Another rant regarding MA's and Nurses

[samirish]

I know I've read on here multiple times regarding MA's calling themselves nurses but now its not even the ma's but the doctor's office they work in calling them nurses. I feel this is so misleading and done deliberately. I called my doctors office today (she is part of the Advocate system here in Illinois) and the recording said "press 2 to speak with a nurse" so I pressed 2 and the person answering my call said "Hi this is Ashley, can I help you?". Well after spending a few minutes telling her my issue and her giving me advice I said "You are a nurse.....right?"

She went on to explain that no she isnt a nurse but a ma. When I asked to speak to a nurse instead, she said they don't have any that work there, they only have ma's.

Is this reportable? I felt really misled by the office recording and I'm sure other patients think they are talking to a nurse when in fact they are talking to a ma.

[kcmylorn]

I don't think Medical Assistants can be considered "professionals". To be a 'Profession' there must be certain criteria. 2 of which the Medical Assistant does not have- Licensing and Work Autonomy.I'm not trying to start a riot- just stating the facts.

[ashleyisawesome, BSN, RN]

I wasn't completely sure I wanted to be a nurse, so I did the MA program instead. My cousin went straight for her BSN and hated it. I didn't want to do the samething. A ADN does take two years to complete, but in California there is a huge waiting list. My best friend has been on it for two years and works at the mall. I would prefer getting experience in a health care seething so I did the Ma route.

To me it seems like the OP and some other posters are bashing the profession. I could understand if she was upset about the MA calling herself a nurse and ranting on that, but to attack the profession sucks. It is belittling the profession. What makes sense to one person may not make sense to another and that's ok. I didn't waste money or time I have a lot of knowledge to help me when I finish school. I have always been the crawl before you walk type of person, and this is the route I took.

So I'm assuming that doing a two year lpn/LVN would be a waste of time as well to some? If everyone goes straight to RN it would get congested. I would prefer a nurse who is well rounded and I think.... No I know, that's what's going to make me a darn good nurse and a CNM.

anyone else wondering if this "Ashlie" is the "Ashley" who was on the phone with the OP?

[kcmylorn]

No, not really- misrepresenting yourself as a licened professional when you are neither- licenced and do not meet the critera to be called, labed,referred to or classified as a "professional" is still an an act of fraud, a felony, a crime, punnishable by law.

[pink_shoes99]

When I "ranted" about this in a previous post, someone told me that anyone can do what the doctor says is okay to do. My main rant was an x-ray tech who was administering meds and injections and calling herself and answering to the term "nurse".

Funny though, where I work, apparently anyone can be a "nurse". From the x-ray techs all the way to the office supervisors (who have absolutely NO nursing knowledge). It clearly states in the regulations that no one can assume the title of "nurse" (LPN, RN, etc.) without actually being one, even students who have graduated and waiting to take boards, but no one seems to care but me!