Finding it hard to get head around the US way

Farkinott, RN · Feb 20, 2004

Hi
I am finding it hard to get my head around the way the US does it's nursing schools. I think australia has the right way of doing things, ie: Bachelor to be a RN, Diploma to be a EN and certificate to be AIN. sounds smart to me.
What are others points of view here about this.

Eirthjona

Sincerely......................................why bother with what you don't need to know about! Surely there is enough to learn within our own ranks of nursing. Sorry about the negativity.

joannep · Feb 22, 2004

Do not critisise other countries training methods. You are trained as a nurse in the way that is prevalent in that country at that time. It is not an issue of better or worse way. The same as in Australia, 25 years ago nurses were trained in hospitals and now they are trained by universities. You may have private views on the matter, but you are trained in the way that is prevalent at that time. You have no choice in the matter at all. End of story. Sorry, but this type of crap can bring nursing to its knees.

Joanne

L&DTami · Feb 22, 2004

Yes lets stick together on this- I have known nurses with all levels of education and have found that all different levels of experience and common sense as well as intelligence exist within all ranks. Trust me, I know RNs with a Masters degree that don't sound intelligent enough to find their way to work in the morning. And I know LPNs that can nurse circles around the BSNs. This is a timeless debate that will never be resolved.

ceridwyn · Feb 23, 2004

Hi
I am finding it hard to get my head around the way the US does it's nursing schools. I think australia has the right way of doing things, ie: Bachelor to be a RN, Diploma to be a EN and certificate to be AIN. sounds smart to me.
What are others points of view here about this.

Eirthjona

Its the same only different names. Good luck with your nursing.

eirthjona · Feb 23, 2004

Sorry that people have taken my comment the wrong way, I was just commenting on how the US does things and why does it seem like a big puzzle that you have to put together to even get in to nursing. Yes I understand that there are different names for the same thing and I am not saying that our way is better But TO ME it's SEEMS that ours is a lot more straight forword.

Sorry for any Offence that people take to heart.

OR1stRN · Mar 14, 2004

You question is asked in the US, too. There are many factors for why the US allows less than Bachelor's prepared nurses to become RN's. My question to you is: Do the RN, EN and AIN in Australia take the same Board Exam? Are they capable with the lesser number of education hours to pass the RN exam?

In the US, we all take the same RN Board Exam and I am sure that some Bachelor's, Associates and diploma degreed nurses fail it as well as pass.

I am an Associate Degree RN but most people I work with and care for do not know this unless I tell them. The patients in the US also assume that a male nurse is a doctor and a female doctor is a nurse. Does this occur in Australia?

I am very interested in Australia and would love to travel there some time. I understand you meant no offense (US spelling). I am just educating you on the potential differences in licensure exams.

"G'day mate"

fab4fan · Mar 14, 2004

Guess it's a good thing you're in Australia, then.

Nurse Ratched, RN · Mar 14, 2004

Sorry that people have taken my comment the wrong way, I was just commenting on how the US does things and why does it seem like a big puzzle that you have to put together to even get in to nursing. Yes I understand that there are different names for the same thing and I am not saying that our way is better But TO ME it's SEEMS that ours is a lot more straight forword.
Sorry for any Offence that people take to heart.

I was not offended by your question :). It's true that most lay people and people considering entering nursing in the US don't really understand all the points of entry. It would be helpful if there was one standard, but there seem to be too many entrenched interests to ever get everyone on the same page.

ceridwyn · Mar 15, 2004

Quite honestly, all the lady asked was why do the US have 2 level of entry into RN. Then stated that to have Bachelor- RN, Diploma - EN. and that it made more sense to her, that the assumption was what education you had- what role you are taking in the nursing team, Aussie wise.

Then everyone jumped on the bandwagon.

I have met nurses of different education, that have left me scatching my head in wonderment, wondering how they ever made the education standard, or have been blown away by their knowledge but chose to stay in their part of the nursing team, beit, AIN,EN, RN!!!!!!! So what!!! Me whingeing is not going to help the situation any. Unless of course I found someone totally incompetent..... But the nurse has never been that bad. And believe it or not humans are not all the same.

Forgoodness sake girls!!!!!! we are our own worst enemy. Do other professions do this!!!!!! No wonder they don't take us seriously!!!!

No, we don't sit a national exam, but we do have some pretty good clinical outcomes!!! Go aussie nurses!!!!!!

Quite frankly, associate degree, diploma, whatever if you state, country, deems you capable of all the competencies of an RN nomatter what education then theres 'no worries', s'he'll be right', 'she'll be apples,' ''don't stress.

If you are an RN in the US, be happy, you passed the NCLEX, your doing a great job I am sure in trying times, nomatter what initials you have.

gwenith, BSN, RN · Mar 15, 2004

Hi C!!

The main difference between registration here and registration in the US is ours is "competancy based" to fit in with national competancy standards. It is a federal goverment thing and the inside story is a bit of a hoot!

The National competancy board was originally set up to deal with TAFE (Technical and Further Education) colleges to bring some parity throughout Australia in relation to training. The idea was that curriculums were to be competancy based to meet industry needs - industry was putting the screws on because they wanted people who not only knew why every thing should work but actually how to do the hands on work (Here I am talking general industry not just health). It was also to put brakes on those people who were handing out diplomas for 2 day seminars.

Now along comes the Nursing board (I am talking a few years ago now we had not long gone to UNI education from hospital training) All the state boards get together - they like the principles behind competancy basing and so the ANCI competancies came about.

Now these competancy statement included things like "Able to effectively commuicate with other members of the health care team"

What they did not realise is that the national training board was more used to industries such as electrical trades, mechanics etc whose comptancies looked like "can fit part A on part B without electrocuting self or others"

Apparently jaws hit the floor and they demanded to more specific task type competancies - we gave them a partial list again jaws hit the floor and the word came back "no-one could learn all that!!" We won more respect that day than a year's worth of lobbying. Nurses were suddenly seen by the average worker for the depth and breadth of our knowledge.

Trauma Columnist · Mar 15, 2004

I think this thread is interesting since I've lived in other countries as well - not Australia though or England. Thanks for the information