JP Lipe responds:

Licensed practical nurse. Two year course. Registered nurse: I think
currently
a 4 year course, used to be 3

Not necessarily. SWMBO is a surgical nurse, and got her RN with two years in
college. The frightening thing she told me is that to get one's nursing
license, one only has to score 50 % on the licensing exam.

Ouch. Watched 60 Minutes last night and that was scary enough. OK. My mother
was an RN, but she started in, IIRC, 1931, maybe 1930, with 3 years at Yonkers
General Hospital as a training field. Got a granddaughter who is an LPN, 2 year
course. My mother was in NY, Kathy in VA, but both seem to have fairly
stringent licensing standards. Mom retired, many years ago now, as acting
adminstrator (would not title her "administrator" because she lacked a BS). She
was also nursing services director and a major motivator of the campaign to
build a new hospital, helping collect an awful lot of money in a few years. The
hospital board's gratitude extended so far that they didn't cancel her health
coverage over and above Medicare for the first year she was retired.

The blessings of Westchester County and environs.

Long time ago now.
Charlie Self
"It is not strange... to mistake change for progress." Millard Fillmore