California bill blow to professional esteem
1
can present more hazards than a 15-minute delay and an x-ray. Hart cites the California Hospital Associ- ation’s study of 1965-1 970, which showed that 12% of foreign body claims were for needles. That sounds significant. I imagine since counts are more widely practiced today, recent statis- tics would show fewer claims for needles. With all due respect, if St Luke’s Hospital in Phoenix is having difficulty implementing nee- dle counts, perhaps they could ask neighbor- ing hospitals or AORN for assistance in apply- ing efficient counting techniques with a minimum of frustration. Betty D Durkin, RN, CNOR Glendale (Calif) Memorial Hospital Muriel Hart’s “Speak out” shone with good common sense. Needle counts, to my thinking, are an exam- ple of the end not justifying the means. Let’s stop distracting our attention from the field. Donna M Walker, RN Riddle Memorial Hospital Media. Pa California bill blow to professional esteem Concerning the article, “New California bill threat to nurses” (AORN Journal, May 1980, 1133), I have just had another defeating blow to my professional self-esteem. Although I am a registered nurse from a diploma school of nursing, I firmly believe in the baccalaureate as entry into nursing practice. Now after six years of hospital critical-care area nursing, I started school in June for my BS in nursing. To be a professional you must have a basic education from which to grow. Other pro- fessionals-lawyers, teachers,engineers,and even medical laboratory technologists-all start out in their jobs with this educational base. To upgrade the nursing profession, the nurse must also be intellectually educated. This provides a base for new ideas and infor- mation that will be learnedon the job during the training period. Otherwise nursing becomes a technician’s job with no insight, just a job of “following orders.” I am appalled at the consequences of the California Assembly Bill 2434. If nurses’ aides can become licensed vocational nurses (LVNs), and LVNs can become RNs with little additional education or work experience, then why is the California legislature bothering to “set the pace” of nursing education with man- datory continuing education? If aides can be- come RNs that easily, then it is logical to as- sume that the RNs (also with very little addi- tional education or work experience) will move up and become physicians. After all, there is also a shortage of physicians in some states. Patricia Price, RN Vidor, Tex Editor’s note: After the May Journal went to press, AB 2434 was withdrawn from consid- eration by its sponsor, California Assembly- man Carmen Perino. Nurses in the state fear the issue may resurface due to Gov Jerry Brown’s philosophy of “career mobility” and the nursing shortage. Apaches still consult native practitioners We read with interest the article in the May Journal about otitis media and how the chil- dren are preparedfor surgery. All of the staff in our Community Health Nursing Department read the article and had favorable comments. In my judgment, it is an outstanding article, done with sensitivity. Our Apache Community Health nurse did feel, however, that the statement on page 101 1 that not many people now use medicine men was not accurate. She feels, and I agree, that a good number of people still consult na- tive practitioners. Thank you for sending extra copies; I plan to include the article in our orientation folder. Virginia Jackson, RN Director of Community Health Nursing PHS Indian Hospital Whiteriver, Ariz The AORN Journal welcomes letters from its readers on subjects of interest to OR nurses. Letters should be typed and should include the writer’s name, full title, and address. The Journal reserves the right to edit all letters. 124 AORN Journal, July 1980, Vol32, No 1
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Transcript of California bill blow to professional esteem
can present more hazards than a 15-minute delay and an x-ray.
Hart cites the California Hospital Associ- ation’s study of 1965-1 970, which showed that 12% of foreign body claims were for needles. That sounds significant. I imagine since counts are more widely practiced today, recent statis- tics would show fewer claims for needles.
With all due respect, if St Luke’s Hospital in Phoenix is having difficulty implementing nee- dle counts, perhaps they could ask neighbor- ing hospitals or AORN for assistance in apply- ing efficient counting techniques with a minimum of frustration.
Betty D Durkin, RN, CNOR Glendale (Calif) Memorial Hospital
Muriel Hart’s “Speak out” shone with good common sense.
Needle counts, to my thinking, are an exam- ple of the end not justifying the means. Let’s stop distracting our attention from the field.
Donna M Walker, RN Riddle Memorial Hospital
Media. Pa
California bill blow to professional esteem Concerning the article, “New California bill threat to nurses” (AORN Journal, May 1980, 1133), I have just had another defeating blow to my professional self-esteem. Although I am a registered nurse from a diploma school of nursing, I firmly believe in the baccalaureate as entry into nursing practice. Now after six years of hospital critical-care area nursing, I started school in June for my BS in nursing.
To be a professional you must have a basic education from which to grow. Other pro- fessionals-lawyers, teachers, engineers, and even medical laboratory technologists-all start out in their jobs with this educational base. To upgrade the nursing profession, the nurse must also be intellectually educated. This provides a base for new ideas and infor- mation that will be learned on the job during the training period. Otherwise nursing becomes a technician’s job with no insight, just a job of “following orders.”
I am appalled at the consequences of the California Assembly Bill 2434. If nurses’ aides can become licensed vocational nurses
(LVNs), and LVNs can become RNs with little additional education or work experience, then why is the California legislature bothering to “set the pace” of nursing education with man- datory continuing education? If aides can be- come RNs that easily, then it is logical to as- sume that the RNs (also with very little addi- tional education or work experience) will move up and become physicians. After all, there is also a shortage of physicians in some states.
Patricia Price, RN Vidor, Tex
Editor’s note: After the May Journal went to press, AB 2434 was withdrawn from consid- eration by its sponsor, California Assembly- man Carmen Perino. Nurses in the state fear the issue may resurface due to Gov Jerry Brown’s philosophy of “career mobility” and the nursing shortage.
Apaches still consult native practitioners We read with interest the article in the May Journal about otitis media and how the chil- dren are prepared for surgery. All of the staff in our Community Health Nursing Department read the article and had favorable comments. In my judgment, it is an outstanding article, done with sensitivity.
Our Apache Community Health nurse did feel, however, that the statement on page 101 1 that not many people now use medicine men was not accurate. She feels, and I agree, that a good number of people still consult na- tive practitioners.
Thank you for sending extra copies; I plan to include the article in our orientation folder.
Virginia Jackson, RN Director of Community Health Nursing
PHS Indian Hospital Whiteriver, Ariz
The AORN Journal welcomes letters from its readers on subjects of interest to OR nurses. Letters should be typed and should include the writer’s name, full title, and address. The Journal reserves the right to edit all letters.
124 AORN Journal, July 1980, Vol32, No 1
