Diploma RN's, any of us left?

Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN · Mar 30, 2017

Not me but I know someone my age (32) who received her diploma only. I don't know if her program exists anymore; it was the only one in the state when we graduated high school.

I know that in PA when I was a new grad (2006) there were still a handful of hospital-affiliated diploma programs, although there was a push for them to become associate's programs.

Edit: I see you are in Carlisle - I have family in Franklin Co. :)

sevensonnets · Mar 30, 2017

My CVI unit manager is a diploma nurse and is a fantastic manager. We work in a Catholic hospital and she graduated from the hospital's nursing school which is no longer in operation. She's been working about as long as I have--37 years. A couple of the OR nurses are diploma grads.

RNOTODAY, BSN, RN · Mar 30, 2017

ðŸ–ðŸ» Right here!!!

DiplomaNurseRN · Mar 30, 2017

We are a different breed... I was taught by nurses who had served in WWII, who in turn were taught by nurses who had received their training at the turn of the 20th century. In the mid-70's there still was not all the high tech 'gizmo gadgetry' we have learned to operate and deal with today. Not saying this is bad, but possibly we have gotten away from relying on our basic senses in our assessments. I remember there was a big emphasis in school to use the tools we carry with us 24/7/365, our eyes, ears, nose and touch.

Rocknurse, MSN, APRN, NP · Mar 30, 2017

I was one...but I went back to school for my BSN and will soon have my MSN also. They phased them out in my country right after I graduated but we got very good schooling.

Libby1987 · Mar 30, 2017

I didn't go to a diploma program but I'm a 30 yr nurse this year and had one WW2 instructor in my program. I still work with some nurses in their late 70s who were part of the original been there done that diploma nurses that I was fortunate to learn from in my first few years.

NicuGal, MSN, RN · Mar 30, 2017

Original diploma nurse here :) Still darn proud of my roots. Almost everyone of us in my unit who have been there 25 years and up are diplomas. When we tell the newer girls about our clinical and what we did, they are in awe. By time I graduated, I was team leader of 20 patients with an LPN and an aide. Ah, the good old days!

DiplomaNurseRN · Mar 30, 2017

I am very proud of mine also! I know of which you speak about team leading. By third year many of us were med-surg floor charges with a licensed RN supervisor and quite capable of the responsibility. The training we had received and 'hands on' experience had prepared us for such. When it came time to literally 'sit' for our board exams (paper, pencil and proctors) we ALL passed. We started school with a class of 32 and after 3 years graduated 12. It was a tough road to say the least.

**canoehead, BSN, RN** · Mar 30, 2017

I finished the diploma program in '89. I did go on to get the BsN, but it hasn't done me any favors besides taking up space on my resume. I don't think my career path or care has changed.

chacha82, ADN, BSN · Mar 31, 2017

I received my degree from a hospital almost 2 years ago. I am currently in BSN classes. I loved my nursing school, was super hard but we were well prepared and doing skills from the first semester. We also had a rigorous pharm/skills lab that was very helpful.

elkpark · Mar 31, 2017

I am an old diploma nurse, but I went on and completed a BSN and MSN and have been in advanced practice for many years now. There is a nurse on my service who is a diploma RN who never went back; she's unhappy and frustrated with her current job, but, since she only has the diploma, she's pretty much trapped because, in this area, she'd never be able to find another job with just the diploma.