Nurses are an important part of the healthcare environment, providing care in a number of ways for up to 24 hours a day 7 days a week in many different settings. The following information is a very basic description of who provides nursing care and at what level that care is provided.

There are only three types of nurses specifically educated and trained to provide nursing care. They are classified under the title "nurse" as follows: Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Registered Nurse (RN) and Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP) which includes Nurse Practitioner (NP), Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM), Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) and, though not recognized in Florida, but in many other states, Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS).

In the State of Florida the title "nurse" is protected and cannot be used by individuals other than those previously identified.

Home Health Aide (HHA) and Nursing Assistant (NA) / Patient Care Tech (PCT) are trained to assist the nurse in providing assistance with nursing care, but are not nurses.

More information regarding each career is available on the Florida Health Careers website.

*Please use the links above for a more detailed description of each job title.

At this time subscription is not mandatory for healthcare professionals. The fee for nurses to subscribe is $35 per biennial licensing period. More information about the CE Broker System is available on the Florida Department of Health web site at: http://www.doh.state.fl.us/Mqa/Publications/cebroker.htm

• Florida Health Careers: http://www.flahec.org/hlthcareers
• Johnson & Johnson's website: http://www.discovernursing.com
• Nurses For a Healthier Tomorrow: http://www.nursesource.org
• Florida Nurses Association : http://www.floridanurse.org/career.asp

All questions regarding licensure should be directed to the Florida Board of Nursing. Their website is http://www.doh.state.fl.us/Mqa/nursing/nur_lic_req.html#Registered

Information specific to applying for licensure from outside the United States is available at: http://www.doh.state.fl.us/Mqa/nursing/nur_foreign.html

Questions regarding CNA certification should be directed to the Florida Certified Nursing Assistant Registry. Their website is: http://www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa/cna

A list of Frequently asked Questions from the Florida Certified Nursing Assistant Registry.

Listed below are organizations that offer refresher courses:

• Broward Community College: http://www.broward.edu/locations/chse/conted/nuref/index.jsp
• IEA Health Systems: http://www.cmiregistration.com
• Miami-Dade Community College: http://www3.mdcc.edu
• Seminole Community College: http://www.scc-fl.edu
• Capscare Academy for Health Care Education, Inc: http://www.capscare-ed.com

The Bert Rogers Schools offer refresher courses online. Unfortunately they do not offer a clinical component. You may consider contacting hospitals in you areas to see if they have preceptor programs (such as those offered for new graduates): http://bertrogers.com

You may also want to contact nursing schools in your area to see if they offer refresher courses.

There are several opportunities in Florida for scholarships, grants, and loans for student nurses and nurses desiring to further their education.

• The Florida Nursing EdLoan Program offers low-cost student loans. This program is available to nurses seeking higher academic credentials as well as persons entering into the profession. Information regarding this program can be obtained by visiting the website at http://www.edamerica.net/flnurse .

• The purpose of the Nursing Student Loan Forgiveness Program is to encourage qualified personnel to seek employment in areas of Florida where critical nursing shortages exist. Information regarding this program is available at http://www.doh.state.fl.us/PHNursing/NLF/NSLFP.html.

Additional national scholarship and loan information is available on the financial aid page of the Bureau of Health Professions web site at: http://www.bhpr.hrsa.gov/nursing/aid.htm

More loan and scholarship information is available on our Internet Resources page under "Loans, Scholarships & Grants".

The state of Florida offers a program "HealthCare Worker+, a flexible mortgage program for nurses and other healthcare workers in Florida. You may call 1-800-732-6643 to request a packet of information regarding this program sponsored by Wachovia Bank.

The Nurse Practice Act may be found in Chapter 464 of the 2002 Florida statues. A link to the 2002 Florida Statutes is available in the Internet Resources section of the site under Florida Links, State Government, 2002 Florida Statutes.