Whatever degree we as nurses have achieved,we are still just that,NURSES! My frustration stems from when I look to join professional organizations or seek certain certifications and am told NO you can't join and know we will not impart our knowledge or certification to you. Why???? Because I do not have R.N or even R.N with at least a bachelors degree behind my name.
OK,all the tongues getting ready to jump on the bandwagon about differences in education and so forth,hold on.
We all have different specialties,and how did we get them? Experience and knowledge acquired while working. I guess my point is if you feel for whatever reason that you have gained a strong working knowledge in an area,and would like to challenge that specialties certification....go ahead.
1.I tried to call FNA(Florida Nurses Association) to join and receive their literature...I was hung up on when they found out I was an L.P.N. I called back thinking this was a mistake,but they assured me that it wasn't,they don't acknowledge L.P.N's as nurses.
2.Worked in LTC for 4 years,I've seen every wound you could imagine and some I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. I have cared for them all,and learned a vast amount about wounds and their protocols. When I contacted WOCN to receive their monthly journal(I wanted to learn more) and inquire as to their certification process,I was told you cannot receive monthly journal unless certified and to be certified you have to be at least a bachelors R.N with at least 1 year experience.
If something required a skill that was not within my scope of practice,then I have no problem with the certification being limited,though I do believe the knowledge should be available to any who wish to learn. Ex:I took the central line and ICU course that my hospital offered,and only cause they had empty spots R.N's who might need it didn't fill. Why?? knowledge,so that when I was working tele and a central line had an issue I was able to discern it from normal and bring it to my R.N partners attention. The ICU course helped cause very often our"stepdown" unit was anything but.
Sorry it's so long,it was a big soapbox...LOl:yeah:
I did not want this to become a L.P.N vs R.N thread. The point I was trying to make is that ALL information should be available to all nurses for the betterment of patient care. If you want to have certification guidelines be my guest. Just don't tell me I can't read a book or a professional journal because I don't have the right credentials...
I just think the continued prevalence of this type of prejudice will only weaken nurses as a whole.
We are nurses,here for the patient's well being,and any and all education can do nothing but improve the quality of our care to them!
This is not about title,this is about open access to all sources of information.
Somehow though I think many will still see this as a title thread...sad:sniff:
When I contacted WOCN to receive their monthly journal(I wanted to learn more) and inquire as to their certification process,I was told you cannot receive monthly journal unless certified and to be certified you have to be at least a bachelors R.N with at least 1 year experience.
That organization is free to decide their own membership and journal distribution. Perhaps you could get the information you are looking for from many, many other sources? A subscription to a nursing or medical database, not to mention a trip to the library should guarantee you access to a wealth of information, including the specific info you are seeking.
It sort of looks like you are using the journal and organization membership information as a smokescreen to complain about LPN vs RN. Yes - that same old fight.
sheilagh
77 Posts
I did not want this to become a L.P.N vs R.N thread. The point I was trying to make is that ALL information should be available to all nurses for the betterment of patient care. If you want to have certification guidelines be my guest. Just don't tell me I can't read a book or a professional journal because I don't have the right credentials...
I just think the continued prevalence of this type of prejudice will only weaken nurses as a whole.
We are nurses,here for the patient's well being,and any and all education can do nothing but improve the quality of our care to them!
This is not about title,this is about open access to all sources of information.
Somehow though I think many will still see this as a title thread...sad:sniff: