At my boiling point...you are NOT a Nurse...of ANY kind!!!!

[nursehunnie]

Ok folks, I'm just about ready to lose it and I know it's a little silly..or it may seem petty...but just take my feelings into consideration.

I am SICK to DEATH of SOME Medical Assistants, CNAs, and Respiratory Therapists (etc.) calling themselves NURSES, or allowing themselves to be called nurses...or saying that they are getting their "RN". Are you KIDDING ME?

Before I start, let me begin by saying that I respect ALL health care workers and think you should be proud of what you are doing, going to school for, and what your title is. However, I have LOW tolerance for people who break the law and throw around a professional title/license. It's beyond ignorant and I'm wondering how it can be stopped.

I would NEVER in a million years, call myself a Doctor...or a Nurse Practitioner..because I am NOT one. I did NOT go to school for it. I am a Registered Nurse and PROUD of it. If anyone calls me Doctor, or ANYTHING else, I quickly correct them with a sweet smile on my face.

Examples of what I have heard/seen/witnessed/etc.:

" Can I speak to the nurse?" Medical Assistant" Speaking, How can I help you?"

" So excited for my first day of school, we did injections!" says the medical assisting student..friend asks "OH, nursing program?!"...medical assistant student says "Yep, sure is!".

"Nurse Sarah, when do you finish school?". Sarah says, "In 2 months"...Sarah is in a RESPIRATORY therapy program.

My friend says to me," I went to school to become a nurse and finished, but I decided I prefer Social Work." I ask, "Really, so you're a nurse, where did you go?" Friend replies "Yes, CNA Tech Institute".(fake name) Uhm, that's a well known 6 month CNA school. SERIOUSLY?

"I actually teach the nurses on my unit everything. I know more than them and have more experience.", says the Medical Assistant after I ask them why they are referring to themselves as "Nurse".

I can't even go on to tell you how much more I have witnessed. MANY of this is coming from my friends. I'm going to be REALLY honest with you guys. I am just heated. I worked my BOTTOM off in nursing school. I applied to a program with 600 applicants in line (which is STANDARD) and was accepted into ONE of 20 seats. I killed myself not to be flunked out and passed with an average 3.5 GPA. It was four years of GRUELING work and I feel I have earned the right to refer to myself as a Registered Nurse. I'm very proud of it.

I feel like other health care workers are SERIOUSLY making a JOKE of the nursing field throwing around the title as though we are a dime a dozen. Why can't they be proud of what they do? EACH of those fields is JUST fine..but WHY are you breaking the law and calling yourself a Nurse?

Can you imagine what would happen if I called myself a Doctor? Sorry, but that's ignorant and pathetic. I would NEVER do it. If this thread offends you, then please don't reply. It shouldn't be offensive unless you are one of the few health care workers who live a lie and call yourself a nurse.

How do we address this and stop this? Medical Assistants are the BIGGEST group I have witnessed this by. I have a LOT of respect for them and envy their position. They ENJOY their jobs...but why do SOME (not ALL), throw MY nursing license value around like that by claiming they are a nurse?

What do you do when it's a friend doing this?

What do you do when it's a health care coworker?

I already know what I would do if I was going to a Doctor's office and they did this. That's easy. It's the friend part that is hard. I KNOW it's silly to be upset..but I have never seen so much ignorance. Why did I work hard if someone else can call themselves a nurse and only went to school for 6 months? What did I work for? Other than the obvious paycheck and passion?! ha :)

[Business Manager]

I agree one hundred and one percent. I am not a nurse but I have worked with BSNs, RNs and LPNs for many many years. I can not believe all these people that are calling themselves nurses. Because of my experience and my nursing friends(even helping some thru finals), I know more than a lot of the people that I have seen in Drs. office calling themselves nurses(but I would never ever tell someone I am a nurse). Recently I heard a patient ask a tech her credentials. She said CNA. He ask what is that and she said just like a nurse. Are you kidding???? For years I have made sure that nurses have the correct credentials.....a tech or CNA does not have the credentials of Registered and Licensed Nurses. Techs and CNAs provide their service also but should not ever say they are a nurse or let others believe they are. I have a Bachelor's degree in business and some people have looked down on me because I am not a nurse. That was not my calling but I know what it is like to have someone ignore what I worked hard for and I believe that if you are a nurse stand up, as I do, and take a change to make sure that Real Nurses are in all clinics all over the U.S.

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

I was a cna before becoming an LPN but never referred to myself as a nurse. Personally it does not bother me when someone refers to them self as a nurse even if they are not. I would obviously object if they were misleading patients and attempting to practice outside of their scope.

Working in a ltc facility, sometimes it is much easier to tell the resident their nurse will be with them then trying to explain nursing assistant, helper, care assistant. They will just keep saying "huh,who?" So most employees just say nurse to the residents. It doesn't take away from what I do as a nurse.

Except that is actually illegal to represent yourself as a nurse if you are not in fact a nurse.

Hppy

[Parakeet]

Interesting discussion. I got my CNA before I started nursing school and found out that they are worlds apart. I think it is truly a matter of people not knowing what earning the title of "Nurse" really means.

All members of the healthcare team are important - it is what makes a team. But for people to claim a title not their own, to say that everyone is basically the same - it smacks of communism or socialism to me!

About distinguishing between personnel, I will just wear my cap to my work, provided I graduate. Now just to convince people I know that an LPN is still a nurse......

[RNmother65]

Dont ask, just do it.

[dianah, ASN]

Thank you to all members for posting politely to the subject of the thread only, and refraining from personal attacks and off-topic remarks that serve to derail the thread.

[IsabelK]

I understand how all of you feel. Now you all understand how doctors feel when nurse practitioners and physician assistants lead patients to believe that they are the doctors. I took my kids to see their pediatrician, and several times, they were seen by nurse practitioner. I know that she's a NP but other patients called her "doctor" and she never corrected them.

The same for 2 physician assistants I worked with. I think it's their responsibility to represent themselves as who they are. If patients address them incorrectly as "doctor", then they should let patients aware.

I do introduce myself a lot of times as "Dr. K." That's ok as long as I then say, "I am not a medical doctor/physician/doctor of osteopathy. I am a nurse practitioner with a doctorate in nursing practice." I've earned the title "Doctor". I have not earned the title "physician" or "medical doctor" or "doctor of osteopathy."

Usually, though, I go on to say, "You can call me Isabel". In rare cases I don't give people that option and tell them my name is "Dr. K."

I have a number of patients who call me "Dr. Iz" or "Dr. Nurse". I'm ok with that, too.

[jennifer_gail]

I work HH so the majority of my patients think that anyone who enters their home is a nurse (CNA, Therapy, MSW). However, the issue I have a problem with is the CNA/HHA giving medical advice. For example, I have a pt who has an aide 2x weekly for personal hygiene. Recently, I was setting up said pt pill box for the next week when they said "Oh no, don't put that pill (furosemide) into the box, my nurse that helps me with my bath told me not to take that anymore because every time I do I pee in my diaper". Huh??

On a side note, yes I reported it and yes she was duly reprimanded.

[Joanie49]

I agree with your post 100% It is very frustrating! I am a graduate nurse whom has not taken their NCLEX yet and I saw this A LOT with friends and others in clinical and on social media. I always politely correct them because I have busted my butt though nursing school and I STILL can't even call myself a RN; there is no way I am going to stand by while somebody who has never even been in nursing school refers to themselves as a RN

[Katie_7.10]

Wow! Some people on this post are not very nice. As a CNA I have been put in the RN shoes A LOT. And not because I WANT to be. I have had people (patients/Doctors alike) refer to me as a nurse. With most people I'm quick to correct this situation because I LOVE my job and I am fully aware of my scope of practice. I don't want to be called an RN, with that title also comes expectation and responsibility. BUT I have had patients come in that are elderly and can't always remember my title so for them nurse is easier and sometimes (especially if I'm VERY busy) will not take the time to correct them and re-explain. When I am called Nurse by a patient I DO ask what they need and if what they need IS within my scope I WILL do it. I'm glad you all wear your title proudly as do I. The problem isn't always the MAs or NAs a lot of times it's the patients that simply don't understand! If I grabbed a nurse every time a patient said nurse they would be doing MY job. People don't understand when they NEED a nurse VS. when they just need an assistant. As long as people stay in their SCOPE there is NOTHING wrong with finding out what a person needs and doing it or getting a nurse. I'm not saying introducing yourself under a false title is ever OK. But if someone calls you a nurse and needs to speak to you there is nothing wrong with finding out what they need !

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

If I grabbed a nurse every time a patient said nurse they would be doing MY job. People don't understand when they NEED a nurse VS. when they just need an assistant. As long as people stay in their SCOPE there is NOTHING wrong with finding out what a person needs and doing it or getting a nurse.

Here's how I used to handle that as a CNA: "I'm the nursing assistant, but what is it you need? I'll help you if I can, and if not I will tell the nurse." If they wanted repositioning I did it; if they needed pain meds I told the nurse. Easy peasy.

[sallyrnrrt, ADN, RN]

Thorn in my side

[IsabelK]

In NYS there are uncertified nursing assistants who can be called any number of things such as PCT (patient care tech), PCA (patient care assistant), NA (nursing assistant), etc. Home health aids are HHAs.

CNAs (certified nursing assistants) are certified by the state after a 100 hour class, a written exam, and a hands on exam. They are not licensed.

Only LPNs and RNs are allowed to use "nurse" as a title in NYS. It is illegal to represent oneself as nurse if one is not licensed.

When I was a nursing assistant (both uncertified and certified) people would mistake me for a nurse. I would just say, "I will get you the nurse. I am your nursing assistant".

I went into a PCPs office once where an MA introduced herself as the nurse. I kicked her out of the room and complained to the MD. She wasn't there the next time I went in.