No longer a nurse?

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I posted a similar topic under Geriatrics/LTC in specialties - but I'd like to hear from more nurses their opinion so am posting just this part here. My facility has decided that all LPNs and RNs' will no longer be known as 'Nurses' but 'Care Coordinators,' in the spirit of culture change. It's thought that this will make our facility more 'homelike.' It makes me want to quit.

Please weigh in. I'd love to hear your thoughts. I'm so disgusted right now.

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

I do agree with you but not all of us work in hospital. Some work where skilled nursing services are billed per episode. So that begs the question: If we're all relegated into the same lump, stripped of our accomplishments and interchangeable at will... Insert X employee here... Then how will services be determined and billed. One poster referred to the state ordering Meds out of patient rooms. What would Medicare do if they found an RN washing floors, passing Meds, preparing lunch and then throwing in the laundry? Did the RN really provide 30 minutes direct skilled service? My wise crack was directed toward the higher ups who are constantly trying to stretch us out of our positions, roles and scope so we are constantly skirting what amounts to fraud.

I'm a nurse. I pick up after myself and my patient. If he is hungry, I will get him a snack or order from the kitchen. If he is cold I will get a clean blanket from the closet. If he pees on the floor I will clean it. If he is bored i will change his tv chanel. But I will not replace housekeeping, laundry, dietary, activities, (sigh) and all other services because my employer is too cheap to pay them.

Agreed :yes:

There is a HUGE fallacy that our hrs are NOT billable as nurses, when nursing hours are a part of a hospital budget; they are separate from "ancillary"; these CEOs are most definitely skirting the line of fraud when they are attempting to stretch the lines for the greater good of the "bottom line" :yes:

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Specializes in Rehab, LTC, Peds, Hospice.

Thank you for all your replies. I just feel so sad and angry about this and was wondering if I was overreacting. I'm proud of being a nurse (though I also often say I have a love/hate relationship with nursing.). This stinks.

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Your post just made me think of my title at work, I am a CNA working in Homecare, the Agency I work for is pretty cool and I love my job but all of us are referred to as 'Care Partners 'and for the same reasons you mentioned, we also do not wear scrubs to work but nice casuals, regardless of our educational levels or lincences,I also realized that there are those who work for the same Agency who hold educational qualifications outside healthcare so the new title might be a cover up or it might be well-meaning.

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I have a wonderful part-time nurse job in a non-medical setting.

I wear nice clothes (no scrubs) but my clients love knowing there is a nurse there with them.

When they get a skin tear or "just don't feel right", they want the nurse.

The title nurse is comforting and it is a proud title.

These elderly clients have told me often (in just the short time I have had the pleasure to be with them) that they love nurses and it makes me appreciate what we are even more.

I'm sorry, but Care Coordinator sounds cold.

It sounds like we only are concerned about... well... coordinating... as though there is no personal interaction with these folks.

Maybe these people who are in charge of coming up with these brilliant ideas should actually survey their patients/residents/clients/families what they think sounds more comforting.

Funny, but I think calling nurses "nurses" will win hands down.

This is very sad.

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Healthcare managers and owners often have bizarre ways of thinking.

For the longest time they couldn't seem to make up their minds what they want to call a patient....client, resident, person in need of services, individual....there are others, but I can't think of them. I guess they got bored of that and have now moved on to the nurses. Next year, they will call us something else.

But really, if you are working in the capacity of your license, you should be referred to by that title. A nurse is a nurse, a doctor is a doctor. Renaming them doesn't change what they are supposed to do and are expected to do, nomatter what the billing may be.

and wow, i've edited this post 3 times, as it has me heated. Thanks for sharing this.

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical, Telemetry/ICU Stepdown.

Tell the idiots from the corporate offices who came up with the idea to come over to the floor and starting changing diapers because that will make the facility truly homelike, without the need for distracting residents with trained healthcare personnel.

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we had this at my last job, they were called "Health Coordinators" as a social worker I was called a "resource coordinator". It didn't diminish their roles in the least, they weren't being stripped of their license and the "members" (not clients, not patients*) preferred not feeling like they were part of the system. I say don't get your panties in a wad over this, it's not the first facility to do this and it won't be the last

*They (the company) had a member committee who had input on what the roles would be called. Many had been previously institutionalized and this helped them feel more "normal"

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

HA HA HA HA - ROFL :roflmao: Actually, the craziest title I have ever seen was "Pod Nurse" (I kid you not)... the patient care areas were divided into zones that they called "pods"... ergo the title. No one even acknowledged the connection to that classic sci fi .. The Pod People, but it was very obvious to me.

[wiping eyes] OP should check the state Nurse Practice Act and see what they have to say about misleading consumers. In Tx, we are required to wear clear identification ('RN' or 'LVN') when we are in clinical environments. So, they can call us whatever they like, but we are legally required to identify ourselves as 'nurse' to the patient.

Any employer who makes this type of boneheaded decision is either just dumb/ignorant or deliberately trying to mislead the public. They don't get it... we have a ton of evidence to show that we are actually the most trusted health care profession. Patients feel more secure if we are caring for them. If they don't perceive that there are enough nurses around ( maybe because they just can't identify them), they won't be satisfied with the care. In acute care, HCAHPS will plummet -- reimbursement will fall. What don't they get??

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Wow, I'm not even a nurse yet, but the title might confuse patients/people. You might have some explaining to do when they would ask for nurse and get care coordinator instead. I know what a nurse does, but I'm not sure what "care coordinator" does. It sounds something between administrative role and CNA.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Oncology, Neurology, Rehab.

I "M OUTTA THERE!!!!!!

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Oncology, Neurology, Rehab.

ESME 12, I agree 100% that's how it starts.

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Check with your state board of nursing rules and regs. Some boards are very particular about the use of titles for nurses.

Also check with your facility licensing agency, (state). with all of the patient protection laws, it seems there should be a rule on this, because old or sick individuals need to be able to clearly identify who is caring for them. (if they are able and want to)

Here is one thing I found:

http://www.amsn.org/practice-resources/position-statements/archive/identification-registered-nurse-workplace

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