boards need to regulate MA's

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Really sick of ma's doing all sorts of things under a dr's license. (or RN license). It is quite amazing the things they do. Scary as a matter of fact. Really feel the boards of Nursing need to take a stand on this issue. They regulate everyting else , why not MA's (medical assistants). I plan on looking into it in Ohio. Any one else ? Don't get me wrong, I love MA's Cna's etc... they are a vital part of the medical world. However, the things they are allowed to do are jaw dropping. Not that skills are difficult but the critical thinking aspect of the skill is another matter. I know they are acting under the license of a DR. but, don't want them to care for my child or 88 yo mother.

Specializes in LTC.

Alright here is an example of MAs working in the acute care setting from job postings from a few local hospitals in MN

PCA -Emergency Room

Qualifications

Education/Experience: High school graduate or GED; Successful completion of nursing assistant program or completion of medical assistant program that includes phlebotomy or RN/LPN student with one semester of clinical experience in school; Acute hospital experience

Right now I'm not finding many, but in the past I've seen several oddball jobs in lab or patient care areas where qualifications are listed CNA, or EMT, or MA, or Circus Clown. They are jobs where the MA would be working under a different title that comes with a well defined job description and a superior that they report to.

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Specializes in icu, er, transplant, case management, ps.
You said it woody! A 8 month program for MA does not compair to a 4 year RN degree. It makes me get boiled inside every time I call the doc and get the MA calling themselves the nurse "its the same thing" No no no no no! I agree if you wanna use the title earn it! If not be proud of being a MA and say you are a MA!

When I returned to live in Florida, my PCP had joined a group practice. I had a question that I needed clarified by either him or his nurse. His nurse responded and gave me some incorrect information. Being an nurse myself I realized it. When I went into his office, I saw his 'nurse', who introduced herself to me as his nurse. Unfortunately, I glanced at her name tag, she was an MA. I spoke to my doctor, telling him I had no object to her but I would greatly appreciate it, if she not refer to herself as a nurse. He spoke to her and the next time I came in, we had a little talk. I told her I did not question her education or knowledge but as a licensed professional nurse, I did object to her calling herself a nurse. I told her if she had put that much time and effort into her education, she should be proud of who she was.

Woody:balloons:

Got to go, breakfast is ready then I have to take my morning walk. Then come back and collapse in sleep.

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Specializes in Adult Critical Care and Emergency.

Woody62:

You made an excellent choice and delt with the "problem" immediatly and 1:1 with the MA. But the problem is endemic and your efforts should not be wasted. I like the legislative efforts achieved in SC. The next step is to get the MA instructors to inform ther students of the repercussions of impersonating a nurse. IMO the fear of civil or criminal prosecution for thier individual actions will encourage the level of responsibility needed, and better serve our patients. EVERY patient deserves a nurse.

DR Bear432

When I returned to live in Florida, my PCP had joined a group practice. I had a question that I needed clarified by either him or his nurse. His nurse responded and gave me some incorrect information. Being an nurse myself I realized it. When I went into his office, I saw his 'nurse', who introduced herself to me as his nurse. Unfortunately, I glanced at her name tag, she was an MA. I spoke to my doctor, telling him I had no object to her but I would greatly appreciate it, if she not refer to herself as a nurse. He spoke to her and the next time I came in, we had a little talk. I told her I did not question her education or knowledge but as a licensed professional nurse, I did object to her calling herself a nurse. I told her if she had put that much time and effort into her education, she should be proud of who she was.

Woody:balloons:

Got to go, breakfast is ready then I have to take my morning walk. Then come back and collapse in sleep.

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Specializes in icu, er, transplant, case management, ps.
Woody62:

You made an excellent choice and delt with the "problem" immediatly and 1:1 with the MA. But the problem is endemic and your efforts should not be wasted. I like the legislative efforts achieved in SC. The next step is to get the MA instructors to inform ther students of the repercussions of impersonating a nurse. IMO the fear of civil or criminal prosecution for thier individual actions will encourage the level of responsibility needed, and better serve our patients. EVERY patient deserves a nurse.

DR Bear432

I have an old friend who teaches both CNAs as well as PN students, who tells them just what they are and their responsibilities. I would like to see it made into a law here in Florida. The likelyhood is remote, since employers rule here.

Woody:balloons:

Now that I am awake, it is time for my evening walk before the skies open up and I drown.

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Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.
Alright here is an example of MAs working in the acute care setting from job postings from a few local hospitals in MN

PCA -Emergency Room

Qualifications

Education/Experience: High school graduate or GED; Successful completion of nursing assistant program or completion of medical assistant program that includes phlebotomy or RN/LPN student with one semester of clinical experience in school; Acute hospital experience

Yes, they have CNT's, CMA's etc in ER's but they are not doing clinical work. They run patients back and forth between depts for testing, help with going to the bathroom, occasionally drawing blood to take to the lab. Not a big deal job at all, as it should not be.

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Specializes in icu, er, transplant, case management, ps.
Yes, they have CNT's, CMA's etc in ER's but they are not doing clinical work. They run patients back and forth between depts for testing, help with going to the bathroom, occasionally drawing blood to take to the lab. Not a big deal job at all, as it should not be.

Not in the two community ERs that I use do CNA's ever draw blood It is left to the RNs or LPNs. And there are not CMA working in either ER, that I am aware of. And since I want to know the qualifications of anyone approaching me, I ask just what their title is.

Woody:balloons:

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Specializes in icu, er, transplant, case management, ps.
Thanks.

I do not have an answer but I observe that in a collegial practice environment where each healthcare team member contributes to the overall patient care goals and who's input is valued by the other team members there appears to be more appropriate practice and less (need) to push the envelope of our individual practice acts or our training.

Call me a dreamer but IMO collaborative practice is a great solution to this issue. Who gets to tell the doc's?

We do, both as patients and as nurses. It is very easy to tell a physician. Just ask him if he would mind you calling his P.A. Doctor? He would object. Point out that as a nurse, you are only asking that an individual be called or referred to by her earned title. Not the one he has given to her.

Woody:balloons:

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Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.
. If this fails, benzoin them to the nearest chair and put them in a closet :devil:. Patient safety comes first.

For some, not even this will work.

What I do not understand is why someone would want to call themselves or allow themselves to be called, something they are not. When I was recovering from diabling injures, I voluntered at a local garde school as a teacher's aide. I was not a teacher, I was an aide. I never referrred to myself as a teacher. And when two of the students I helped, introduced me to one of their parents, as Ms. **** my teacher, I gently corrected them, saying I was a teacher's aide. I was proud of what I was doing, help a teacher. Helping grade school students. Why do some M.A.'s presist in referring to themselves as nurses or allow others to refer to them as nurses. They are not and they should be proud of the fact that they are M.A.'s.

My daughter is an Animal Control Officer. She is not a dog catcher nor is she a police officer. She, and I, are proud of her position and proud of what she does. And neither of us allow anyone to refer to her as anything then what she is, an Animal Control Officer-actually a sgt.

Woody

And if I saw anyone out in the Animal Control truck, I still refer to the as dog catcher.

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When I worked, I can recall ten who referred to themselves as nurses, gave patient's information and explanations that were in error. And several who called in prescriptions that were incorrect in dose and frequency. I did case management. And I had a great deal of inter action with doctors and their office staff. And more then once, when a client was given the wrong information, I called the doctor's office and spoke to the 'nurse' who had given the information. And after repeating the wrong information to me, I asked their level of education, the field and their license number. Unfortunately because they were not nurses, they were only able to provide me with the certificate number.

Most nurses I had to deal with, knew their limitations. And those that didn't, I transfered my client out of their facility, before they harmed my client even more then they had. And yes, I had the power to transfer. All I had to do was notify the insurance company, give them the reasons, notify the doctor and transfer to another facility where he had priviliges. I didn't do it very frequently but I did do it. Sometimes over the objection of the hospital administrator and the doctor, when they were treating an injury that was clearly beyond their skills. Fortunately it happened infrequently.

I believe you get the disrespect because so many of you refer to yourself as 'nurse'. And since you are not licensed, you can do just about anything, which a lot of you do. And because you worker cheaper, you have displaced a lot of nurses.

Woody:balloons:

You go Woody ! You must be reading my mind. (scary place to be). MA's don't know what they don't know. I used to be a CNA, but there is no way I will ever have that on my ID. Now my CCRN, SANE , PALS etc are on there. It depicts how my knowlege and the extra lengths I have gone to improve pt. care. Although the CNA experience was valuable and gives me an appriciation for the difficulty of their job, I am an RN and that is quite different from my functions as a CNA. If an MA becomes an RN as leaves that on their ID it's like Dr that use to be a PA with an Id that says....Dr. SoandSo MD , PA. Who care about the PA part. Or military guy that say, Captain Miller, former cadet, 1st lt, 2nd lt. Or how' bout this one, an RN who's ID says former student.

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Specializes in icu, er, transplant, case management, ps.
You go Woody ! You must be reading my mind. (scary place to be). MA's don't know what they don't know. I used to be a CNA, but there is no way I will ever have that on my ID. Now my CCRN, SANE , PALS etc are on there. It depicts how my knowlege and the extra lengths I have gone to improve pt. care. Although the CNA experience was valuable and gives me an appriciation for the difficulty of their job, I am an RN and that is quite different from my functions as a CNA. If an MA becomes an RN as leaves that on their ID it's like Dr that use to be a PA with an Id that says....Dr. SoandSo MD , PA. Who care about the PA part. Or military guy that say, Captain Miller, former cadet, 1st lt, 2nd lt. Or how' bout this one, an RN who's ID says former student.

The one major difference I see between nurses and MA's, is that we are licensed. MA's are not. They work under a physician's license. If they work in a facility, they operate under the facilities license. At some time, doctors and facilities will realize that what they may be saving in dollars, they will lose in lawsuits. It is difficult to hold accountable someone who is not licensed. You cannot make a complaint to their board. You really cannot sue them. You can go after their employers.

I was an LPN for three years. When I passed my state boards, I allowed my LPN license to lapse. I am a licensed nurse. And that is just one of the major differences between myself and an MA.

Woody:balloons:

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Specializes in icu, er, transplant, case management, ps.
And if I saw anyone out in the Animal Control truck, I still refer to the as dog catcher.

Then my dear, like the MA who refers to her/himself as a nurse, you do not understand the duties of an Animal Control Officer. And you are using the incorrect title.. Animal Control Officers do much more then catch dogs. All one has to do is follow one around to learn just what an Animal Control Officer does. Or you could watch the Animal Planet and learn what various officers, in different parts of this country and even in Great Britian do. And then perhaps you would realize there is much more to the profession, just like there are major differences between nurses and MAs.

Woody

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

They do regulate non-licensed personnel, but even nurses do not read the nurse practice act for their own state. If no one knows what the law says then the MA's just do what they please. Our license gives us authority, responsibility and accountability --- so we need to know the NPA for our state and turn people in who are acting outside their scope of practice.

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