confused over titles !!

tntrn, ASN, RN · Dec 12, 2000

And to add to the confusion, at our hospital during a "redesign" several years ago, the RN's now became known as Patient Care Managers, the LPN's had the option of becoming Critical Care Partners (a nurse's aid) or finding another job. The kitchen help could be seen doing housekeeping chores in patient rooms, the housekeeping help started doing blood draws. It was really scary. The PCM, and CCP, titles continue, but we no longer have LPN's at all, which is a crying shame, IMHO!

Imagine being able to pass meds, do treatments, change dressings, etc., one day, and not being able to the next, just because the management can't "get" it.

I personally claim the following inititals: RN, ADN, NFH, and BAC, charter member.

The last two I made up myself, and have them on my locker door and a couple of shirts I wear! Smilies to anybody who can figure them out.

Rie · Dec 15, 2000

Tina, sorry to complicate matters, but did you say 'we used to have RGN's & EN's and now have only Diploma & Degree nurses'. I am a staff nuse in learning disability, and enrolled nurses are still alive and kicking.

Tina Harrington, BSN, RN · Dec 21, 2000

Rie........ sorry it sounds like En's are none existant from my post, it should have read that we do not train nurses as EN's any longer... I know there are a few, EN's still kicking about, but where I work, (a huge teaching hospital) there is not one left the hosp: paid for all to convert to 1st level.. which is a great pity for the EN's were rich in knowledge and expertise at the bedside but were held back because of that extra year training, I know this first hand as I was an EN and enjoyed every minute of my years of nursing before Diploma.

Spellbound · Jan 6, 2001

Wow...I am totally confused. I am a student who is applying to the nursing school at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis next fall, and I can see that I will probably never know what initials go after my name (especially since I am double majoring in Psychology and Nursing).

Tina, I wondering what you could tell me about what is meant by 1st level nurse? I am in the process of applying for a scholarship to do a research project in England this summer and my chosen topic is nursing in England. Any information you can give me would be greatly appreciated. ( and any other nurses over there who could help me out). It sounds like I may have bitten off more than I can chew when I chose my subject!!!!

Anyone who has information and would like to email me, my email address is [email protected]

Sian3 · Jan 12, 2001

Tina, you can get Nursing 2000 in medical / nursing libraries, if your a member of the RCN they should have it in their library. Good luck

Tina Harrington, BSN, RN · Jan 13, 2001

Spellbound, sorry it's taken me so long to reply but my bloody putor has been ill !! Anyway, 1st level nurses here in UK are Registered Nurses, 2nd level Nurses were the Enrolled Nurses, I think the registration system here is much less complicated than in the USA!! We only train to 1st level now starting with Diploma, anything you do after gaining RN, can be added to your Alphabet as you wish LOL, RMN is 1st level phychi Nurse,RSCN 1st level Registerd sick childrens nurse, (I think thats the right title!!!) Training has changed so much here in the UK,thats what I remember it as

The students now all have a common foundation programme and then can branch off into which ever speciality they wish, ie Midwifery, peads, adult etc:

Hope this helps, tis difficult keeping up with changes........

vicnurse · Jan 17, 2001

Hi all just wanted to let you guys know that nurses come from other places too! The way I see it it's not just the titles that are confusing. Title try to explain and distinguish a persons job. Most people including nurses couldn't give you a good all round description of what a nurse actually does how can we expect other to get the descriptors right?

Lorraine bryan · Jan 19, 2001

TINA

I DON'T WANT TO OPEN UP THAT CAN OF WORMS AGAIN BUT I COMPLETED PK2000 IN FEB 2000 AND JUST TEN MONTHS DOWN THE LINE I'M AN E GRADE.

YOUR COMMENT ABOUT " GOOD PT CARE " ETC IS NOT TRUE. I WENT THROUGH TRAINING SOAKING UP EVERYTHING I COULD ASKING QUESTIONS ALL THE WAY. HOWEVER THERE ARE SOME WHO FOR REASONS UNKNOWN ARE THERE FOR THE RIDE. I PARTLY BLAME THEIR MENTORS FOR SIGNING THEIR SLATER TOOLS AND PASSING THEM COMPETENT WITHOUT ASKING HOW THEY MET THEIR GOALS ETC. I WORKED EXTREEMLY HARD THROUGHOUT MY TRAINING (1 SICK DAY ON PLACEMENTS AND RARELY EVER LATE, THIS WITH TWO CHILDREN ALSO) I GAVE 100%. BUT IT ANGERED ME WHEN MY FELLOW STUDENTS CONSTANTLY TURNED UP LATE OR FAILED TO SHOW AND THEN DID NOTHING FOR A WHOLE DAY. THEY THEN WENT ON TO RECEIVE A GLOWING SLATER TOOL HAVING DONE/ LEARNED NOTHING. IT IS THIS TYPE OF PK2000 STUDENT THAT GIVES IT A BAD PRESS ,IE LACK OF KNOWLEDGE/CLINICAL SKILLS. NOW AS A MENTOR MYSELF I MAKE SURE I ASSESS STUDENTS THOROUGHLY AND ONLY PASS THEM ON WHAT THEY HAVE ACHIEVED. IF THIS MEANS THEY FAIL A PLACEMENT SO BE IT. DOWN THE LINE IF THEY MAKE A BIG MISTAKE I WON'T BE THE PERSON WHO SIGNED THEM COMPETENT WHEN THEY WERE NOT, UNLIKE SOME.

Tina Harrington, BSN, RN · Jan 19, 2001

Well Done Lorraine and keep up the good work.... I too believe that we are the "Gatekeepers" of the profession and my students know that they will not be passed if they are not 100% up to it !!! they get good teaching on the unit so they are expected to Keep up, its the only way that "WE" as a profession can move on. The preceptorship programme is just as thouragh too :

rn ticu · Jan 19, 2001

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