As of right now, I am planning to attain my registered nurse license by examination in Massachusetts which is not a compact state. For the state of Massachusetts, you must apply online on the mass.gov website. With the application, it is required that you submit your official transcripts that come directly from the school in a sealed envelope. You must also submit a color 2×2 photo of yourself similar to a passport photo. I am planning to obtain my license in Massachusetts and then transfer it to Maine as I do not currently have residence in Maine. For Massachusetts as far as impairment, there is a “duty to report” any suspected or known impairment of nurses under the section of the guideline for compliance with the standard of conduct in Massachusetts. It is part of the nurse’s duty to inform the board of nursing if there is any suspected impairment from chemical substances, behavioral etc. This is to protect not only the other coworkers but more importantly, the patients that nurse is caring for.

After having the presentation from the attorney general’s office and the medical professional’s health program, it honestly made me nervous to begin working as a nurse. I felt disgusted by the amount of abuse and neglect I heard about in those presentations and thought how someone could become a nurse if they are going to treat other human beings in such a way. I felt nervous because I always hear about how short staffed, over-worked, exhausted and burnt-out nurses are from the job and now I feel that I not only have to worry about my patients and being able to care for them, but also worrying about protecting myself and my license in every way possible. In order to protect myself I have learned to always double check anything that is given or done to the patients, ask questions if you are unsure, use highly detailed documentation, get insurance and report anything you notice that is out of the ordinary as you could be saving someone’s life.