Attn Clinic/Doctors office nurses!

Specialties Ambulatory

Published

Specializes in Ambulatory (Urgent care) & Home Health.

I've seen this topic before but it's come up again at my clinic/urgent care, sorry in advance if you've heard this a million times. Do you call medical assistants nurses at your clinic? Would you care if a pt or the doc called them nurses? How would you handle it?

I'm the only nurse at my job yet all of us, myself and six MAs are referred to as "nurse" by the pts and the doctors. Ugh! I'm so over it! Is it really that big of a deal? Should i just let it go? I live in Cali where the word "nurse" is to only be used for RNs,LVNs and graduate nurses but theses doctors in private practice don't giva a poo about the law.....

Specializes in nursing education.

Our clinic hires medical assistants and RNs, all of whom are collectively called "nursing staff" by everyone. I've given up on correcting people.

Specializes in Ambulatory (Urgent care) & Home Health.

Ive given up as well. It still bothers me....

Specializes in nursing education.

And...after nurses week, one of the MAs said that the nurse manager and one of the nurse case managers aren't nurses anymore, citing as evidence that they now wear office casual rather than scrubs, and work out of separate offices rather than the larger RN area. This MA remained unconvinced that the two of them are still nurses. Sheesh!

Specializes in Ambulatory (Urgent care) & Home Health.

Title stealers!

Specializes in Ambulatory Care.

I use to work as a CNA prior to becoming an RN. It bothers me alot when MA's and CNA's try to use the title nurse for their positions. It misinforms the patients. There is a huge difference between a MA and a RN. Really there is. Its mostly called education but that is just part of it.

Specializes in Ambulatory (Urgent care) & Home Health.

I've tried to educate them SEVERAL times yet still I hear them say "This is Dr. doe's nurse" or the doctor will tell the pt "wait for my nurse".My favorite of all is "Good Morning nurses", I'm working on getting passed it. I guess its petty and silly to keep complaining when there's nothing i can do.

Specializes in nursing education.
I've tried to educate them SEVERAL times yet still I hear them say "This is Dr. doe's nurse" or the doctor will tell the pt "wait for my nurse".My favorite of all is "Good Morning nurses", I'm working on getting passed it. I guess its petty and silly to keep complaining when there's nothing i can do.

It is a different issue entirely for an MA to identify herself as a nurse. That is not right and should be corrected.

Specializes in Ambulatory (Urgent care) & Home Health.

All of them identify themselves as nurses.None of them can understand why it's wrong. I gave up on trying to explain it, I was just wondering if i was the only one that feels this way, it seems to irk me more than it should.

Specializes in L&D/NICU/Pediatrics.

None of the MA's at my clinic identify themselves as nurses. The only ones that identify them as nurses are the patients/parents and the MA's have to correct them. Luckily we have badges that clearly identify titles.

Specializes in Ambulatory (Urgent care) & Home Health.

I've asked about name tags......they shot me down.

Specializes in Hyperbaric Medicine and Wound Care.

I believe that Loma Linda University was sued because some MA's and CNA's were referring to themselves as "nurses", which is an actual legal designation. There were actually signing patient records with "nurse" behind their name! So anyone who is not a "licensed nurse", (LVN, RN), who refers to themselves as such, is actually committing the crime of impersonation. The problem needs to be addressed at the top, i.e. the physicians. They should be told by management how to properly identify each employee. And I would verbally correct ANYONE who called themselves a nurse who was not. No matter if they take offense. I shed blood, sweat , and tears to earn the right to call myself a "nurse". No way would I let a non-licensed coworker do the same.

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