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The Impact of Florence Nightingale

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Quite a few years back, a poster made its way into popular culture, titled, "All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten." It reminded us all that the basic rules for life are really very simple - and serve as a foundation for all the more complicated concepts we learn as the years go on.

I would dare say that a similar poster could be done for the field of nursing: "All I really need to know about nursing I learned from Florence Nightingale." Known as "the lady with the lamp" from her nights (and days) caring for injured soldiers in the Crimean War, Florence Nightingale can be credited for creating those basic rules, the foundation, of our profession. And although much has changed in healthcare since her time, no one person has contributed as significantly to nursing si....(Continued)

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Nursing: Then and Now

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Nursing is a profession with a rich history. With this October marking the 100th anniversary of Florence Nightingale's death, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on how nursing began, and how much it has evolved - not only here in the United States, but around the world. This nursing education column begins a series, "Nursing: Then and Now," which will reflect on the history and current state of various aspects of nursing. I will touch briefly on some of these areas here, and address them in more detail later on in the series. I also invite our readership to submit linkable articles related to the theme of "Nursing: Then and Now" as well as about our founder of nursing, Florence Nightingale via our Facebook page, www.faceboo....(Continued)

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The Differences Between Associate Degree Nurses and the Baccalaureate Degree Nurses

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

I have heard the statement "Why should I get a baccalaureate degree in nursing (BSN) when I can get an associate degree in nursing (ADN) and still sit for the same NCLEX and get my RN license?" This is a very good question and one that every nursing student should ask. The short answer is that a nurse with a BSN has more opportunities to work in a variety of health care settings that offer an extensive array of opportunities for professional growth. Baccalaureate-prepared nurses can be bedside nurses, educators, case managers, discharge planners, administrators, and work in public health, home health, and community clinics. The armed forces require an officer in the nurse corps to have a BSN and joining the military is an excellent opportunity to serve your country, pay for your e....(Continued)

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Alphabet Soup

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 13:41:59 -0400

A friend recently pointed out that I seem to have more letters following my name than in it: Dianne S. Moore, PhD, RN, CNM, MN, MPH. Indeed, she was correct; the letters comprising my credentials now beat those in my actual name 13 to 12.

But unlike the letters in my name, those letters in my credentials don't spell anything, leaving many people - outside and sometimes even inside the field of nursing - scratching their heads. What do they mean? And why are they important to note? Many people compare them to letters floating around in a bowl of alphabet soup.

But that is not true.

Those letters are important - they state who we are as nursing professionals by conveying our degrees, licensures, certifications, awards and honors. According to the (Continued)

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