Ok folks, I'm just about ready to lose it and I know it's a little silly..or it may seem petty...but just take my feelings into consideration.
I am SICK to DEATH of SOME Medical Assistants, CNAs, and Respiratory Therapists (etc.) calling themselves NURSES, or allowing themselves to be called nurses...or saying that they are getting their "RN". Are you KIDDING ME?
Before I start, let me begin by saying that I respect ALL health care workers and think you should be proud of what you are doing, going to school for, and what your title is. However, I have LOW tolerance for people who break the law and throw around a professional title/license. It's beyond ignorant and I'm wondering how it can be stopped.
I would NEVER in a million years, call myself a Doctor...or a Nurse Practitioner..because I am NOT one. I did NOT go to school for it. I am a Registered Nurse and PROUD of it. If anyone calls me Doctor, or ANYTHING else, I quickly correct them with a sweet smile on my face.
Examples of what I have heard/seen/witnessed/etc.:
" Can I speak to the nurse?" Medical Assistant" Speaking, How can I help you?"
" So excited for my first day of school, we did injections!" says the medical assisting student..friend asks "OH, nursing program?!"...medical assistant student says "Yep, sure is!".
"Nurse Sarah, when do you finish school?". Sarah says, "In 2 months"...Sarah is in a RESPIRATORY therapy program.
My friend says to me," I went to school to become a nurse and finished, but I decided I prefer Social Work." I ask, "Really, so you're a nurse, where did you go?" Friend replies "Yes, CNA Tech Institute".(fake name) Uhm, that's a well known 6 month CNA school. SERIOUSLY?
"I actually teach the nurses on my unit everything. I know more than them and have more experience.", says the Medical Assistant after I ask them why they are referring to themselves as "Nurse".
I can't even go on to tell you how much more I have witnessed. MANY of this is coming from my friends. I'm going to be REALLY honest with you guys. I am just heated. I worked my BOTTOM off in nursing school. I applied to a program with 600 applicants in line (which is STANDARD) and was accepted into ONE of 20 seats. I killed myself not to be flunked out and passed with an average 3.5 GPA. It was four years of GRUELING work and I feel I have earned the right to refer to myself as a Registered Nurse. I'm very proud of it.
I feel like other health care workers are SERIOUSLY making a JOKE of the nursing field throwing around the title as though we are a dime a dozen. Why can't they be proud of what they do? EACH of those fields is JUST fine..but WHY are you breaking the law and calling yourself a Nurse?
Can you imagine what would happen if I called myself a Doctor? Sorry, but that's ignorant and pathetic. I would NEVER do it. If this thread offends you, then please don't reply. It shouldn't be offensive unless you are one of the few health care workers who live a lie and call yourself a nurse.
How do we address this and stop this? Medical Assistants are the BIGGEST group I have witnessed this by. I have a LOT of respect for them and envy their position. They ENJOY their jobs...but why do SOME (not ALL), throw MY nursing license value around like that by claiming they are a nurse?
What do you do when it's a friend doing this?
What do you do when it's a health care coworker?
I already know what I would do if I was going to a Doctor's office and they did this. That's easy. It's the friend part that is hard. I KNOW it's silly to be upset..but I have never seen so much ignorance. Why did I work hard if someone else can call themselves a nurse and only went to school for 6 months? What did I work for? Other than the obvious paycheck and passion?! ha :)
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
I have been in health care for 20+ years and never seen someone intentionally pretending to be something they are not.
What I HAVE seen are people who get tired of explaining that "NO, I am not a nurse, I'm a (fill in blank) and we do (blah blah blah)..." over and over and over again. I'm sure that get's tiring - everyone assumes all staff are nurses which is why so many facilities now require all staff of same department wear same color scrubs.
Just because you haven't seen it happen doesn't mean it doesn't. I've never seen anyone pretend to be something they are not either, and I've been at this since the Carter Administration. I wouldn't dispute what the others here have said, though.
Being tired of explaining something doesn't give you the right not to. It is the consumer of healthcare that needs to be educated about the differences between them, and if it is left sorta murky because you've already explained it 5 times that week you are doing them a disservice. This is a bigger deal now than it used to be because of the burgeoning of "extender" job classifications, and the public is becoming more aware day by day what they mean. There is an Urgent Care center near me whos medical director got in a heap of trouble because a patient claimed the PA called himself "doctor" perhaps he was too tired to correct the lady.
I actually dread taking my pets into the vet because I've now heard vet techs on both coasts starting to introduce themselves as "a nurse".
Vet tech is a hard job, but it isn't a nurse. I don't treat animals and I don't know how; vet techs don't know nursing and shouldn't call themselves that.
I'm sorry but I find this conversation really petty. Vet techs provide nursing care to animals, and it's not like they are referring to themselves as "Registered Nurses".
I'm sorry but I find this conversation really petty. Vet techs provide nursing care to animals, and it's not like they are referring to themselves as "Registered Nurses".
And that's why I posted the links I did. I have no idea how to nurse my dog. I mean she coded in their waiting room. I understand mouth to snout but I was just a family member when all is said and done.
But her doctor and nurses saved her life and for that my family will always be grateful.
Specializes in Geriatrics, Geriatric Psych, Med/Surg.
Yes, I agree with all of you. I know of a former acquaintance who proudly boasted that she was going to the University of Michigan for her MASTERS degree in nursing. In truth she was an LPN who was going to school elsewhere working on her EVENTUAL BSN and then was going to apply there, hoping to be accepted, to work on her Masters! Some people just think if you say it enough it's true I guess.....others have such low self-esteem that they aren't proud of what they have already accomplished and need to inflate their own ego.
I've heard MANY docs introduce the MA's as "my nurse" so I don't think the MA's are being pressured by the docs-I think the docs are at fault for allowing and accepting and promoting this-especially in the clinics. I'm an LVN and MA's are taking over b/c the doc's are hiring them for less money and training them to do what I've been formally trained to do. So although I don't profess to be an RN-yet-I do feel your frustration!!!
I am also an LVN (who is in the process of my ASN) and work at an unnamed place where I am the only LVN. They have two RN's that work at the off site. I however work on site just like my unlicensed peers (Health Clerks). They call themselves nurses and tell the RN's all the time how they could give injections and glucogon that I am not needed. Last year they fought to eliminate me and another LVN. I know I am not a RN and would never say I was. But I am a nurse and I get the same as a high school grad who ask why they can't fill in for me when I am out sick. So I get it. It's a problem.
A few years ago I worked at an assisted living facility that supposedly had an RN (as a LVN I must have an RN atleast oncall for indirect supervision) I worked there for almost four months listening to her tell MD's that she has been an RN for 20 years. Then the cat was let out of the bag. She hadn't been licensed in almost 5 years and I was braking the law by working there. Needless to say I quite that day.
I'm going to be honest, I haven't read none of the comments. I'll read them later. I just wanted to tell you that when I was considering going to PA school, I was explaining to my MIL what PA's do and she said, "oh, you're studying to be a Medical Assistant?" I said, "No! Physician Assistant." She said, "Same thing." I said, "No, they're not. I'm currently a medical assistant & I do clerical & clinical duties. I don't get to 'treat' or 'diagnose' patients with my current title. PA's, on the other hand does." Needless to say, it was an ongoing battle of who was right and wrong.
Why did I just post this? IDK! I guess I'm playing devil's advocate and guessing that people like to use the word Nurse interchangeably with other health-care professionals b/c they are unaware of other health care jobs/professions. I guess in people's minds they feel if you're not a Dr then you're a nurse. I have to be honest, I call everyone nurse. I know, I know, I shouldn't call folks nurses when they are not. But it just rolls off the tongue (where is the tongue smiley?). Which one sounds better: Excuse me, Nurse! or Excuse me, Medical Assistant?
When I worked as a MA, patients always said to me, "Nurse! Nurse" my naive behind said, "Where?":hhmth:OK, enough of my Tom-foolery. But seriously, I did say that. Then I would realize that they are talking to me. I ALWAYS said, "Oh, I'm not a nurse. I'm a medical assistant." They would say, "you are the nicest nurse I've encountered." I would then say, "Aww, thank you. But I'm not a nurse. I'm a MA." My geriatric patients never "GOT IT!"
I'm not a nurse yet, but I did go to LPN school & dropped out due to military moves, twin pregnancy, no child care etc, and I'm almost 100% positive that if I was a nurse, I would be annoyed if someone called themselves something that they are not.
I think many MA and CNA see little difference between what they do and what a nurse does. They do not understand that doing proceducres, etc is a very small part of being a nurse. Much of the assessment and critical thinking we do every time we are with a patient is invisible to them so they really don't understand the depth of the difference.
The difference is clear if you really ask them for more information, as someone previously said. I am frustrated when I talk to "Sally from Dr. Smith's office" (notice - doesn't claim to be a nurse but I am sure most people assume she is).
Sally: "We'll need to repeat that test in 3 months."
Me:"Why?"
Sally: "Well, because it is high."
ME: "Yes, it is barely out of the normal range. This is not something that changes quickly. Why would we redo it in 3 months?"
Sally: "Well, because it is high."
After several more tries, I decided it will be easier just to refuse until I talk to the doctor. Had she been a nurse, she would have been able to answer my question. She did not have the critical thinking skills to even understand why I was questioning it. As a patient, I am often frustrated when I talk to "Staff" who are not nurses. Even before I was a nurse myself, I found they rarely could answer my questions.
Your dialog brought back memories. As I stated in an earlier post...I've never called myself a nurse & I corrected those that did. I do remember several pt's telling me their C/C, followed by asking, "So, what's wrong with me?" My response: "IDK. I'm not a Dr or a registered nurse; I'm just an MA & it's against the law to diagnose Pt's w/out a medical license."
HIt a sweet spot with me --- Worked my HINEY off to pass a nursing program and then had to pass STATE BOARDS ---- it's a freakin LICENSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chiks at my place have taken to using a magic marker to cross out medical assistant and write in NURSE. Makes me nuts.
one of my MDs asked the other day if he was getting a "real" nurse. When I replied - well, LPN+ (with a BS,MLT, ehich shouldn't matter)he was THRIILLED. He said LPNs are great - he just hates the "fake" nurses. Wish:confused: we could somehow reclaim the title. It means something specific - at least to those who issue licenses!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HIt a sweet spot with me --- Worked my HINEY off to pass a nursing program and then had to pass STATE BOARDS ---- it's a freakin LICENSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chiks at my place have taken to using a magic marker to cross out medical assistant and write in NURSE. Makes me nuts.
one of my MDs asked the other day if he was getting a "real" nurse. When I replied - well, LPN+ (with a BS,MLT, ehich shouldn't matter)he was THRIILLED. He said LPNs are great - he just hates the "fake" nurses. Wish:confused: we could somehow reclaim the title. It means something specific - at least to those who issue licenses!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I totaly agree It was a lot of work for my LVN and is still a lot of work now that I am working on my RN do people even realize how difficult the pre-reqs like Chemistry are (for me any ways wink). I take total pride in my job and wish others would too.
I'm a LPN and I feel I've deserved the right to use the title of Nurse along with RNs. But, CNAs, MAs, HHAs have not had the education to back that title.
Unfortunately as much as it drives me crazy, a lot of people do not understand licenses and certifications and refer to most females in a healthcare setting as Nurse. I've corrected my patients but most of the time it does no good.
It becomes more complicated and irritating when someone who is not a Nurse provides medical advice when they really do not know what they are talking about. Such as yesterday when I was providing care for an elderly gentleman in his home, we discussed the results of his recent blood work and how the results factored into his POC. I also provided some teaching on his new condom cath, he seemed satisfied and I felt I was thorough. When the HHA showed up to help the patient shower, the aide informed the patients daughter that the patient needs an indwelling cath and the other "other nurse" should tell the doctor he needs it! Hello? I am the only nurse in the home! The HHA was upset because I did not agree and would not back her on this issue. She was also upset because she wasn't present when I spoke to the patient of the pros/cons of condom cath vs. foley.
So, Yes, I am a Nurse and even though I am working towards my RN, I am not an RN :)
I am a certified medical assistant CMA (AAMA), and never want to be called a nurse. The doctor's office I work for doesn't seem to have a problem calling us nurses, though I have mentioned they should not say that. The doctor has slowly started introducing me as "his assistant", which is fine, but sometimes the patient will be told to return for a "nurse visit"-- which is a low level coded visit where they only see an MA, not a nurse, and he tells them, "You'll just be seen by one of the nurses". I have tried to correct the staff, doctor, patients, but the older ones especially do not understand that there are other staff besides nurses and doctors. The same population do not understand the role of NPs or PAs.
I have an Associates in Medical Assisting, an Associates in Human Biology, and a Bachelors in Bible. I am educated, I am good at my job. I do NOT want to be a nurse. I am in the process of applying to PA school.
So, I think it boils down to education. BTW, CMA(AAMA)s don't like it when MA's call themselves certified, just because they have a certificate. There is a difference in being certified and certificated. CMA (AAMA)s have to keep our CEUs up to maintain our credentials.... so CMAs and MAs have our own little war to fight regarding names. That's one reason the CMAs have asked for possible licensing, so to differentiate between the trained, educated MAs and the MAs trained on the job or in some 6 week clinic.
Ok, let me say this I am CNA and I am aware of my limitations as such. I for one would never claim a title that I am not entitled to have within my scope of practice. For with a title comes responsibilities and with responsibility comes liability any person with a brain would not jeopardize themselves by needing to resort to using a title that they have not earned. Personally speaking, when I consider my own educational goals I know just how foolhardy it would be for me to do so and I would not dare risk it.
Now let me say this, surely you could not think to start a thread such as this and not expect some backlash. I mean your anger and frustration are written all over my screen at the moment and to tell you the truth I find it very unbecoming indeed. I have not decided as of yet if I should be offended or not. As I said before that I do not do this, but I do not know what has annoyed me more if it is your holier than thou attitude or the fact that you have basically dared a person not to respond to you. You cannot say I respect these people and follow that up with the vitriol you have let loose on here. I understand that you have worked hard to be where you are and that you are proud of that, I can appreciate that but still...
Now you say the offending parties are your friends and some are your co workers? With the co workers it is a little iffy of course it is, but surely they teach leadership and how to deal with difficult situations at the University. As you have articulated yourself so well here, why not use such a resourceful gift to educate them and set them straight? As to your friends, why not speak to them with the truth? Be a good friend and let them know that the cons of using a title that they have not earned and let them no exactly what could happen to them if they continue to do so. You do not need to be a savior for everyone, but, since this subject is a bone of contention for you use all that education you worked so hard for in other words put it to good use and help them help themselves.
You wrote that nurses cannot call themselves doctor and you are wrong about that. There are many nurses who hold PhD and Doctorates tell me what do you call them? What would be their title then? The MD's are upset that these nurses who too have worked their butts off can now deign to share such a title with them. Which seems nonsensical to me because when you look into other professions people earn their PhD and are called doctor, so then it leaves me to conclude that it is about ego. It is about I put in this time and this person did not and so who are they to when if they would research they would see that nurses who earn their PhD's and DNP's are not trying to take anything from them, but just wish to be at the top of their field. So it is not even about the well being of patients any more, it all comes down to prestige and titles. How uplifting, it makes me want to go right out and be the best that I can be. I am working hard to become a member of this type of bureaucracy it makes me feel all warm and tingly inside...not. In times like these I have to remember why I love nursing so much and why I have decided against all to take this path.
So although I don't profess to be an RN-yet-I do feel your frustration!!!
or Excuse me, Medical Assistant?
nursel56
7,122 Posts
Just because you haven't seen it happen doesn't mean it doesn't. I've never seen anyone pretend to be something they are not either, and I've been at this since the Carter Administration. I wouldn't dispute what the others here have said, though.
Being tired of explaining something doesn't give you the right not to. It is the consumer of healthcare that needs to be educated about the differences between them, and if it is left sorta murky because you've already explained it 5 times that week you are doing them a disservice. This is a bigger deal now than it used to be because of the burgeoning of "extender" job classifications, and the public is becoming more aware day by day what they mean. There is an Urgent Care center near me whos medical director got in a heap of trouble because a patient claimed the PA called himself "doctor" perhaps he was too tired to correct the lady.