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 :)
I have NEVER in a million years heard of that. Not to say it doesn't exist. Most LPNs just call themselves a "nurse" period. Sorry, but this isn't a problem, at all, from what I have seen.
Oh I've heard that many times in my 30+ years of nursing... In Alabama, where I live/practice now, as well as in Tennessee, Georgia and Texas, where I've worked before. It really isn't uncommon in areas where there are typically more LPNs than RNs, such as LTC facilities.
when arguing with idiots make sure the idiots are not doing the same, this is a stupid topic, CNA is a profession. Close this thread already
Actually, as needed as they are, by the very definition and accepted criteria of what a profession is, CNA falls short. It's not a matter of semantics. It's about understanding what makes a group of individuals in a job a profession. There are well laid out guidelines, and CNA is not part of that. Doesn't mean it can't happen in some future time, but it will take time and organization, and other things that are not necessary to list at this time for I am afraid that would become another whole argument.
This post is meant with the most respect, but with truth.
Can't we email them and tell them they should address this with their colleges? It's a simple mass email for them to send to the head of every MA program and have them remind their students that they are NOT nurses, nor allowed to refer to themselves as one.
The American Association of Medical Assistants agrees with you! In fact, the AAMA often reminds its members and CMAs (AAMA) not to call themselves nurses nor allow others to do so.
Unfortunately, in the past, we have not been able to market this message much beyond our member and CMA (AAMA) ranks. Recently, however, AAMA Executive Director and Legal Counsel Donald A. Balasa, JD, MBA, has posted a blog that is spreading the word.
The AAMA respects nurses and all they do, as much as it promotes respect for medical assistants and all they do while working to ensure people understand that these are entirely different professions.
Specializes in Med-surge, hospice, LTC, tele, rehab.
At my last job, I worked with a nursing assistant who repeatedly allowed patients to think she was a nurse. There were several times I would walk in my patients' rooms and I would tell them I was the nurse and they would say, "no, the nurse has already been in here." I said, "no, she is the nursing assistant. I'm the nurse." She was either telling them she was a nurse or letting them assume she was the nurse and not correcting them. Either way it wasn't right.
No ego about it, I didn't think I was better than her because I am a nurse and she wasn't. That wasn't the problem. The problem is that she was untrustworthy. She turned out to be untrustworthy in lots of other ways too and was eventually fired. I don't go around telling patients that I am a nurse practitioner or doctor. Lying about things like that isn't a characteristic of a good employee.
When asked why we never saw her among the nursing students at clinicals in the hospital she said, "they don't make me go to clinicals because I'm a nursing assistant". How ridiculous a comment was that!
One of my cohorts actually asked at orientation if she was to be required to take Basic Nursing Skills (1st semester class) since she was already a CNA... Apparently this mentality isn't that unusual...
In California, since 1999, "nurse" is a protected title limited only to RNs or LVNs. This law was passed in the interest of public safety and consumer awareness, and to prevent confusion for consumers.
As a PCA I was often referred to as "nurse" by patients and family members, I even had doctors try to give me verbal orders!
I always corrected them and told them that I was a PCA and not a Nurse. I could never imagine representing my self as something that I am not.
Sorry to get off subject but I have to bring up the old debate of uniforms.. the problem is.. everyone wears scrubs.. you cannot tell who is who in the hospital. In my hospital even the housekeepers wore scrubs.
I honestly believe that nurses should go back to wearing all white.. ( yeah I know).
As a PCA I was often referred to as "nurse" by patients and family members, I even had doctors try to give me verbal orders!
I always corrected them and told them that I was a PCA and not a Nurse. I could never imagine representing my self as something that I am not.
Sorry to get off subject but I have to bring up the old debate of uniforms.. the problem is.. everyone wears scrubs.. you cannot tell who is who in the hospital. In my hospital even the housekeepers wore scrubs.
I honestly believe that nurses should go back to wearing all white.. ( yeah I know).
I thought the Ward Clerk was a RN one night! I was quizzing her on IV sites and their names, and she was wearing a professional white blouse with a dark skirt, etc. I wear a white uniform and blue slacks, so people instantly call you nurse. I think the white is nice, but it's too hard to keep clean (I wash my shirt after every shift) - it gets marked and smelly after running around (especially after a 10 hour nightshift) - phew!
What do you say, when even the patients, MDs and others cannot tell the difference. Everyone wears scrubs, so who's to differentiate between a real nurse and other health care occupations.
what do you say, when even the patients, mds and others cannot tell the difference. everyone wears scrubs, so who's to differentiate between a real nurse and other health care occupations.
lol
i can tell you there was never a problem years ago telling the difference when
nurses wore a white uniform and nursing cap, lets at least bring back..............
Apparently this mentality isn't that unusual... 
TiddlDwink
106 Posts
Oh I've heard that many times in my 30+ years of nursing... In Alabama, where I live/practice now, as well as in Tennessee, Georgia and Texas, where I've worked before. It really isn't uncommon in areas where there are typically more LPNs than RNs, such as LTC facilities.