ahma99 Posted October 20, 2006 Report Share Posted October 20, 2006 hi... i am new to this board....well not really cuz i have been checking it out since august 2005 but this is the first time i am posting something up.. and it happens to be a question that i hope some of you will be able to answer.... i am just bascially interested in learning more about nursing.. what kind of degree u need... what does RN .. postRN and what does the term "nurse practitioner" mean... are these just different stages of the same prgram or what also how do u apply to nursing .. right out of high school or university. and what kind of salary do you make at the different stages of your career.. starting out (will you be able to support a family) is the job security good .. where do nurses usually work ... what kind of scedule do they have (is it a 9-5 job or randoms shifts ??) and what exactly are the duties of nurse / nurse practitioner (sorry i might be using the wrong terms in the questions just because of my lack of knowledge.) and also i head that nurse clean up after patients: is tha true.. or not and the last question regarding nursing would be: since the nurses are usually female.. does this mean that a male nurse is seen as "lower" or different or what exactly happens if a male happens to be interested in nursing... alright thanks soo much and sorry if i used the wrong terms here and there cuz as u might already know.. i simply dont kno ANYTHING about this career Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonesRN Posted October 20, 2006 Report Share Posted October 20, 2006 Let me just say that I think that the best place for you to find specific information for nursing would be to contact nursing schools at universities that you are interested in applying to. But I'll try to answer your questions to give you a general idea of what nursing is all about... An "RN" is a registered nurse. Currently, depending on which province you are from, registered nurses can work with a nursing diploma or a nursing degree. A nursing diploma is usually a 2 and a half yr program done at a college. Once you have successfully completed this program and passed the national exam, you can work as an RN. Alternatively, nurses can attain a degree in nursing at a university (typically 4 year program). They are still known as RN's after completion of this program as well. The difference is, that in order to remain accountable and competent in clinical practice, nursing programs across the country have decided to basically scrap the diploma nursing program and have the baccalaureate degree in nursing as the minimum requirements for entry to practice. Post RN programs are for RN's who hold a nursing diploma who want to go back to complete their degree. You are able to apply to nursing right out of high school. Your salary will depend on which province you practice in and, in some instances, what area you are working in. Nursing is primarily a shift work profession, at least if you intend to work in a hospital setting. There are other options for nurses, which you can ask the university about. A nurse practitioner is a RN who, usually holds a masters degree, and has advance skills and education in order to prescribe certain medications, order certain lab work, and diagnostic tests. In certain rural areas where there is no physician, the nurse practitioner functions and performs similar duties as the physician in that setting. Yes, depending on what area you are in, nurses may be required to 'clean up' after patients. So if this is a huge area of concern for you, perhaps nursing isn't the career for you. Lastly, I am a male RN and I have never felt 'lower' than any of my colleagues. I find, and I'm sure that many female RN's will tell you, that men are valued and respected in the profession. Because men are still a huge minority of practicing nurses ( about 5%) people still hold stereotypes of men in this profession. Its important to note that not that long ago, the same thing was said about women in medicine. And today, approximately 60% of admissions to medical school in Canada go to female applicants. Only time and tolerance will dissipate these stereotypes, so regardless of what statistics say, both men and women are able to be effective health care providers in any area they choose to work in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahma99 Posted October 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2006 Thanks for the info... i really appreciate it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bestknightmare Posted October 22, 2006 Report Share Posted October 22, 2006 i believe men actually get paid more since some jobs require male RN to do, and since they are minority, it pays well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonesRN Posted October 22, 2006 Report Share Posted October 22, 2006 i believe men actually get paid more since some jobs require male RN to do, and since they are minority, it pays well. Actually no, men are paid at the same pay rate as women. I'm sure you can imagine the type of uprising that would happen if men were paid more than women for doing similar work. I personally wouldn't expect or condone more pay in nursing because I am a man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.