Legally Protect the word "Nurse?"

[applesxoranges]

Should the word "nurse" be a legally protected title? I am mixed on it. Personally, the word nurse is vague and could mean many different things. It could mean an LPN and it could mean an RN. It does not signify a credential. However, a lot of people assume nurse = RN.

It is kind of like a "doctor" in my opinion. A doctor could be a doctor of anything whereas it is illegal to say you are an MD or DO without being an MD or a DO.

My state does not currently regulate the use of the word nurse. Hence why we have graduate nurse interns or nurse techs (which are PCTs/CNAs).

So what are your thoughts on the issue?

[BeachsideRN, ASN]

Definitely should be protected. I actually think the nursing professional organizations should maybe do some community outreach/marketing better defining the different roles for the alphabet soup involved in nursing. Even as someone who has worked with clinicians for several years I am still confused by many things specific to nursing. I have been researching the scope of practice for APRNs vs NPs and my head is spinning. And when I started looking at nursing programs I was confused as to whether a BSN was the equivalent to have a BS (non nursing) and an ADN. The nursing field has expanded rather rapidly and the scope of practices have been ill defined to the public, in my opinion.

Also, I loathe when people identify themselves as a profession they are not. For instance, my cousin's friend is a PTA and she ALWAYS calls herself a PT in social settings, drives me up a wall! It's inappropriate, unprofessional and makes her look incredible.

[elijahvegas, ASN, RN, EMT-P]

there was a parallel thread almost identical to this one going on that got shut down earlier today because it got out of hand haha

[TiffyRN, BSN, PhD]

I'm all for "protecting" the title nurse. Problem is, I can't really find solid information on what the penalties are for calling oneself a nurse if one doesn't hold a license. I don't mean taking a job as an RN or LPN, the penalties for that seem clear (at least in my State that regularly publishes pictures of nurse impostors). I mean, is any State's attorney out there filing charges on office personnel that answer the phone when someone asks for a nurse? I'm not being difficult, it's a real question. Does anyone out there know of any non-nurse who has been criminally charged for verbally stating they are a nurse?

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

If you look at the links provides each state has it listed. As far as criminal prosecution it depends on the state and what the charge is...fraud, misdemeanor, felony.

Title "Nurse" Protection

[NightNurseRN13]

If I knew I could become a nurse just by simply saying I'm one I wouldn't have put thousands of dollars towards an education, hundreds of hours "working" in clinical for free, writing papers etc. Wow, who knew it was so simple!

/end sarcasm

YES! It needs to be protected. When people ask me what I do I say I am a Registered Nurse, I worked hard for that title and for someone to just use it so freely when they haven't earned it is ignorant.

[Asystole RN]

I'm all for "protecting" the title nurse. Problem is, I can't really find solid information on what the penalties are for calling oneself a nurse if one doesn't hold a license. I don't mean taking a job as an RN or LPN, the penalties for that seem clear (at least in my State that regularly publishes pictures of nurse impostors). I mean, is any State's attorney out there filing charges on office personnel that answer the phone when someone asks for a nurse? I'm not being difficult, it's a real question. Does anyone out there know of any non-nurse who has been criminally charged for verbally stating they are a nurse?

In Arizona it is a class 6 undesiginated felony. Imposters are caught, prosecuted, fined, and jailed all the time.

http://www.azag.gov/press-release/nurse-imposter-sentenced

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

It definitely should be a protected term. LVN and RN are both nurses, but I am old enough to remember people who claimed to be Dr. X's "nurse" when they had no license whatsoever. THe title implies professional standing with the State and that the public is protected by the requirements for licensure by that State.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

I actually changed PCPs a few years ago because the office staff kept referring to themselves as "nurses" when clearly they weren't. The first time this happened, I asked, "Oh, where did you go to school?"

She named a community college nearby.

"RN or LPN?" At this point, she admitted that she was "just like a nurse."

"No," I told her. "You are not. And furthermore, it is against the law to represent yourself as a nurse when you clearly are not."

She got all huffy and marched off. Another MA came into the room to take my vital signs and a similar conversation -- with a touch more huffiness ensured. This time, I told her, "I'm going to inform Dr. Smith that you are falsely -- and illegally -- misrepresenting yourself as a nurse." And when I did, Dr. Smith just laughed and said "They all do that." That was the last time I saw Dr. Smith.

[sharpeimom]

Our next door neighbors have three adorable little boys. They became citizens about two years ago. When she was about eight and a half months pregnant, she asked me how to find a "wet NURSE." She had already hired a nanny for when the baby was about three months old.

There's the nurse word again. I tried my very best to explain to her that the word "nurse" meant something entirely different here and that woman either breastfed their babies and children or bottle fed them in America. She just looked at me as though I had three heads. I set up an appointment with a lactation consultant friend for her who was a registered nurse. She had more luck that I (a mere neighbor and retired nurse) did explaining why "nurse" means something else entirely in the USA.

Something that I've wondered about is what my two great aunts who were nurses in wars would think of the nurses role now. One was a nurse in both world wars and the other in WWII and in the Korean Conflict. I'm sure they would both have had very strong opinions about unauthorized personnel calling themselves "nurses."

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

In Arizona it is a class 6 undesiginated felony. Imposters are caught, prosecuted, fined, and jailed all the time.

http://www.azag.gov/press-release/nurse-imposter-sentenced

Holy moly, I wonder what that woman did to those poor patients! Would love to know how she gained the knowledge to fake her way through the job.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

I wonder if this is a regional thing? I hear (and have used the verb) "nursing a baby" applied to breastfeeding all the time. But it's kind of like so many words in the English language that has several meanings; in context, nobody that I know if hearing a woman say "I'm nursing my baby" believes her to be saying that she is an RN or an LPN. Of course, if a woman hired to breastfeed an employer's baby is representing herself as an actual nurse, that would be a different story.

Side note, your aunts' service is incredible. I'm sure they didn't stand for any foolishness, and I'd love to hear what they would have said about this issue!

she asked me how to find a "wet NURSE." ........

There's the nurse word again. I tried my very best to explain to her that the word "nurse" meant something entirely different here and that woman either breastfed their babies and children or bottle fed them in America.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

Holy moly, I wonder what that woman did to those poor patients! Would love to know how she gained the knowledge to fake her way through the job.

No kidding! Dialysis no less... I am an actual registered nurse and don't think I could fake being a dialysis nurse.