Restoration of EN Certificate - QLD

Hi roz ! 14 year is a long time. Many things did change by this time. Did you contact Nursing Council ? You will possibly will need to do training for Endorsed Medication as now QLD EN are now EEN's. Now we EEN's also do S8. Best wishes and keep us informed how you are going.

Hi Roz,

I have not long completed the compestence assessment for the restoration of my certificate, I had not nursed since 1985 so sitting the fast track test was not really an option, I had to complete 4 modules which was run through the central qld tafe having now completed that I now want to do the medication endorsement, southbank tafe is going to run a bridging diploma for this.

Hi Whitehead and Debdora,
Thanks so much for replying to my letter. I have recently sat the Part A Challenge Test and I too just failed to pass the 80% mark. I have since found out that I can't do the medication course through tafe now and that I have to do the full diploma. I must say that I am feeling very disheartened by the whole thing now. I was told when I first enquired about going back to nursing that if I did not pass the exam that I could do the four external modules (at $900 each) and then the medication course and I would then be endorsed. I am almost 40 years old and am not in a financial position to put myself or my family through the long process of doing such a long course. I have been working as an AIN at a hospital near my home on a casual basis and have found that everything I did as an EN before has remained the same and I feel I could step back into that role very easily without much assistance. I know there are things that EN's are able to do now that we couldn't do then but I don't believe there is so much that the work I have done in the past should not be seen as skills that I have obtained and that I can be given even a small amount of credit for. I have constantly been told by everyone of the severe shortage of nurses in Qld and now I can honestly say, I am not surprised! I know that I can go through the process of applying for scholarships, etc but the timeframe of doing the full diploma seems completely unreasonable to me. I have had very good reports from the hospital I am working at on my work there and the nurse unit manager has told me that she would really like me to pursue my RN's course instead. I am so disheartedened by it all now that I am not sure what to do. I was very willing to get back into nursing and was feeling very positive about the whole thing but when I feel like I keep coming up against brick walls and will not even have any of my previous nursing experience accounted for, I feel quite offended. I really wish I could feel positive again but the thought of the financial pressure on my family and the amount of time it would take me to complete the course, I really don't feel any passion for returning to my nursing career - which makes me extremely sad. I wish you all the best of luck and I will let you know when I make a decision on what I am going to do. Thanks so much. Roz.

Hi Roz-sorry to heard you didn't have much luck with the challenge tests. They are very hard to study for since there is such a broad area to study. It makes me very angry to see another good EN has been lost...especially when every state is crying'nurse shortage'-they should be re-phraseing it to RN shortage as I know of quite a few EN's in similar positons to me-gone through the re-entry program and now can only get minimal if any work because they are not endorsed. It seems years of hand on experience does not account for anything anymore. Have you tried the "Re-think" nursing program-which I personally think should be only for RN's and EEN's as you still cant do endorsement in Qld. The program might be beficial to you as you can apply for up to $6000 to help with re-entry. I enquired about it for doing the endorsement(when it eventually come back in) but haven't even received a confirmation yet. But it is another avenue to look at. Perhaps you should just go striaght to RN course as you would probably be disappointed in working as an EN now(no offesne to EN's out there), but a lot has changed since I trained in 1986- I know back then EN's got to basically run the wards and now since returinng after 10 years I basically get to wash patients and change bedpans!!! I worked in A&E for 10years but am not allowed to work there now-only for RN's. I also worked in Maternity for 5years but ony for Midwives and RN's now. I am seriously considering going back to working in the medcial administration field and giving up this dream for good-the sad thing is I know I have so much to give and have years of experience.
Anyhow I wish you well and as the saying goes 'when one door shuts, another opens'-maybe thats whats in store for us :)