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May 29, 2003
Dear Nurse Nancy,
My nurse manager is attending a master's program.
She is fortunate that our hospital is paying for her
to attend this program. I have heard that her daughter
is writing all of [my nurse manager's] assigned papers
that she turns in for a grade. When I came upon this
situation, I asked her, "Who is going to school
- you or your daughter?" This bothers me so much.
I feel that I can't do anything about it. What can I
do?
Small-town nurse
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Dear Small-town nurse,
I agree with you. This bothers me also. I commend you
for being up front with how you feel. It is a shame,
and the sad part is, the nurse manager is robbing herself
of the learning that goes along with writing papers
and taking tests.
This is sadly the state of affairs of where we are.
Since the N-CLEX is computerized, I am told that when
you get to the testing center, your picture is on the
screen upon which you will take your exam. This prevents
nurses from sending in someone else to take their test
for them.
To answer your question - I don't think there is anything
you can do. You have said what you wanted to say. Integrity
is either there or not. And in her case, it is clearly
not.
Sincerely,
Nurse Nancy
May 27, 2003
Dear Nurse Nancy,
I'm in my last semester getting my BSN. I am very
intererested in forensic nursing. Where should I begin?
New Grad
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Dear New Grad,
I agree - forensic nursing seems exciting, and working
with victims of violence can be very rewarding. I think
a good place to start is to get some experience as an
Emergency Department nurse - you will care for those
victims of domestic violence and rape on a first-hand
basis. If you can work in an ED that receives trauma
patients, I know you will develop a world of practical
experience. There is an organization for this specialty,
and networking with other forensic nurses might give
you some practical advice. Click the International
Society of Forensic Nurses to find this and many
other useful links at NurseWeek.com.
We at NurseWeek have a feature article on this topic,
written by a forensic nurse who has several good pointers
on how to "break into" this specialty. A suggestion
she has is to link your forensic interest to organ donation
- every organization is looking to increase its number
of organ donors. Click
here for some words from someone who has been there
and done that. Good luck to you!
Sincerely,
Nurse Nancy
May 23, 2003
Dear Nurse Nancy,
I am considering moving to Vancouver, Canada. How do
I find out about reciprocity, or how to activate a nursing
license and/or get a work permit in Canada? I am interested
in learning about national health insurance and how
it works. Where can I find out about the hospitals in
Vancouver and their vacancies, qualifications, cost
of living, and so forth? Thanks for your help.
RAS
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Dear RAS,
What a beautiful place Vancouver is. I was there only
once, but loved it! Sounds like you have a great experience
before you, and I think it will be interesting to see
first-hand how the national health insurance works.
Registration of nurses does not occur at the national
level in Canada. In order to practice nursing, one must
be licensed or registered in the province or territory
in which you will work. There are language regulations,
also - for example, one must speak French to work in
Quebec, but in British Columbia, where Vancouver is,
English alone is acceptable. For an application, and
answers to your questions about licensure, visit this
link: http://www.cna-nurses.ca/_frames/careers.
I also found a great - and easy - site to answer your
questions about housing, cost of living, and so forth:
Click on http://www.relocatecanada.com,
which will have lots of information after you type in
"Vancouver" on the home page.
Good luck!
Nurse Nancy
P.S. Have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend Holiday,
I will return on May 27th
May 22, 2003
Dear Nurse Nancy,
I am an RN and currently a student getting my master's
degree. Do I still need to obtain proof of continuing
education credits? I will be in school for the next
3 years. I live in Michigan.
MW
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Dear MW,
Each state has its own rules concerning continuing
education credits. Some have no requirement; some have
a specific number. In Michigan, the requirement is 25
continuing education credits each renewal period of
two years. Their requirements also say that you can
earn up to 10 contact hours for non-accredited workshops.
At NurseWeek.com, we have a list of requirements listed
for each state, click
here.
Those three years will go by quickly. Good luck!
Nurse Nancy
May 19, 2003
Dear Nurse Nancy,
What are some resources for a 30-year diploma nurse
with multi-specialty experiences who must continue to
work days as an Occupational Nursing Consultant? I want
to get my BSN and possibly become a nurse practitioner,
but can't afford to go to school full-time. Any thoughts?
MT
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Dear MT,
Good for you for wanting to continue your education!
There are many options for you to get your BSN. Have
you contacted your nursing school alumni association
to see if they have any scholarships for alumni returning
to school? Most RN-to-BSN programs offer evening classes,
as most nurses work and need to go to school at night.
You can also look into getting a BSN on-line; we list
a large amount of BSN programs on our site. Click
here to find them.
Johnson & Johnson have done a great deal of work
to support nursing education, and to help us recruit
new nurses. They have lots of information about scholarships
on their web site at http://www.discovernursing.com.
Please know that so many nurses reading this can relate
to your issue. Just take it one course at a time, and
you will be done soon. Good luck!
Nurse Nancy
May 15, 2003
Dear Nurse Nancy,
As a nurse with diabetes, I have made myself especially
informed over the years. How can I become a certified
diabetes educator, preferably to be done on-line? I
think I can bring a certain viewpoint to this job. I
am currently employed full-time and enrolled in a graduate
program in Health Administration.
MQ
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Dear MQ,
You sound really busy and industrious! I agree that
you would bring a lot of practical experience as a diabetes
educator. The National Certification Board for Diabetes
Educators has strict criteria for those who want to
take the exam. This is an interdisciplinary group that
awards certification to nurses, physicians, physical
therapists, registered dieticians, and pharmacists -
anyone who has an active, unrestricted license in health
care.
Like all certifications, there are criteria established,
as certification acknowledges expertise in the field.
For CDEs, you must have 1,000 hours in diabetes self-management
education within 5 years, and be working as a diabetes
educator for compensation for at least 4 hours a week.
The exam is given twice a year in cities throughout
the country. Like most certification exams, it is still
a paper-and-pencil test, as the logistics of technology
and security present a challenge to the certification
boards. To read more about this certification, click
here to see NurseWeek.com's list of agencies and
go to "Diabetes Educators."
I hope you find this helpful. Good luck!
Nurse Nancy
May 9, 2003
This year's theme for National Nurses Week is "Nurses:
Lifting Spirits, Touching Lives". Come test your
knowledge of Florence Nightingale.The answers are
in RED to see if your are
up on your Florence Nightingale trivia, Happy Nurses
Week!
1. Which United States President was first petitioned
to proclaim a "Nurse Day"?
A. Calvin Coolidge
B. Dwight D. Eisenhower
C. Herbert Hoover
D. Lyndon Banes Johnson
2. Why was Florence Nightingale born in Florence, Italy?
A. Her parents lived there
B. Her father was Italian
C. Her parents were on an extended
vacation
D. Her parents were lost
3. In 1998, which date was designated as National Student
Nurses Day?
A. May 6
B. May 8
C. May 10
D. May 12
4. What is the complete title of Florence Nightingales
book?
A. Notes on Nursing: The way I wrote it
B. Notes on Nursing: How to behave as a nurse
C. Notes on Nursing: Do no harm
D. Notes on Nursing: What it is,
and what it is not
5. Which specialty organization changed their national
day from January to May 6, starting in 2003?
A. American Association of Nephrology Nurses
B. Association of periOperative Registered Nurses
C. National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses
D. National Association of School
Nurses
6. What year did the International Council of Nurses
(ICN) proclaim that May 12 would be the "International
Nurses Day"?
A. 1966
B. 1970
C. 1974
D. 1978
7. How many pages is Notes on Nursing?
A. 56
B. 66
C. 76
D. 86
8. Where was Florence's sister, Frances Parthenope,
born?
A. Athens
B. Cairo
C. London
D. Naples
9. How did Florence Nightingale suggest a nurse prepare
an egg for a patient with a "bilious temperament"?
A. Boiled in beef tea
B. In sour milk as a pudding
C. Hard boiled plain
D. Whipped in some wine
10. How old was Florence Nightingale when Notes on
Nursing was published?
A. 19
B. 29
C. 39
D. 49
11. How old was Florence Nightingale when she died?
A. 60
B. 70
C. 80
D. 90
12. Which word completes this sentence? "And what
nursing has to do is…..put the patient in the best
condition for ____________ to act upon him"
A. God
B. luck
C. nature
D. physicians
13. Which is Florence Nightingale's birthday?
A. May 6, 1820
B. May 8, 1820
C. May 10, 1820
D. May 12, 1820
14. Which nursing theorist was born on Florence's birthday?
A. Imogene King
B. Martha E. Rogers
C. Hildegard E. Peplau
D. Jean Watson
15. How old was Florence Nightingale when she got "the
call" to become a nurse?
A. 14
B. 24
C. 34
D. 44
16. In what country is Scutari located?
A. Egypt
B. Greece
C. Italy
D. Turkey
17. How many years did the Crimean War last?
A. Two
B. Three
C. Four
D. Five
18. Where is the Florence Nightingale Museum located?
A. Athens, Greece
B. Florence, Italy
C. London, England
D. Glasgow, Scotland
19. Which member of the British royalty awarded Florence
Nightingale the Royal Red Cross in 1883?
A. King Edward
B. King George
C. Queen Elizabeth
D. Queen Victoria
20. How many nurses did Florence Nightingale take to
the Crimea?
A. 8
B. 18
C. 28
D. 38
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