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Advantages or disadvantages of becoming an EEN before becoming an RN

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Author Advantages or disadvantages of becoming an EEN before becoming an RN

Upcoming RN

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  • Joined: Dec 2010
  • Location:
  • Posts: 42

Thu Dec 16, 2010 4:12 pm

Hello to all,

I am currently doing my HSC and will graduate next year. A career in healthcare interests me - I have considered and researched medicine or physiotherapy but I keep coming back to nursing. So, what are the advantages or disadvantages of completing a Diploma of Enrolled Nursing or Advanced Diploma of Enrolled Nursing before going to university? Nursing appeals to me because I see it as a hands-on, patient-centred career that is highly technical. Complex areas like critical care (emergency, ICU), paediatrics and midwifery and peri-operative nursing are interesting and appealing.

One last question - how can I gain experience (either paid or unpaid) in nursing while I am still at school? My school won't provide insurance if I do a nursing work placement and I have asked about volunteering at hospitals but they have all said that you need to be 18 (I'm 17).

Thank you for your help.

ticklish

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  • Joined: Sep 2009
  • Location: North Brisbane
  • Posts: 38

Dec 17, 2010, 09:02 am

I went straight from high school into my bachelor's degree so i never took the EN route. I knew being an RN was all I wanted to do but I guess if you were still undecided if nursing was right for you then doing the diploma first might work out cheaper if you decide you dont want to do nursing. If you graduate from uni with your bachelors and are still interested in medicine you can sit the GAMSAT's which is an interview/exam for people with undergraduate degrees who want to get into medicine. Also if you graduate with your nursing degree with honours this will shortcut your way to a PhD.

If you are interested in areas like ICU or emergency you would have a better chance of getting employment as an RN then an EN. These areas do still hire EN's, and as the EN scope of practice continues to grow these nurses can have very fulfilling & complex careers in these areas. However they are still limited in their scope of practice as per the ANMC guidelines.

I personally work in a very complex & demanding cardiac surgical intensive care unit and only RN's are employed to look after patients. The unit does hire EN's but they do the restocking and cleaning of equipment with no patient interaction. Being an RN also opens you up to further careers such as managment, research, clinical & academics.

You seem to be quite passionate about nursing and I personally wouldnt waste time doing an EN course if you have dreams of being an RN and developing that career further.

Im not too certain about the experience while at school question. When you start studying it would be good to get some work as an assistant nurse in either a nursing home or hospital but generally you need to be finished your first year of nursing school to get those jobs. Why are you so eager to get experience so young? If its to see if nursing is the career for you then fair enough but if not then these experiences will be provided for you as part of your training.

Hope this helps abit!

Upcoming RN

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  • Joined: Dec 2010
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Dec 17, 2010, 03:07 pm

That information was very helpful, thanks!

I'm eager to get experience in nursing/aged care to see if nursing is the career for me, as you said. You talked about gaining experience while completing a BN. What sort of jobs are out there for student nurses - can they do pathology collecting or work at the blood bank? I would quite happily work in aged care, but I'd also like to see what else is out there.

Nurse Rosie

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  • Joined: Jan 2011
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  • Posts: 2

Jan 07, 2011, 10:19 am

Hi Upcoming RN,

This info is prob coming a bit late as you've prob decided which course you're going to do. I'm currently starting 3rd yr at uni and did my TENs in 2007. It really helps having EEN experience before doing uni as you aren't just trying to memorise everything at uni like other students without that hospital experience.

Things have changed a bit now though. I was paid to study and work when I did my TEN, but now I don't think they even pay you to work, so I would suggest if you really want to be a nurse to go straight to uni as working 35 weeks of the year shift work is too much to ask of someone.

I've seen on a few of the private hosp websites that they do do students for work experience. I'd start by ring the hosp first to get all the details.

As for working once you're in uni. I'm on casual pool which is really flexible with studies, but where I work they require uni students to have complete one yr of uni first before being able to go on cas pool. Each hosp is dif, it's prob best to ring to find out your options for doing this. There's also nursing home, but you will gain so much more experinece in a hospital that will put you ahead of your peers when it comes to pracs. They don't just throw you in the deep end completly at first. cas pool generally will give you a less hectic word first and see how you go.

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