurses "segregated" as to what type of jobs they can get. I have seen diploma RN's in the role of management and I have seen MSN's and Nurses with doctorates at the bedside... I have seen people without a license to practice nursing, act as "director of nursing" in different facilities. Here in the USA, we have businesses called HMO's that are driven by the stockmarket and shareholders and the CEO's of those companies haven't the slightest idea in many cases, what it means to practice medicine yet the companies that they manage literally, in many cases determine the course of thousands of lives everyday.

So what the hell is my point?

My point is that the various titles and the arguments about them are completely mute. Regardless of the "degree/level of education" -a nurse is a nurse is a nurse and here in the states that doesn't amount to much...

Tina. You've really started something here. I think you may complicate the issue by referring to all 1st level British nurses as RGNs. I qualified in 1995 and am an RN. There are no 'General' nurses being trained now. We are all educated in our own branch; therefore I am an RN (Adult), as opposed to Learning Disabilities, Mental Health or Paediatrics.

By the time I qualified, the old RGN part of the register was closed to future graduates.

Pandora, forgive me, but I qualified in 1981, OMG, LOL, I have gone from SRN to RGN and now RN, all from the one qualification frown.gif

I didn't mean to stir up this hive of Bee's! as I said I was confused by all the US titles but lookin at all the titles I have gone through... Well, LOL. I know we are agents for change but old titles die hard...

I recieved RN when I did the diploma and I suppose I really should be using it, I prefer however..... Tina, Nurse fullstop.

... or should I say RN (Adult) rolleyes.gif !!

redface.gif Seems to me that Tina may be a little confused herself! confused.gif

Less titles in the UK, but yet difficult to remember. ;0 It must be very frustrating trying to keep it straight. biggrin.gif How do u cope?

Didn't mean to ruffle your nursing feathers. Just making the point that we are not all RGNs,which is the impression I think you may have given, if you refer back to your original posting. Sorry!

Hey Pandora.. My feathers ain't ruffled LOL,

Just tried to make the point that I'm a nurse plain and simple, a very good one at that even if I do say so myself !!! With smooth plumage all of the time smile.gif so no need for appo's, Your comments are valuable, as I do think I complicated my own confusion, LOL, Take care, Tina.

I am a Adult branch diploma trained nurse working in the USA, as a RN. First there are RN's which is the UK equivilant of RGN. These RN's can either have a diploma or 2/4 year degree. The only difference is that they two degrees. I am not sure about the standard of teaching, although I believe that the degrees and diplomas in the USA are similar to the UK, that the degree is more theory based and the diploma, although they did start to make the diploma more theory based in the uk. A Sister in the UK, would be a Clinical Nurse Manager, and a senior staff nurse would be a Assistant Clinical nurse manager. RNs are RGNS and LPNs are EN's. The differences with ENs and LPNS are pretty much the same in the uk, ie: may not be able to administer IV medications, without further education for example. Like EN's in the UK, they really do the same work as the RN's depending off course where you work.

RNs in the USA do not specialise when they first do there training, like for example adult branch or child branch. So an RN can work in Peds or Geriatrics, depending on there interest. I dont know if that helps, at all, Good luck, Emma

Tina. As a third year diploma student in the UK, I was amazed and disappointed to read your comments of 21st Nov that diploma students are not taught "good nursing care, diseases, or interventions....and spend their first year in college and very little time in clinical areas". This sweeping, and completely untrue statement is typical of RGNs who, rather than support new grads and students prefer to critisise and find fault with everything that they do. I know project 2000 is not perfect, but I do believe that it produces good nurses with the ability to be creative and innovative with care. In fact I have met many diploma nurses who do an excellent job and have inspired me to continue in the face of such negativity. There is already a huge shortage of nurses in the Uk and the drop out rates for students is very high, so isnt it about time that RGNs stopped feeling threatened, remembered that we had no choice in the course that we did, in fact it was your "generation" who designed it, and accepted the fact that we are the future of nursing in the UK, whether you like it or not, and if you are such an excellent nurse, give us the benefit of your wisdom and allow us to be as wonderful as you!

WOW, Susie, tut tut, May I say it is not me that feels threatened at at all !! My so called "Sweeping comments" are gathered from actually working with newly qualified staff nurses, they were meant to point out the difference from when "my Generation", (not saying it was better or worse!!) and your "generation" trained. Seeing PK2000 staff and the apparent lack of basic skills on qualifying, justifies my comments!!! The new staff I have worked with have agreed that they lack these skills and look to "us" for support which I may add is always given unconditionally !!I find it a pleasure to guide and teach during my work,I took the diploma course a couple of years ago, all I was stating is that it was completely different to the "traditional" training, and as you may be aware the new curriculum for training started in September of this year, as research dictated that students now need to spend more time in practice once again, because they were totally unprepared for the Role change they faced with the more theory based training. I am sorry if my comments upset you, I did not intend to pull down any nurse, I am not one that eats her young, May you have a long an "wonderful" career also smile.gifP.S. wether I like it or not is totally irrelevant Nursing must go on, and it will with "welcome" advancements.

Come to work in the USA as a nurse, then you'll realise that most UK nurses do not have the basic skills that USA nurses have. For example listening to lung and heart sounds. UK and USA diploma nurses make excellent nurses. At least you dont have to spend lots of money to do a UK diploma, its freeeeeee.

Hey! I'm even having trouble just keeping everyone's smiley/frowning/wide-eyed/ blinking faces straight, much less everyone's initials and what they mean! Then there are the nurses like me with RN, BS, but NOT BSN, plus SOME sort of initials that I'm supposed to be using for my Psych/Mental Health certification, but refuse to use. I have always just used RN and these days, I'm just grateful for ANY nurse or CNA who arrives to help! At the MNM, I'm just going to be happy to walk along side of ALL of you!

+ Add a Comment