why do nurses need to be licensed?

Nurses Professionalism

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I know this is probably a random question but it popped into my head and got me thinking, why do nurses ( and other professionals for that matter, ie. Doctors, teachers lawyers) Have to take a test to get licensed to practice AFTER they went all through school. If they went through school and already were able to pass their respective program with good remarks and graduate, wouldn't that already mean they are already qualified to practice?

Kind of like accounting, if an accountant passes an accounting program they don't need a license to do accounting, only if they choose to.

Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.
Would I want a surgeon who failed his boards multiple times perform my open heart? no I wouldn't

But what about all the school debt that he/she has???? :sarcastic:

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Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.
Your name got added on when I quoted it but I noticed in time and deleted it. It's odd.

I've noticed it a couple of times too…I think this is the first time I saw that happen on AN.

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Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.
Honestly to me (and I know I'll get criticised) but it doesn't matter, as long as I know whoever is taking care of me passed, it doesn't matter HOW many times it took them to pass. Point is they got there and finally proved themselves competant enough. The pace is different for everyone.

That is pretty easy to say on an anonymous message board where lives aren't on the line. When you life is on the line, would you be thinking the same thing? Would you think the same thing about a physician, let's say one that was trained in the Caribbean, who took multiple attempts to prove his/her basic competency? If you were wrongly accused of a crime, would you want a your lawyer--the one who is charged with keeping you out of jail--to be someone who needed multiple attempts at the bar (or multiple attempts to pass law school if you in WI)?

What you are saying sounds nice and you are trying to be compassionate, and that is a good thing. However, in the attempt to make you arguments, you are ignoring the reality of the situation.

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Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.
I don't dispute your statement, as I have no way of knowing, but this is definitely not the norm.

I know when I was in school I had to get child abuse clearances…I don't remember having to get a generalized criminal background check for school. I definitely did for my license however.

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