Confused Australian Nurse

[shaCNS]

Hi there,

I have been reading a lot of American posts with different levels of nurses identified by shorthand, and I was curious to know how much training these different levels have. eg RN, LPN, CNA etc.

In Australia, we have AIN (Assistants in Nursing): they have 3 months training at TAFE (Technical and further education College).

:nurse:ENs (Enrolled Nurses) had a 1 year training in TAFE. Cannot pass meds, and have some other limits on their skills as well. This is an old course which no longer exists but there are still a lot of ENs employed.

:nurse:EENs (Endorsed Enrolled Nurses) This is the final year of their 1 year course at TAFE leading to a Certificate. (There is now a 2 year course at University which leads to a diploma). These nurses can pass meds but have other limitations on their practice compared to RNs.

:nurse:RN training is 3 years at university, leading to a degree, although there are still a lot of us (me included) who were hospital trained.

Thanks in advance for helping to straighten out my confusion!

[FLArn]

CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) = AIN, LPN/LVN (Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse) = EEN, RN-AASN (Registered Nurse- Associate Applied Science in Nursing) 2 yr. college degree, this is the minimum training for RN although there are still some older hospital diploma RNs still working. There are several other higher degrees for RN --BSN, MSN, and even a Doctorate of Nursing. For bedside nursing there is no practical difference between AASN, BSN, MSN prepared nurses as far as the duties except higher degrees are more in management.

[shaCNS]

Thanks for straightening that out. I appreciate it.

In Australia the minimum training for RN is a 3 year course at university. But there are some of us who trained in "the dark ages" with a Certificate of Nursing from a hospital based 3 year course. The degrees obtained depend on the university you attend, such as (BN) Bachelor of Nursing, BSN, or B Appl Sc N. Then the higher degrees are MSN and Doctorate, with heaps of Graduate Certificates in Specialties in between.

As with yours, bedside nursing is bedside nursing, and once you are "on the floor" we all do the same job!

Thanks again.