boards need to regulate MA's

I started reading back through all of everyone's comments. It amazes me how snooty some of you nurses are sounding!!! Did you become a nurse for a title or because you want to help people??? If you have had problems with MA's or any other office personnel calling themselves nurses---who cares----if someone needs to give themselves a ficticious title to make themselves feel better---LET THEM!!! Why are you wasting your enrrgy putting them down??? I thought this site was for nurses to come together?!?!?!?

Seems you are a little wound up as well. Listen it isn't about being "snooty." If the MA's that are working outside what they are supposed to be would be "Responsible" and not take on the "We are nurses attitudes" maybe people wouldn't get so upset. Working with them thinking they are Nurses is a farce. This IS A NURSING site. IF they want to whine and cry about poor pay and working like nurses, let them do it on a site that is dedicated to MA's. I actually, as a nursing student and former MA, find it offensive when others try to be something they are not!

i think back now and i want to crawl up under a cough or something. there is no such thing a a pharm class in ma school (for those of you that are ma's and think you have been through a pharm class wait until you have hit nursing school) we had very simple dosage calculations for like a day and that is pretty much it... there was no drug cards, no knowing every drug by heart or you go home for the day....but when you start working you are giving all these injections and have no clue anything about the pharm behind the drug... for me when i was a ma i knew what i was doing, but didn't know why.

i've had to correct many ma's over the years when they call me with changes to my patients... and they get mad ...life goes on honey . like the one that tried to call in dig 25mg instead of 0.25mg or the one that kept telling me that the patient needed vicodin when they had a known allergy to tylenol... i could go on and on here....

i actually took the ma pharm class and dosage calc because all of the ma students at my cc always said how tough their pogram is and how it is the "same thing" as nursing. i thought it would be helpful so i took it the quarter before i began my rn program. i got 100 percent on every single test without studying and thought "well ns won't be so bad if it is like this." i got to nursing school and exhausted all of my previously learned pharm knowledge in about 2-3 days. i also had the chance to look over the anatomy and physiology book that the ma students had. it barely scratched the surface. i just don't understand why a lot of ma's think they are the same as a nurse. if that were true then they must not be the brightest bulbs because what smart person would go to school for the "same" length of time, learn the "same" things, work in an office doing the "same" job knowing they are going to come out earning far less money with less job mobility? doesn't make any sense. obviously the two are different.

I started reading back through all of everyone's comments. It amazes me how snooty some of you nurses are sounding!!! Did you become a nurse for a title or because you want to help people??? If you have had problems with MA's or any other office personnel calling themselves nurses---who cares----if someone needs to give themselves a ficticious title to make themselves feel better---LET THEM!!! Why are you wasting your enrrgy putting them down??? I thought this site was for nurses to come together?!?!?!?

Let's see...well, an MA isn't a nurse, and it is fraudulent for an MA to represent himself/herself as one to patients. "Nurse" is not a ficitious title.

You need to educate yourself on the legal pitfalls of misrepresenting oneself as a licensed professional to the public. There are consequences. If someone wants the title of "nurse" and the responsibilities that come with that title, then that person should go to school and go about getting it honestly.

I started reading back through all of everyone's comments. It amazes me how snooty some of you nurses are sounding!!! Did you become a nurse for a title or because you want to help people??? If you have had problems with MA's or any other office personnel calling themselves nurses---who cares----if someone needs to give themselves a ficticious title to make themselves feel better---LET THEM!!! Why are you wasting your enrrgy putting them down??? I thought this site was for nurses to come together?!?!?!?

1 I grew up in Fla.

2. I didnt become a nurse for the title or wanting to help people. I wanted to work in job, inside, out of the heat. With a bunch of good looking women. Im still married to one 30 yrs later.

3. Obviously Im a guy

4. I already stated that it doesnt threaten me if they call them selves nurses. I Know who and what I am.

I just received I started reading back through all of everyone's comments. It amazes me how snooty some of you nurses are sounding!!! Did you become a nurse for a title or because you want to help people??? If you have had problems with MA's or any other office personnel calling themselves nurses---who cares----if someone needs to give themselves a ficticious title to make themselves feel better---LET THEM!!! Why are you wasting your enrrgy putting them down??? I thought this site was for nurses to come together?!?!?!?

Back in 1964, I wanted to go to law school. My father decided to relocate from Southern California, where I was all ready in college, to upstate New York. Before we left, I got an application, along with a letter, stating the the NYS Department of Mental Health offered to pay for a year at a local university. All I had to do, was accepted $15 every two weeks and pay $500. I did, and with a minor misstep, graduated in 1971 with an AD in Nursing. I went on to earn a BSN and a MS in Hospital Administration. Funny, I worked hard to get my initial degree in nursing. And what is even funnier, I am very protective of my title of R.N. and my former title of L.P.N. And I had to sit for a two day licensing examination to get my license. And yes, I am very protective of anyone else using the title of nurse, to discribe themselves, when in fact they are neither an L.P.N. or a R.N.

And while I may be put down for this statement, this is a gathering place for nurses. We allow others to post here. And a good number of us, take exception to anyone calling themselves a nurse, who is neither an L.P.N. or R.N.. I don't much care where they work, they are frauds. You might not care but then there are some that nothing is that important, not even a license.

Woody:balloons:

If you have had problems with MA's or any other office personnel calling themselves nurses---who cares----if someone needs to give themselves a ficticious title to make themselves feel better---LET THEM!!!

Come on now....I can't believe I'm even reading that comment. People who impersonate nurses in order to soothe their poor self esteem should seek professional help and not be allowed to play out their fantasy at the cost of the patients.

If you take your sick child to the peditrician and the the doc comes in and says "I'm actually a Veternarian but I've always wanted to be a peditrican" Would you allow this Vet to engage in role playing with the health of your child? Office people, MA's or any other unlicensed person

has no right to impersonate a nurse or any other member of any other profession. I'm sorry it's wrong and should not be allowed.

I thought this site was for nurses to come together?!?!?!?

We are coming together for what is right and what is wrong. There are both ladies and gentleman members of this site.

Heck no! Why would the BON want to get involved? Should the BON also regulate PA's? They do a lot of stuff.

MD's use MA's let MD's regulate them.

Ohhhh but the MD's are already regulating them...they're letting them do whatever they want and call them nurses/let them call themselves nurses!! :nono:Nope, I don't think MD's are the ones to regulate MA's.:trout:

Sigh...

Ohhhh but the MD's are already regulating them...they're letting them do whatever they want and call them nurses/let them call themselves nurses!! :nono:Nope, I don't think MD's are the ones to regulate MA's.:trout:

Sigh...

How about each state's Department of Education?

Woody:balloons:

How about each state's Department of Education?

Woody:balloons:

Good idea. I'll vote for that!

Good idea. I'll vote for that!

Actually, I got the idea from the state I am licensed in, New York State. All occupations requiring a license, in New York State, are gotten from our Department of Education. They keep track of renewal dates. CEU's and dates when they are required for renewal. They are who you have to contact when you want your state board-sorry, I am reallly, really old school, sent to another state. They even tell you who is approved for providing CEU's, in NYS, as well as other states.

Woody:balloons:

I thought this site was for nurses to come together?!?!?!?

I have to ask this question; do you consider yourself to be a nurse? Based on this comment, it seems that you do.

I can see how a person can be confused about performing some of the same tasks as a nurse may do, but there is a clear difference between the education and responsibilities of the MA verses the nurse. If you ever get to attend nursing school, you will see what we mean. You are performing nursing tasks, yes, but there is a whole rationale behind the things that you are doing that you have not been taught. Even nurses are learning each day; but the difference is that if we don't know, we are held more liable and accountable if there is a mistake made.

I was a medical assistant; one that paid a mere $300 for an 8 week course to become one. I was taught injections, how to do an EKG, phlebotomy and quite a few things. I can even say that some of the notes that I had in MA class assisted me with nursing school, but what it did do is show me WHY...and the legal implications if I do the wrong thing.

I am not trying to flame or insult you. What we are saying is that there is much more to it than just do a task.

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.

Physician's Assistants and Medical Assistants are performing 'physician extension' tasks. It is important to differentiate Physician from Nursing roles and please point this important difference out to our patients.

As far as the term 'nurse' is concerned, anyone can use it (licenced, trained or not!) but most State BON's frown on non registered nurses and non vocational/practical nurses from impersonating one. Fines and jail may be involved depending on the state and the infraction.

Last, collaborative practice is vitally important in our current healthcare environent. Insist on it and deliver it because our patients deserve it. I cannot fulfill my role effectively if I am busy peforming another person's tasks or role. Remind the MA who says they "are just like a nurse" that there are valuable contributions to our paitent's care they can provide that we cannot , and the reverse is also true. Together we can provide a much better level of care than either of us could alone . If this fails, benzoin them to the nearest chair and put them in a closet . Patient safety comes first.