My biggest pet peeve!!!

I have a huge pet peeve!

There are 2 types of Registered Nurses:

1. Diploma (2 year program)
2. Degree (4 year program)

Now no matter which one you have, you are NOT a Registered Nurse until you have written the Registered Nursing Exam! If you don't write the licensing exam you are NOT a Registered Nurse, no matter where you graduated from: hospital, college or university. All nursing grads write the exact same nursing exam on the exact same day. If you pass and then pay the yearly license registration fee, you can call yourself an RN. If you pass and don't pay the license fee? You're simply a graduate from a nursing program, be it a diploma program or a degree one.

The only difference between a Degree over Diploma is 2 years, 50 cents per hour more, and the ability to put the initials "BN" before the "RN" after your name.

So what is my pet peeve? Someone asking "Are you an RN or BN?"

I know what they are asking: They want to know is if I have a 2 year diploma or a 4 year degree in nursing.

There is so much emphasis in the job market for some jobs that many are ignorant to the fact that a nursing degree (BN) means absolutely nothing until the person actually passes their licensing exam, and then no matter where you graduated from, YOU ARE AN RN!!!

I got a call today from a company that I had applied at and who had called me early last week. I've left daily messages and finally just today got a phone call back! They aren't even setting up interviews right now. They are going through the applicants asking "Do you have an RN or BN", and right then and there I knew they were looking for someone with a 4 year degree, despite their ad not having indicated such. Why do I think that? Because if it wasn't relevant, they wouldn't have asked.

I answered her questions, and nicely informed her that I think what she means to ask is if I'm a diploma RN vs a degree RN, and that none of us are RN's until we write and pass the same licensing exam.

Did I blow the opportunity for an interview? No. As soon as she heard I wasn't a degree RN, I lost my chance. However, she left our discussion more educated than before she talked to me.

I worked hard to get my education and I'm a good nurse. And I'll be darned if I'm going to let uninformed people belittle that education!

Brava for standing up for yourself!!!

Also thank you...I did not know there was a difference and now i feel more educated. (my aunt and one of my good friends are nurses)

My Mom was an LPN (think it's called something else now). they had LPNs and RNs. She went through the same thing, and always resented it--she was an excellent nurse, and very dedicated, with many years of experience. Linda, you worked very hard for your education, and I know you must be a very dedicated and talented nurse--don't let them make you feel bad!

I go through a similar thing in the library field. Many of the MLS crowd (Master of Library Science) look down their noses at we "para-professionals", who are the backbone of the library. I, myself, have nearly 30 years of library experience (in that library, too), yet get treated like an idiot--all because I have no college degree, never mind an MLS. Yet, my best friend and co-worker has had an MLS for about 25 years, and NEVER lords it over others. She once worked at the VA library, and her MLS boss forbade her to be friendly with the non-MLS staff.

If you have a 4 year degree, how many credit hours are actually in the major?

When I was in school, I would say 66% of the classes I paid for towards my diploma were not related to my area of study.

Here in the U.S. we have 3 nursing definitions:

Diploma RN - Training in hospital schools of nursing leading to a registered nurse diploma (RN). Graduates are eligible for state examination for licensure as RN (Registered Nurse).

ADN - Associate Degree Nurse - Two year degree in nursing. Graduates are eligible for state examination for licensure as RN (Registered Nurse).

BSN - Bachelor Degree Nurse - Four year degree in nursing. Graduates are eligible for state examination for licensure as RN (Registered Nurse).

The bottom line is: All three nursing programs prepare the graduate nurse to take the exact same state board exams.

There are also APN (advanced practice nurses...nurse anesthetists, nurse mid-wives, clinical nurse specialists and nurse practitioners) with MSN degrees ( Master of Science in Nursing) or DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice.) These degrees take the state board exams for nursing, and also the advanced practice exam for their specialty.

In the hospital where I work, only BSNs or above are qualified for management positions. If a DRN or ADN was grandfathered into a management position, they were allowed a certain time frame to achieve their BSN. Now a nurse has to be at least working on a BSN to apply for a management position.

I'm not sure if there are any diploma teaching hospitals anymore in the U.S. There has been talk for several years of doing away with the 2 year ADN programs, and requiring a BSN to be eligible to take the state board exams. I can't imagine that will happen anytime soon.

IMHO, it mostly comes down how good a nurse is at direct patient care, regardless of their level of education.

being a home health aide i always hated one similar thing-hha saying they are nurses!!!

Or a nurse aide saying that. Hey I did a few weeks course and was proud of that. But I think respect is due for the amount of schooling/things known.

Originally Posted by nurseangel

IMHO, it mostly comes down how good a nurse is at direct patient care, regardless of their level of education.

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DITTO!

I am a certified nurse's aide with 9+ years experience and what burns me is when the LPNs and RNs look down their noses at us. Or when a patient asks for a bedpan and they say that's not my job or even when a patient asks for ice and the RN hunts me down to tell me so. I might be a CNA but I work hard to take care of my patients and to make the RN's job easier and the ones who don't appreciate us. I actually told my boss yesterday that she needs to do an inservice for some of the workers becaue they are putting the bedpans on people backwards.

Originally Posted by Tavia'smom

I am a certified nurse's aide with 9+ years experience and what burns me is when the LPNs and RNs look down their noses at us. Or when a patient asks for a bedpan and they say that's not my job or even when a patient asks for ice and the RN hunts me down to tell me so. I might be a CNA but I work hard to take care of my patients and to make the RN's job easier and the ones who don't appreciate us. I actually told my boss yesterday that she needs to do an inservice for some of the workers becaue they are putting the bedpans on people backwards.

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I agree. CNAs work so hard and often don't get the respect (or the pay) they deserve. I know this is a bit off topic, but I was certainly blessed to have a quick thinking CNA when I was a patient in the hospital a few years ago.