Representing yourself to the public as a nurse when you are not a nurse

BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN · Oct 9, 2012

Grrrrrrr. I'd have called him out and then made a call to HR after the fact. That is a HUGE pet peeve of mine, the clinic where I go pulls crap like that all the time: "Can I speak to Dr. William's nurse?" "Sure, hold on please", "Hi this is Cathy!" "Are you a nurse?" "I'm an MA" "so that's a no." Well, I'm Dr. WILLIAM'S nurse". No, you aren't!!! Grrrrrr

A family member was recently seen in an ER. One of her care providers introduced himself as a "med tech" and the family member asked "What does that mean?" and the response was " it is the same thing as a nurse". My family member went on to watch everything this person did while she was there, and saw vital signs, linen changes, positioning changes, paperwork, and things in the scope of a nurse assistant. This family member happened to know the difference, and we talked about this when she came home from the ER.
Is there a way to handle this, as I know this post is not the first one to discuss unlicensed assistive personnel representing themselves as nurses. The family member asked a nurse about it, and she just smiled and said that there was a difference and they did really need the help of med techs. (Which is nice, but doesn't solve the issue of representing oneself as a nurse when in fact they are not.) Should she mention this in the patient comment survey that she will most likely receive or not? Thoughts?

BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN · Oct 9, 2012

Too busy? Really? And more people care about the difference than you might think.

He was probably busy and didn't feel like explaining the difference between nurse and med tech. I think most people have no idea about the difference and don't really care.

Pranqster · Oct 9, 2012

I'm tired of the egos in nursing. let it go. The tech clearly stated that he's a med tech period.

allnurses Guide · Oct 9, 2012

Not so long ago I felt nurses were making a big deal out of nothing with the titles, until I thought about the fact that everyone flips out when a non-MD holding individual represents himself as a medical doctor. If a non-nurse does the same? Nyeh, who cares? I feel it was bad enough that the public devalues the importance of nursing, but to realize I'd bought into it myself was a real eye-opener.

MtnRN · Oct 9, 2012

I know in my state it is against the law for a person without a license to represent themselves as a nurse and can be prosecuted just as if they were a person impersonating a police officer or a person practicing medicine or law without a license. This person should have been reported to their supervisor and repremanded or at least I know in my neck of the woods they would have been! I and my fellow colleagues have worked hard to get where we are and we know there is a lot more than just the duties and skills of a nursing assistant that make a nurse. I know I used to work in an ER as a "Med Tech" myself 30 years ago while working my way up through the ranks! We were just called Nurse's Aides back then.

MtnRN · Oct 9, 2012

A lot of hospitals are calling their CNAS in the ER, Techs, because it sounds better for marketing purposes. Thats what happens when you let non medical people advise how hospitals should be run! In my opinion they have screwed up a lot of stuff, like what insurance should and should not cover, staffing, sacrificing appropriate care for the almighty dollar!

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Oct 9, 2012

A Med Tech is not a nurse, most med techs have at least a BSN, sometimes an MS and others even more education, so the person was being dishonest from the start. Med Tech is short for Medical Technologist (a four year degree) or sometimes Med Techs are Medical Technicians (which is a two-year degree, but is being phased out in most parts of the country--they are mostly helpers for the technologists). Med Techs are the ones who run chem panels, type and cross blood, and do tissue typing--plus a lot more. They are mostly behind the scenes, working in the labs. The person was probably a Patient Care Tech (a term for 'Nurse's Aide' in many regions).
It may be surprising to nurses, but Med Techs are generally insulted when anyone mistakes them for nurses!

Or, a Med Tech may be a Medical Technician who has zero to do with any of the descriptions you gave. It just happens to be the title of a couple of my staff members, neither of whom holds a college degree but both of whom are responsible for the care, cleaning, and maintenance of our endoscopy scopes. Hence, the "technician" term; "medical" speaks for itself. It is the common title/job description of those in the endoscopy business who do that work. Sometimes called "scope techs". But mostly....med techs.

So, as we can see, context is everything.

Elladora · Oct 9, 2012

I guess I'm not that territorial about the "nurse" title. At the end of they day, I know what my title is and what I can and cannot do. As long as your co-worker was not working OUTSIDE of his qualifications, I don't see any reason to be upset. Sometimes it's easier to give a quick answer then a long-winded explanation. Going out on a limb, I'm going to guess he gets asked this question a lot and probably gets tired of explaining himself.

Let it go. Not that big of a deal.

gonzo1, ASN, RN · Oct 9, 2012

I was a PTA before I was a nurse. I was always very mindful of telling everyone I was a PTA and not a PT. After a while I gave up, because no matter how many times I corrected my patients they would call me the PT.

It gets really old and tiring after a while. If I am giving the info to someone that I think knows the difference I make sure I specify PTA.

Now that I am an RN I just tell people I have a degree in physical therapy, but don't do that anymore. Obviously.

It seems like 90% of hospital visitors can not keep all of us straight. Even in hospitals where each dept wears different colored scrubs.

Most likely a large part of this is because the visitors are very stressed out over friend/family being in the hospital.

I might be inclined to cut the guy a little slack, but since I wasn't there I don't know for sure.

nguyency77, CNA · Oct 9, 2012

I am a nurse aide and "medication aide." At my facility, I am referred to as "a med tech." However, I don't know how to do any of the stuff that a "medical technologist" does. So apparently, there are different nuances of "med tech" ? Who knew...

Recently I had MPFL reconstruction surgery. When I went to my follow-up appointment to get my sutures out, I was told that the PA would be removing my sutures. Fine, I thought. About 20 minutes later, a man walked into the room. I asked if he was a nurse, and he replied, "I'm an MA, which is the same thing as a nurse." My parents, who had driven me to the clinic, actually believed he was a nurse.

Of course I knew the difference but didn't say anything because hey, benefit of the doubt.

This guy had NO idea what he was doing. I understand that medical assistants are supposed to know how to remove sutures. I had to remind him that his gloves weren't on all the way and he was having trouble pulling off the steri-strips. He almost nicked me with the stitch cutter. He almost nicked me again with the scissors. He pulled off the steri-strip on my biggest cut carelessly and decided it wasn't fully healed yet. SO HE PUT THE SAME, BLOODY, STERI-STRIP BACK OVER IT and told me I could leave. This guy not only misrepresented himself as a nurse, but he also made his own profession of medical assisting look really bad. It may not seem serious to some of you guys, but I think it's scary that the public thinks anyone in scrubs and a hospital name tag is a trained professional. Not all of them are.

Boog'sCRRN246, RN · Oct 9, 2012

I think the person in question was probably a "medication technician", which requires no degree, just a 60-hour (more or less) course with maybe eight clinical hours. Huge difference between that and a Medical Technologist/Technician.

A Med Tech is not a nurse, most med techs have at least a BSN, sometimes an MS and others even more education, so the person was being dishonest from the start. Med Tech is short for Medical Technologist (a four year degree) or sometimes Med Techs are Medical Technicians (which is a two-year degree, but is being phased out in most parts of the country--they are mostly helpers for the technologists). Med Techs are the ones who run chem panels, type and cross blood, and do tissue typing--plus a lot more. They are mostly behind the scenes, working in the labs. The person was probably a Patient Care Tech (a term for 'Nurse's Aide' in many regions).
It may be surprising to nurses, but Med Techs are generally insulted when anyone mistakes them for nurses!

aelopezma · Oct 9, 2012

Hey.. may be its just that there are too many Cheifs and not enough Indians .!!!!!lol.. is it really a huge point to be Misrepresneted or Misunderstood? Hmm..