Medical ethics question

[SwampCat, BSN]

I'm in a medical ethics course right now and we are talking about how it is unethical to call yourself a nurse if you are a medical assistant (or anything other than a licensed nurse). I completely understand that it is unethical, but what is the rationale behind it? Is it just so everyone's scope of practice is known? If a MA is allowing herself to be called "nurse" but is not actually working outside of her scope, what truly makes it wrong?

And let me just stress that I believe it is completely unethical to call oneself a nurse when one is not, but I don't understand exactly why.

Thanks!

[skimpstah]

maybe because it misleads the patients and other staff? I would be a bit perturbed if someone calling themself an M.D treating me for "X" reason really turned out to be a medical assistant.

[OB-nurse2013, BSN, RN]

Dishonesty is unethical first and doing that would be. It could also be said to violate the moral principles autonomy because it would be misleading the patient and could lead to them asking questions and getting the answer from a MA when they are under the impression that they are a a further educated nurse thus inhibiting their decisions, it also violates the moral principle of benefience which states to do no harm and dishonesty is considered a harm. truthfully if I still had my bioethics book I could probably give you better answers, so thats the best I have and I hope its helpful.

[JBudd, MSN]

Because you are claiming a knowledge and authority you do not possess.

You are misrepresenting yourself and your abilities.

You are breaking the law in at least 25 states where the title "nurse" is protected usage.

Simply not correcting people is violation by ommision, rather than commission.