kshoe

I was an RN for 32 years before I went to NP school and I am now a certified NP. The diagnosis I make along with management and evaluation of patients almost always reflect past experiences as a RN. You must practice as a RN before you can be a competent NP. I wouldn't trade those 32 years for anything, not even becoming a NP years ago. My RN experience truly makes me a more credible NP. Plus the salary isn't that much more than that of a RN. If you practice in a rural area, you have to depend on your past RN experiences in order to practice safe NP care.

All immigrants to the U.S. need to be respectful of our country. Part of that respect, especially if you are a health care provider, is to be able to communicate therapeutically with the patient. In addition you owe it to your patient to be able to understand there spoken needs. I know of many foreign born nurses in the city where I work who absolutely cannot communicate with their patients. To me, that is a form of abuse. Bottom line, if nurses having English as a second language want to live in America, then speak the language of our patients.

Every state must follow the OBRA Federal Law of 1989 to establish criteria for a cna program and a state registry. Most states conduct a mandatory Train The Trainer Workshop prior to teaching the course. Here in Georgia we have nursing home programs, high school, votech and private programs. Each instructor must send proof of the workshop attendance, current state nursing license and a resume to see if years of work and type of work meet the state law. You need to search the internet for your state. Search: Type your state and add Nurse Aide Training. Most states have their law on the internet. Good luck, Kathy Shoemaker. Contact me at [email protected] for more info.