[Sharon]

The study of Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Practical Nursing students explored how education constructs intraprofessional relations. The findings of the study revealed that the two education programs rarely discuss how to work with each other as there is generally segregated education. This often leads to role confusion and the students degenerating to describing each other’s roles negatively. Little education is provided to assist students to learn nurse-to-nurse collaboration. Thinking about the article that you read last week, what implications on communication can occur in practice when students are educated in segregated programs?

[Alexandra]

The separation of the two programs create an environment right from the beginning of a nurses career that there is a hierarchy in the RN versus RPN roles and they are not taught to effectively communicate effectively as a team. It also creates confusion as to what the role of an RPN versus an RN is and the parameters in which they overlap in ability as well as what delegations/tasks that need to be dispersed to the correct nurse based on the training, confidence level, patient care needs, and critical condition of the patients they care for is. It makes for an already confusing start to the nursing career when there is no collaboration when they are training and then expected to do it when they are in the working field.

[Sadie]

When nursing students are educated in separate programs, I think it can create assumptions about each other’s roles and knowledge before they even enter practice.

In my RN program, I honestly did not learn much about what RPNs were taught. I knew the RPN program was shorter than the RN program, so I understood there were differences in depth and breadth of education. However, I did not really understand what those differences were, or where the roles overlapped. Looking back, there were many opportunities where this could have been addressed. For example, we had courses focused on professional growth and the nursing profession, but they focused on just the RN role.

I think this can affect communication in practice because nurses may rely on assumptions instead of a clear understanding of each other’s education, competence, and scope. It can also make it harder to recognize when workplace practices are based on tradition rather than what each nurse is actually educated, competent, and authorized to do.

[Author]

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