How about we take off the gloves and get out of the ring?

Nurses General Nursing

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I posted this on another bulletin board and got amazing results and was encouraged to post this elsewhere and see what happens.

It seems like every time I turn around someone is talking about how nursing will not be taken seriously until we make the BSN the entry lever for RN's.

I hear the BSN's sounding elitist saying that they are way more educated regarding leadership, pathophysiology, and research, therofore they make better prepared nurses.

I hear the ADN's saying that they take the same test and have a higher pass rate and get more realistic clinicals, therefore they are better prepared for bedside nursing.

I hear the diploma nurses saying that both the ADN and BSN prepared nurses are really losing out because they do not get the amount and quality of clinicals that the diploma programs offer.

I do not disagree with any of these arguments, but I do feel that it would be beneficial to combine the best of all three entry levels and make one superior nursing school.

I will not argue that making the BSN the entry level for RN's will increase the public perception of nursing as a profession. However, the BSN programs that are available at this moment do not seem to be preparing students realistically for the bedside nursing and this is really too bad.

Now is saying all that, it is my opinion that the amount of education does not make a profession. To me professionalism is an attutude. Members of a profession take personal responsibility for ensuring that the young in the profession become compitent and are molded into good professionals themselves. In other words they give back to the profession and are proud of it.

There is a really good saying that comes from the twelve step programs, it goes....You can only keep what you have by giving it away. I see this to be true not only in sobriety, but in life, in nursing. How better to keep your knowledge and skills up than teaching them to others.

What do you all think?

Now this is not meant to be an ADN/BSN/Diploma argument, so please keep those comments out of this.

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What other bb did you post on? Just curious. I don't know what I think about any of this stuff. I really don't have a 'strong' opinion, sorry. I'm more interested in reading what other people have to say. I suppose it's a good enough idea, but the next question is, HOW?

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I think one benefit of nursing is that people who may not be able to go to school for four years can do their degree and work in 2. A lot of people are financially unable to do four years so being able to finish earlier allows more nurses into the profession.

I am just tired of all the generalizations. ADNs who seem to feel threatenned put down BSNs as being elitist and useless in the hospital setting. BSNs who think they're soooo great put down ADNs as being uneducated or unprofessional. It seems like it will be impossible to debate this issue in an objective way when we all work with "uneducated" ADNs and "conceited" BSNs all day long.

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Fergus, you rock! You read my MIND!! Bless you, bless you, bless you. Wonderfully stated. You are a breath of fresh air amidst that 'other' tense thread... biggrin.gif. Sorry, just had to say all that. Back to the topic at hand...

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kday, I origically posted this on the nursing spectrum bullitin board. Recieved many great replies, and there was a ton a critical thinking involved.

Fergus, I could not agree with you more about the generalizations. My goal is to get all of the different educational levels to work together for one purpose. To promote the profession. I do not agree with the generizations, I was just echoing what I have heard others say here and on other bullitin boards.

I would appreciate any ideas that anyone has on how to unite and become proactive in the promotion of nursing.

It is my opinion that if we want to promote nursing it would be benefitial to make continuing education worth pursuing. What I am looking for is ideas on how e shoulkd go about this, if we should at all.

Thanks

Jill

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Hi all. If interested, check out my posts under LLBurns regarding BSN minimum. JillR, I agree 100% with you on combining the best of all the educational levels into one. I successfully went through three: CNA, diploma, and BSN. In retrospect, I don't regret doing it this way, because it gives me a perspective on where people are coming from with their opinions on nursing education and the future of nursing.

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Hi all,

I am new to this board and not even a nurse yet. I won't be going to school until 2002.

I live in Ontario Canada, and as of the year 2005 the minimum requirement for RNs is a BScN. Which means that this September is the last intake year for the three year community college program, which I was too late applying for so I will be going to the way more expensive 4 year university program in 2002. I could go to University this Sept, but I can't afford it yet.

According to the literature I have read on the subject of why a BScN is being required in Ontario, it is partially the nurses that are currently in the field that have voted for the change in the minimum requirements. I am sure there was strong government influences as well.

So apparently the nurses in Ontario must have felt that new grads from the three year program were not being adequetly prepared for the job. Why else would they want to slow down the inflow of new nurses when there is already such a ahortage of nurses?

Just some food for thought on what is happening in this neck o' the woods redface.gif)

PS, Is there a section for introductions here on the board? I feel kinda rude just barging in without introducing myself first.

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I am an ADN graduate of 1985. I am a CCRN and ACLS certified. I have been able to work and gain experience in many areas of nursing over the years. I am well respected among my peers. Who did I learn from over the years? Nurses with Masters, Bachelors, ADN and diploma prepared, as well as LPNs and CNAs. I have them all to thank for taking me under their wing and and allow me to learn from them, as well as them from me.

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Originally posted by fergus51:

I think one benefit of nursing is that people who may not be able to go to school for four years can do their degree and work in 2. A lot of people are financially unable to do four years so being able to finish earlier allows more nurses into the profession.

I am just tired of all the generalizations. ADNs who seem to feel threatenned put down BSNs as being elitist and useless in the hospital setting. BSNs who think they're soooo great put down ADNs as being uneducated or unprofessional. It seems like it will be impossible to debate this issue in an objective way when we all work with "uneducated" ADNs and "conceited" BSNs all day long.

Here's a thought, WHY NOT JUST PUT "NURSE" UNDER ONES'S NAME ON THE BADGE? THEN YOU'LL ALL BE JUDGES BY THE QUALITY OF YOUR WORK, NOT THE QUANTITY OF YOUR EDUCATION.

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Originally posted by JillR:

kday, I origically posted this on the nursing spectrum bullitin board. Recieved many great replies, and there was a ton a critical thinking involved.

Fergus, I could not agree with you more about the generalizations. My goal is to get all of the different educational levels to work together for one purpose. To promote the profession. I do not agree with the generizations, I was just echoing what I have heard others say here and on other bullitin boards.

I would appreciate any ideas that anyone has on how to unite and become proactive in the promotion of nursing.

It is my opinion that if we want to promote nursing it would be benefitial to make continuing education worth pursuing. What I am looking for is ideas on how e shoulkd go about this, if we should at all.

Thanks

Jill[/QU

This may be a duplicate, because it's my second time posting it, but again, Why not just eliminate the initials, and just put NURSE under the name on the badge, and let people be judges by the quality of their work and their ability. Wouldn't that be interesting? To just be a nurse? And work together, not in competition?

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