Re: Roll Call Originally Posted by MilesRN 
Hi David, thanks alot for the return post. Tell me what is your scope of practice as a RN in France?
Your question's pretty broad so I'll answer the best I can!
On a technical level it's pretty broad: meds via all routes, cannulation, blood taking - by venepuncture, from central catheters and arterial blood gases, ECGs, catheterisation, NG tubes, dressings, as well as the basic hygiene and comfort care. Dialysis and theatre are considered to be specialist areas usually with further training involved, nurse anaesthetists being very common here. Ironically, unlike in Britain, ICU, CCU, HDU, paediatrics, mental handicap and psych are considered "general" and most registered nurses feel polyvalent enough to work in those areas without a specialist qualification. They have usually always covered them in their training.
Nursing assessment is limited compared to the UK. Care plans, nursing models, all the trends we lived through there never hit here. French nurses are very task orientated - make a list, tick it off when you've done it. I personally prefer that - we had a lot of wordy BS in the UK.
Training here is 3 and a half years, at a school of nursing with placements in hospitals/clinics etc. University education hasn't really kicked in here. There are moves to introduce an LMD programme (LMD = license, maîtrise, doctorat i.e. bachelors, masters, doctorate) which is meeting opposition from the (conservative) government who know thay'll have to pay higher salaries to graduates.
Extended rôles are limited. In the UK I was a clinical nurse specialst with my own nurse consultations and outreach work - such rôles are in their infancy here but the "infirmier réferent" is becoming more visible, and the idea of nurse consultation is becoming a reality. Nurse prescribing, well established in the UK, doesn't exist here yet.
Originally Posted by MilesRN Additionally, what was your educational prep in the UK
In the 1980s it was 3 years 3 months at a school of nursing attached to a hospital. Very much a practical based apprebticeship style training.
Originally Posted by MilesRN did you complete a Diploma of Higher Ed or a BS in nursing?
When they introduced degree level training, oldies like me had to catch up or face being "stuck" in their current jobs, since the new requirement for any job was now a degree. You could do a degree in nursing studies OR something related, hence I did a BSc(Hons) in Health Studies. By the 90s all the senior/interesting jobs required a masters, so I did an MSc in Medical Sociology, which was very applicable to the client group I had as a CNS (Hep. B & C)
Originally Posted by MilesRN What about the pay is it good, average or low. Thanks MilesRN
Variable between different establishments. Exchange rates can skew the reaity of things. When I first came here French salaries seemed low compared to Britain, but now the British pound has lost value, it's the British salaries that look poor when you make the comparison. Newly qualifieds have a pretty average salary. As time goes on it improves, and even when you change establishments, it's normal here for a new employer to respect your seniority salary wise. For example, I changed job in April, but having been qualified since 1986, my new employer automatically put me on the top salary band. Like anywhere, there are good deals to be had in the private sector and industry, and rip-off clinics paying nothing. I'd say in general nurses pay here is average, neither good nor bad.
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