RHinesRN

I have read most of these postings and what I find most ironic is that its NURSE practitioner. This is just another example of how the nursing profession continues to pull itself down. If you look in any nursing magazine you will find numerous listing and programs on how to advance your "nursing" career. From LPN to RN, From RN to BSN, from RN to MSN, and from "do it by mail", to "do it on line." If I keep looking I'm afraid I will find an UAP to RN program and probably it can be completed as a correspondence course with a weekend clinical. Where will it end, probably when they certify any college graduate that knows what the initials RN stand for as a NP. I can say I am certainly biased as I have come from a traditional 4 yr. BSN program, but I give you this thought. Logic would say that before you become an Advanced practice nurse (NPs,CNMs, CNAs), you should be a nurse, and not just by initials but by experience gained in the trenches. How can we promote our profession when there are so many inconsistencies across the Nursing field. I have met and worked with many competent and professional nurses that came to our profession from various communities using the back roads and two lane highways and I have no problem with that, but I sure would like to see them leaving on the same interstate. This road would have many off-ramps (NP, CNM, CS) but no on-ramp other than the one coming from the community of REGISTERED NURSE.