Understanding licensure as a
registered nurse
As a new registered nurse, you
are to be commended because you have worked hard to attain your
professional nursing education, skills and certification. Kudos!
Reaching these goals is the beginning of your future career path. As a registered nurse, you must keep
your nursing license up-to-date, if you wish to continue to be employed, as a
registered nurse.
These tips for keeping up-to-date
with your nurse license may prove to be of value to you.
You need to understand what a
nursing license is. A prospective nursing student may not know what is involved
with licensure as a registered nurse and how important maintaining a nursing
license after graduation, is to a registered nurse.
What is the source of the
title, registered nurse on a nurse's license?
"A nurse registry, nursing registry, or register of
nurses is a list of nurses who are legally licensed to practice nursing. The
register is maintained by the licensing body designated by law to regulate the
profession. This is the source of the legal title "Registered Nurse".
Usually each nurse is issued a unique identification or license number."
(1)
What is licensure?
"Licensure refers to the granting of a license, which gives 'permission to practice'. Such licenses are usually issued in order to regulate some activity that is deemed to be dangerous or a threat to the person or the public or which involves a high level of specialized skill." (2)
How is nurse licensure obtained?
Licensure for registered nurses is granted through a professional nurses' association. This is defined as "a group of people in a learned occupation who are entrusted with maintaining control or oversight of the legitimate practice of the occupation." (3)
What are the roles and
responsibilities of a professional nursing association?
Regardless of the country where
licensure is obtained by registered nurses, the nursing association has a
number of responsibilities, which include the following:
As a professional association,
the nursing association safeguards or protect the public, from those who might otherwise claim to
be registered nurses and seek employment, as such. They function in the capacity
of serving the interests of registered nurses. They have a privileged and
powerful, controlling position that must be maintained and protected and thus,
one aspect of their role becomes that of acting on behalf of the association
itself. They maintain and enforce
standards of training and ethics for registered nurses, thus, protecting the
public. They may function in the capacity of a union for registered nurses and
bar unqualified registered nurses from professional association privileges. (4)
Keeping up-to-date with your
nursing license, means that you have an obligation to stay current with your
nurse education and skills. There are many ways that you can do that.
Depending upon your initial
training as a registered nurse, you may choose to upgrade your nursing
education, by obtaining higher education. You could choose to enroll in a more
advanced college or university, nursing degree program. For example, if you have
obtained a bachelor of science in nursing degree, you may be eligible to
proceed to a master's or doctoral level of training in nursing. You may have
the option of enrolling in other, health care related programs. On a doctoral
level, this might involve a residency.
You might prefer to enter a
specialized field of nursing like cardiology, emergency, palliative care,
intensive care, surgery or school nursing and take appropriate certificate courses. While
numerous certificate courses are offered globally, it is important to
make certain that the nursing programs you take will be recognized.
Doing online research with
respect to continuing nursing education programs that are available, is an
excellent way to begin your upgrading in nursing. Make certain that you retain
a record of each course that you complete, as well as any nursing certificates
that you receive for these courses. (You can add these to your resume.)
Self-taught learning is an
important aspect of nursing, regardless of where you live, study or work. You
can do this in terms of Internet research into medical conditions, different
kinds of treatments and procedures, drug studies, nursing care or development
of nursing care plans. You can read nursing journals and articles, as well as
nursing textbooks. It is a good idea to subscribe to professional
nursing and medical magazines. Seek study directives through your local
professional nursing organization.
In Ontario , Canada
Countries other
than the one in which you train, may have different criteria for initial
licensure, as well as for maintaining a license to work as a registered nurse.
For instance, if you are a new graduate, licensed to practice as a registered
nurse in one country and you choose to work in another country, make inquiries
into the requirements for licensure there, as well as with respect to any
ongoing licensing requirements for that country. Be aware that in some
countries, more advanced courses may be needed.
For those who are employed in
hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities, upgrading with
designated courses may be a requirement of employment. It may be possible
to upgrade through conferences or workshops offered by or held at these
institutions.
It is important to be aware of any changes taking place in
nursing as a profession with respect to new legislation, standards of practice
and regulations. This information can be obtained through your professional
nursing organization. Individual institutions offer pertinent information with
regard to their procedure and policy changes in seminars or workshops. Various
community nursing agencies and health care organizations host a wide variety of
ongoing educational programs for registered nurses. So do drug companies and
medical supply companies.
Keeping your license up-to-date (maintaining licensure to practice nursing) on
an annual basis is the responsibility of each registered nurse. The onus is on
you to obtain your license, as well as to maintain an appropriate level of
professional academic training and nursing skills, so that you may be employed
in the nursing profession.
While nursing is a highly demanding career, it is invariably worth the effort required to stay active as a registered nurse. Make a point of keeping your nurse's license current, as re-instatement is inconvenient and may prove costly, particularly when it requires academic upgrades or more advanced training.
Be open to current
changes in the nursing profession, as well as ready and willing to take
advantage of new educational opportunities that are offered in the health care
field. You will be glad that you did!
(4) Ibid.
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