Rn, En... (1 Viewer)

[klh]

For Nursing, what are the differences between a Registered Nurse and Enrolled Nurse whne they work? I know that an RN requires a Bachelor degree while EN is through tafe and placements.

And is there postgrad degrees for nursing? I am sort of interested in nursing so I guess whic is a better option to get into, become a RN or EN?

Thanks for any replies.

 

[Lori.]

As far as i know, enrolled nurses work under the supervision of a registered nurse. They do the more practical tasks of nursing (i.e. 'bedside nursing'), which includes changing dressings, catheter care, etc. Some people describe the enrolled nurses' tasks as the 'disgusting' aspects of nursing.
A Registered Nurse has a supervisory responsibility for the patient's care and can forgo the hands-on tasks, although the RN can perform any of the duties of the Enrolled nurse, but the reverse is not true.
Since RN training involves more science, maths, etc. and focuses on critical thinking skills, RNs have a much more respectable profession, and they are definately more sought-after than Enrolled Nurses.

There are post-grad courses available for RNs. Most give you an opportunity to specify in a field such as mental-health nursing, perioperative, etc. You can look these up on any uni's website under 'post-graduate' courses. I believe you have to have had some years' experience before chosing your degree, because you can alwyas change your mind about what field you want to be in.

When it comes to chosing between RN and EN, I'd definately suggest you to become an RN, simply because it has more prestige, its more professional and respectable, and I can imagine that it pays more as well.

I hope I could help, I am not a nursing student yet, but I have good sources

 

[+Po1ntDeXt3r+]

RN because its far more challenging and less labourious.. they are nursing team leaders basically lots of roles

there are also very few guys doing it.. so it will be good... there is possibility to do further work too ... that can utilise ure B.Bus

i dunno if u can do a grad entry course tho... i think its just the BNursing

 

[lil_georgie_gal]

RN's are def more sought after and i agree with the EN's being the more 'disgusting side' of nursing not that RN's dont need to do that all they have the ability to administer alot more things

There isnt a post-grad nursing course but there is post grad courses such as Masters of nursing or specialising in areas like paediatrics at some uni's

Im looking at getting into BNursing next yr

 

[klh]

THe postgrad degrees i found out were targeted at those who are RN's already. Since Im not one at all, I am looking at entry and thats through a Bachelor. UTS gives graduate entry and the course will take 2 yrs with a pre-semester beginner course and summer school, but otherwise I cant find any more info form other uni's. And its quite far, up in Kuringai...
If anyone can find any more info for graduate entry into nursing, please post. Im gonna ask the uni's too but still waiting...

Yes I talked to my mother and she is like, do they allow boys into nursing? ..........
Thats another area that acts a as a barrier, how will others and i feel about it being a perceived predominantly feminine job. And I guess its the blood/gore and the horror stories ive just read about understaffing and its consequences.

anyway, why is it good if few guys do it +Po1ntDeXt3r+ ?

thanks all for your replies...still contemplating if its a worthy path to go on.

btw, there aren't many nursing students on here? I wanted to ask soem questions abotu the course and difficulty.

 

[velox]

There is a post grad course at UTAS (but its delivered in sydney). It's only 2 years I think.

 

[+Po1ntDeXt3r+]

anyway, why is it good if few guys do it +Po1ntDeXt3r+ ?

thanks all for your replies...still contemplating if its a worthy path to go on.

btw, there aren't many nursing students on here? I wanted to ask soem questions abotu the course and difficulty.

its a good path.. solid job prospect... although its underpaid given their work.. hopefully the Govt ups pay.. but i wouldnt hold my breath for it

well because there are few male options for patients.. as much as guys think its kewl to have a female nurse..
some ppl (e.g. males of different cultural backgrounds) get intimidated by the fact that a female is seeing them at their most vunerable (e.g. urinary incontinence)...

its a female dominated profession and there is a need to have an option for a male nurse... males are usually more physically capable too.. and its interesting

but again im not a nursing student...there is normally one or 2 floating around

 

[Lori.]

Nursing hasnt been a strictly female position for years now, and to have male nurses isnt weird or new at all anymore. Its such an old stereotype! :/

The government has started to increase the pay for nursing as well;
http://www.nswnurses.asn.au/infopages/3028.html

 

[+Po1ntDeXt3r+]

Nursing hasnt been a strictly female position for years now, and to have male nurses isnt weird or new at all anymore. Its such an old stereotype! :/

The government has started to increase the pay for nursing as well;
http://www.nswnurses.asn.au/infopages/3028.html

spot the bloke in the nursing lecture is still pretty hard..

just cos its an old stereotype doesnt mean its getting better fast

 

[vodkacrumble]

jo, actualy nursing student here

pretty much ENs do their training through TAFE and get paid through the whole thing (as it's a traineeship done through a hospital) and after you've done that you can get credit at most unis for 1 year of the bachelor degree. basically you get the experience, get paid and miss a year of HECS.

ENs (in NSW, anyway) now all do the medication edorsement bundled into the course which means they can give nearly all meds. the reason this is happening is because it's cheaper to employ an endorsed EN than an RN.

as for ENs doing the "dirty work", it's not necessarily true. depending on the ward, you will have a mix of ENs and RNs who may get their own patient load each so each person is caring for all their patient's needs. anyway, if you work on wards like Haematology you have self-caring, ambulatory patients so that problem is gone.

i'm nearly at the end of my B.Nursing (6 WEEKS TO GO OMG).

as for boys getting into Nursing, seriously the more the merrier. you won't get treated any differently and the patients will love you - especially the oldies.

 

[klh]

Hi there Vodkacrumble...if I can ask you a few questions.

How difficult is the course? I have not touched any science since year 10, and though I know there are prep courses whihc are compulsory for some courses, plus hearing all that jargon on tv, I am a bit scared.
Also, how is the clinical/work experience work like? And do you get paid, or do you get work or is that afterwards that you get a job? Or do you do alot more stuff in a simulated environment? When do you start as a trainee RN, during the course or afterwards?
Also, I see that you're at UTS..are you at the city or kuringai?
I hope you dont think Im snooping, but I see that you are listed as a AIN, which I found out was assistant in nursing. How did you get to that?

Thanks for all your help people!

 

[vodkacrumble]

Hi there Vodkacrumble...if I can ask you a few questions.

How difficult is the course? I have not touched any science since year 10, and though I know there are prep courses whihc are compulsory for some courses, plus hearing all that jargon on tv, I am a bit scared.
Also, how is the clinical/work experience work like? And do you get paid, or do you get work or is that afterwards that you get a job? Or do you do alot more stuff in a simulated environment? When do you start as a trainee RN, during the course or afterwards?
Also, I see that you're at UTS..are you at the city or kuringai?
I hope you dont think Im snooping, but I see that you are listed as a AIN, which I found out was assistant in nursing. How did you get to that?

Thanks for all your help people!

- difficulty is relative, but they try and help you through it. it's all pretty repetitive through each year.
- medical jargon is basically like learning another language, but once you start to learn the prefixes and suffixes (sp?) you can basically figure stuff out by just piecing each bit together. keep in mind that there are always massive holes in TV medical shows and they rarely reflect real life (if ever)
- clinicals are good depending where you go, some wards at various hospitals around sydney are notorious for treating students like shit. PAYMENT WOULD BE LOVELY but it is not a reality. you do it for free. but there still could be more clinical time built into the degrees because some people still come out of uni without the skills they need
- i've been working parttime as an AIN for 2 years at a hospital which is how i pay my bills and get some experience at the same time. depending on the facility, you can get work like this from your 1st year to your 3rd. i basically applied to the hospital at the end of my 1st year and they started giving me shifts straight away
- not really sure what you mean by 'trainee RN', it's not a traineeship as such but i guess you could class any time during the degree as being a 'trainee'
- i'm at the Kuring-gai campus, but i did my first year at Newcastle.


hope that answers some questions

 

[klh]

You've been more than helpful! Thanks for your time!

 

[vodkacrumble]

no wuccas mate, any time

 

[White Rabbit]

Hey dude, Im doing My EN's traing as we speak, and I reckon it's the better way to go. As vokdacrumble mentioned, we get paid first off - bout $1200 a fortnight (before tax). We get 12 months credit at most Unis (although apart from UTS and ACU I think), you need to do a bridging course (UoW for example is 10 weeks) for the credit. So unlike everyone else in 1st year nursing who was a $5000 debt at the end of Year 1, I've been paid $30,000 for mine

The experience and basic nursing care that TEN traing provides is invaluable too.We get 15 weeks at TAFE and 37 weeks in the Hospital, where as Uni is opposite. You watch New Grad RNs and you can tell the exTENs apart for the straight degrees - the Ex TENs have alot more confidence because they have so much more experience under their belt, they have more of an idea what to expect and can time manage a hell of alot better than the majority of other New Grads. Also, while you're studying you're working as an EEN (med endorsed), and usually will find employment (unless you're a pretty bad TEN) within the Hospital you do your TEN training at, and alot of them stay on once they become registered.

I'm not saying that TEN -> RN makes better nurses, but the experience and support you recive is so much stronger than straight degrees.


As for Post Grad, UTS offers a quick course (2 Years) to people holding a bachelors degree, and Sydney is doing something similar too now. (I think). Once you register as an RN, there is a multitude of post grad speciality courses:
-Mental Health
-Paeds
-Emergency/Critical Care/Intensive Care
-Peri-op
-Rural Practice
-Med/Surg nursing
-Cardiology

Pretty much all the specialties.

You can also do your Masters and become a CNC, or Nurse Practioner.

Thats what I want to do - Nurse Prac or CNC or CNE (or more than one, I like teaching) in Resp/Cardio Med or (Hopefully) Mental Health, esspeically in the new PECC Units in emergency departments in major hospitals - Nepean, St George, Prince of Wales, among a few. Both areas facinate me, and I'd love to research more, and also to pass on what I know.

That said, I wouldn't want to leave the floor permentaly, I love it too much. It really is rewarding