job degrees

[margongab]

hi everyone

i always had a bit of difficulty in understanding the US and UK nursing job titles such as RN, LPN etc.. In Portugal our own graduations are resumed to :

Nurse, Graduated nurse, Nurse Specialist, Chief Nurse, Supervisor Nurse and Technical Consultant Nurse (in crescent order). Can someone give me a brief explanation of your degrees ? What would be the correspondence ?

Thanks

AG

[takenbyjoy]

You would have to explain what the responsibilities of "Nurse, Graduated nurse, Nurse Specialist, Chief Nurse, Supervisor Nurse and Technical Consultant Nurse" are; also, what is the difference (if any) in their training. In the US, an RN may have either a bachelor of science degree in nursing (BSN) with is a 4 yr. degree or an associate degree which is a 2 yr degree. Their responsibilities are not that much different, despite their educational levels. Some facilities want RNs with a BSN for management positions. Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) are graduates of a 2 yr program of study. They work under the guidance of the RN. In some places the types of things they can do are limited (like start IVs, complete patient initial assessments, etc.). Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) work under the guidance of the RN and/or LPN. They assist with bathing, toileting, feeding, dressing patients and making beds, etc. They do not give medications at all. Our nurse managers are RNs, some may have advanced practice degress, such as a Masters degree (graduate degree).