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 :)
Wow, what a stupid and petty thing for so many people to get upset about. Who cares!! If some CNA called themself a nurse to their friend or answered a pt as the pt called for the nurse, it's really not that big of a deal. Now if they went and started treating pts while calling themselves a nurse that's a big difference. But honestly, the examples in the first post are really just dumb things to get so heated about. So maybe it's annoying, but to be SOOO fired up over something so silly is just rediculous. How old are all of you people anyways? You act like little children with this petty b.s. I worked hard for my RN, but I could give two ***** about this really. Grow up people!
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
It is a big deal, and against the law in many states. Maybe if you don't care if unqualified personnel misappropriate your title, but I do, and I'm pretty sure some others here feel the same way. It reflects poorly on our profession when UAPs give false information to patients and others, all the while calling themselves "nurses."
Maybe you should care more about your profession, rather than insulting those who are advocating for it.
as to the people who day, "it happens all the time" and cite newspaper articles inaccurately describing perpetrators of crimes (e.g., "nurse indicted in mercy killings"), if you let that pass you miss a golden opportunity to stand up for your profession. i always send a text message, email, or post to refute this, reinforce the idea that nurses are nurses and non-nurses...aren't. believe it or not, i get a lot of emails back with thanks, and i am beginning to see an improvement in some local papers on this issue. the letters to the editors regularly publishes these corrections from me and from others.
it is a big deal. someday your life or the life of someone you love may depend on an actual nurse. (vonfrolio: "you need a nurse to save your life.")
don't you want to be sure that's who's there? don't you want people to know that it's nurses who do what they do, and non-nurses who don't do what nurses do?
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
Wow, what a stupid and petty thing for so many people to get upset about. Who cares!! If some CNA called themself a nurse to their friend or answered a pt as the pt called for the nurse, it's really not that big of a deal. Now if they went and started treating pts while calling themselves a nurse that's a big difference. But honestly, the examples in the first post are really just dumb things to get so heated about. So maybe it's annoying, but to be SOOO fired up over something so silly is just rediculous. How old are all of you people anyways? You act like little children with this petty b.s. I worked hard for my RN, but I could give two ***** about this really. Grow up people!
So if a security guard tells his friends he's a detective, or a Physician's Assistant answers "yes, how may I help you?" when a question is prefaced with "Doctor" you'll leap to their defense? But nurses who do that earn a scornful and derogatory outburst!!
Honesty and integrity aren't like an outfit you put on just for work for most of us. A person who does that has a reason, and the reason - whatever it is includes deception. If your answer is "well that's different" with respect to police or medical titles maybe you're underestimating the importance oif yours.
Wow, what a stupid and petty thing for so many people to get upset about. Who cares!! If some CNA called themself a nurse to their friend or answered a pt as the pt called for the nurse, it's really not that big of a deal. Now if they went and started treating pts while calling themselves a nurse that's a big difference. But honestly, the examples in the first post are really just dumb things to get so heated about. So maybe it's annoying, but to be SOOO fired up over something so silly is just rediculous. How old are all of you people anyways? You act like little children with this petty b.s. I worked hard for my RN, but I could give two ***** about this really. Grow up people!
Like I said, if somebody was representing themself as a nurse and treating pts or teaching/offering advice, that is bad....but the examples the OP originally sited weren't so. They were kind of weak reasons to be so flamed if you ask me. The whole tone of most people on this board is catty at best. Yes, some of you are offering valid reasons why it's wrong, etc, etc....but for the most part, the posters on here seem like winey little school girls ****** that somebody is trying to steal their spotlight.
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've highlighted these petty examples in bold. This poster is more enraged that she worked so hard to be called nurse and somebody else is stealing her spotlight than she is about anything meaningful. The examples show that she's not witnessing people representing themselves as nurse and then doing a job that only a nursing license qualifies them for. In a doctors office, I kind of understand why a med assistant doesn't carify when answering the phone. The public in general doesn't know the difference and they think most people who work in doctors offices are nurses. I bet it gets old clarifying all the time, every day when you answer the phone. Especially if the person calling just wants to tell them their symptoms in order to get an appt with the doctor. These other examples are of her friends saying they are in nursing school...I mean really, these are really dumb reasons to be so upset.
Yes I knew it was illegal before nursing school which i'm sure the people who ask these questions do too, like I said before these type of questions are just to be catty which coming from adult women is sad.
So after you pass boards, and are working with CNAs or PCTs, you want the patients to refer to them as their nurse? After the hard work, tests, legal acquisition of your license?
Wow....why not just stop nursing school now, and say you're a nurse?
Or if you're a social worker, you won't mind if the volunteer mentions they can help with some of the issues with home health...
Or if you become a physical therapist (NO 2 year programs for that), you won't mind if the PTA says they're a PT???
Who needs education? Just say what you want to be, and POOF- done deal...No big deal :)
This ticks me off, too. However, regarding your first example:
" Can I speak to the nurse?" Medical Assistant" Speaking, How can I help you?"
A lot of times our CNAs or monitor techs/other UAP's or RT's will still ask the patient how they can help them, even if they are asking to speak to the nurse. Sometimes it is something that the CNA can do themselves. If the patient is requesting pain medicine, or say they need to be suctioned, then it saves the nurse the extra trip by going in there to see what the patient wants, then leaving to get whatever they need and coming back (if a patient needs to be suctioned and the nurse knows this, they can go gather the supplies and suction them right away), etc.
There are better examples, but I hope you know what I mean.
Oh yes, and when I worked as a tech, there were so many times where patients referred to me as the nurse that I couldn't even count (and underneath our badges we had in BIG black letters our job - RN, LPN, TECH, NSG ASST, EKG TECH, MD, etc...). I always corrected them, but I still always asked them what they needed when they asked to speak with their nurse. A lot of times it was just "I need help going to the bathroom" - "well, I can help you with that!"
I can't tell you how many times I have been called a nurse by the residents and families and frankly, after correcting them so many times I get tired of doing it. I suppose it's a lot easier for them to call out 'nurse' instead of anything else. However, if anyone would ever call me anything that I feel is beneath me intellectually or rankwise I would not be 'boiling'. I would reserve that degree of anger for something much more serious...
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
. . .I've highlighted these petty examples in bold. This poster is more enraged that she worked so hard to be called nurse and somebody else is stealing her spotlight than she is about anything meaningful. The examples show that she's not witnessing people representing themselves as nurse and then doing a job that only a nursing license qualifies them for. In a doctors office, I kind of understand why a med assistant doesn't carify when answering the phone.
A medical assistant answering the phone and giving advice or "telling their symptoms to get an appointment" is one of a few things the MA is expressly prohibited from doing (in my state), along with assessments and IV drugs. In our clinic the people manning the phones handed the call off to us if they ask anything remotely like "when do you think I should be seen for this?", "what do you think this is?" etc This protects them and you.
The public in general doesn't know the difference and they think most people who work in doctors offices are nurses.
Are you familiar with ambulatory care at all? They know the difference, believe me. Not all of them, but it only takes one to make you and your employer's life a living hell. In at least one case I know of, the patient wanted a PA to be fired because she thought she was talking to an MD.
Obviously, if the place is packed with people you don't bring it all to a screeching halt if the doctor says "go talk to the nurse there" so you can hold an impromtu inservice talk right there in the hallway about the difference between a nurse and an MA but especially on the phone you need a person who is legally qualified to do that.
MyUserName,RN
164 Posts
Wow, what a stupid and petty thing for so many people to get upset about. Who cares!! If some CNA called themself a nurse to their friend or answered a pt as the pt called for the nurse, it's really not that big of a deal. Now if they went and started treating pts while calling themselves a nurse that's a big difference. But honestly, the examples in the first post are really just dumb things to get so heated about. So maybe it's annoying, but to be SOOO fired up over something so silly is just rediculous. How old are all of you people anyways? You act like little children with this petty b.s. I worked hard for my RN, but I could give two ***** about this really. Grow up people!