Fake Nurses

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I was watching the David Letterman show and actress Minka Kelly stated that she was a scrub nurse. I'm like yeah, go girl. Then I look it up on the Internet then combine her statement that a scrub nurse told her it takes one year to be certified and I come to the conclusion that she was actually a scrub tech!!!!***. Awhile back my 7 year old nephew tells me his mom is a nurse like me!!! I said, "no sugar, she's a nursing assistant". My brother was convinced that his wife was an RN. So when his wife came home I asked her. With my line of questioning she had to admit she was lying and was actually a nursing assistant. Come on man, why lie? I worked hard for my degree so I hate when people go around and lie on my profession. You're an aide, what's wrong with that? I used to be an aide. I was unsatisfied so I continued my education and became an official nurse. If you're unhappy, do the same.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.
Like a nurse does not equate to being a nurse. People should not lie to their children, because it teaches children that its ok to lie.

Funny story to illustrate the reasons why prudent parents "lie" to their kids. (At least, it's funny now.)

I went to a concert, drank a little (ok a lot) too much, and walked into the house with my kids still up way past their bedtime, and RAN for the bathroom. Um, I think my husband lying to the kids about mommy having eaten something to make her sick was much better than telling them, "Hey, your mom is three sheets to the wind. Go to bed while I hold her head over the porcelain throne."

As another poster alluded, the lie of Santa, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny often make childhood a little bit brighter, don't you think?

Funny story to illustrate the reasons why prudent parents "lie" to their kids. (At least, it's funny now.)

I went to a concert, drank a little (ok a lot) too much, and walked into the house with my kids still up way past their bedtime, and RAN for the bathroom. Um, I think my husband lying to the kids about mommy having eaten something to make her sick was much better than telling them, "Hey, your mom is three sheets to the wind. Go to bed while I hold her head over the porcelain throne."

As another poster alluded, the lie of Santa, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny often make childhood a little bit brighter, don't you think?

With those, absolutely....

I'm looking down the road (and 7 isn't a baby:))....what do parents do to correct the lie when he/she is told that mom or dad has been hiding their real occupation? What if the kid wants to be a CNA, and really likes it, but has the idea that it's not good enough, since he/she had been told the parent was doing something with more education? :)

I just don't see what's wrong with someone being a CNA- if they're good at it, they're irreplaceable. Maybe that's the point- hide the truth about the quality of mom's work in general??? IDK. Just never seems to come out well when someone has to explain that some long-believed lie is just that.

Liars, cheats, and thieves- all on the same page in my book, and any co-worker who's had an opinion.

Flame away....(not specifically you, dudette, unless the urge is there :D).

:chair:

And not wanting the kids to know why mom was sick isn't quite the same as an entire career :)

I think anybody posing as something they are not is BS!. It has nothing to do with thinking too much of what you do, or feeling that you're better than someone else, it's about principle. If you ever get into trouble, do you want a paralegal or do you want a lawyer?? A CNA maybe be the best darn CNA ever, but he/she is NOT a nurse for the same reasons a nurse is NOT a doctor. The level of training and the scope of practice is completely different. There's a reason the boards made them separate licenses, because they are NOT the same. Its sad that there are real nurses who don't see anything wrong with somebody else playing pretend

I couldn't have put that any better

Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.
I'm looking down the road (and 7 isn't a baby:))....what do parents do to correct the lie when he/she is told that mom or dad has been hiding their real occupation? What if the kid wants to be a CNA, and really likes it, but has the idea that it's not good enough, since he/she had been told the parent was doing something with more education? :)

The poster to whom I was responding was talking in absolutes. "Parents shouldn't lie to their kids." I was just giving an example of why and when we lie.

Your example is a little more murky with a lot of "well, if...", but something tells me that the kid will be all right and not forever scarred by thinking that his mom is a nurse right now.

Specializes in Float Pool-Med-Surg, Telemetry, IMCU.

No one will ever make me wear a cap. Ever. :no:

Specializes in Medical.

I get why so many people think it's okay for the child to be mislead/uncorrected/confused - I don't agree but I understand. The fact that her husband also thought she was registered, though, is a pretty clear indicator that this misrepresentation is deliberately deceitful - an adult is perfectly capable of understndng the difference.

I work with a few enrolled nurses (the LVN/LPNs of Australia) - the four year old neice of one of them knows there's a difference between what we do. Not the details, but she knows I studied longer and can do extra things, and that her aunt plans to go back to school one day so she can be an RN, too. Did I mention that she's four?

Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.
I get why so many people think it's okay for the child to be mislead/uncorrected/confused - I don't agree but I understand. The fact that her husband also thought she was registered, though, is a pretty clear indicator that this misrepresentation is deliberately deceitful - an adult is perfectly capable of understndng the difference.

OR it could also be that Nursing is so fragmented. I cant tell you how many times I have had to explain the difference to my mom between an ARNP, RN, LPN, CNA, CMA, CRNA, etc etc. Sometimes its easier to just say nurse. Im not syaing its right for aides to call themselves nurses, but could just be to shut people up.

I get why so many people think it's okay for the child to be mislead/uncorrected/confused - I don't agree but I understand. The fact that her husband also thought she was registered, though, is a pretty clear indicator that this misrepresentation is deliberately deceitful - an adult is perfectly capable of understndng the difference.

I work with a few enrolled nurses (the LVN/LPNs of Australia) - the four year old neice of one of them knows there's a difference between what we do. Not the details, but she knows I studied longer and can do extra things, and that her aunt plans to go back to school one day so she can be an RN, too. Did I mention that she's four?

Exactly...it wasn't something just for the kid's "sake"....big difference. :)

Why should that matter to you!! You are living in your truth, lies catch up to people. I would continue focusing on yourself instead of worrying about what others are doing. Also, maybe that little boy didn't know the difference between the RN and assistants.

Specializes in LTC.
Being a new graduate & still working on getting that first job, I haven't really run into this yet, but I think it's great how some facilities like my last clinical site had designated colors for each type of professional: RN, aides, RT, etc. To find a nurse, you just had to look for someone all in white.

Ewwww--all white?? Bummer.

Specializes in ED, Telemetry,Hospice, ICU, Supervisor.
Why should that matter to you!! You are living in your truth, lies catch up to people. I would continue focusing on yourself instead of worrying about what others are doing. Also, maybe that little boy didn't know the difference between the RN and assistants.

The original poster also said that the husband was also convinced that his wife was also a nurse. This implies that she was lying to her husband as well and not just her son. I am pretty sure that adults can comprehend the differences between an LVN/RN versus a CNA. The underlying question is why would the kid's mom misrepresent her self to her own husband or for that matter another adult in general.

It would not be unrealistic to assume that the kid's mom may be misrepresenting her self as a nurse in her work place. It would be very illegal for a CNA to be introducing herself as an LVN/RN to patients. There is nothing wrong with CNAs I have had some great ones working with me. Instead of saying I am a Nurse, just tell people what your actual license is. If they don't understand then educate them takes about 2 minutes to tell them what makes a CNA different form an LVN/RN.

I think it is a felony to claim one is a nurse when it is not true. A Nurse is an LPN/LVN or an RN. If I say I am a physcian, I know that is a felony.

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