But she's not a nurse!

Nurses General Nursing

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I just started a new position running a clinic. The clinic is staffed by myself and one CNA. I am so happy to be working with this CNA as she has over 15 years experience working in this clinic and is a wealth of knowledge and help to me. I adore her. She is very nice and cooperative. I only have one problem with the entire situation. Everyone who comes to the clinic calls her, Nurse Judy. All of the employee handouts and printed information and brochures have her listed as Nurse Judy. They have me listed as Nurse Diane. As if we were one in the same. I am a RN and of course her supervisor. She is 20 years my senior and I really do have alot of respect for her. I just can't live with her using the Nurse designation. I know it is against the law and I'm thinking that is the angle I will try and to set the record strait. Other people who work in the company would never let thier assistants be called thier own professional titles. All of the other staff are non medical. They have worked with Judy for years, they trust her and love her. Any ideas on how to handle this?

LOL By the time I finish my RN's I might just be a nun, seem to be spending less time with the boy and more time studying and at work!!

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It has only been within the last 4 years that the word "nurse" has been restricted to RNs and LV/PNs here in California.

Funny, this was never one I thought much about. When it became an issue I just made it clear I was a registered nurse.

In some ways maybe there is something very good about people thinking those who take care of them in the hospital are all nurses. Not because they are giving the designation to people who don't deserve it, but because they recognize that nurses are the ones who do so much for them. It sure beats the ones who say the RNs have nothing to add to the conversation because they just do what the doctor (the important one) tells them to do. [We had a patient's daughter who obstructed care based on that viewpoint.]

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Specializes in LTC/Peds/ICU/PACU/CDI.
originally posted by itsjustmezoe

... rnitis....

love the this word....:rotfl: lol!!! i'm using this one :p !!!!
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Specializes in CVOR,CNOR,NEURO,TRAUMA,TRANSPLANTS.

:chuckle So you liked Rnitis: the action of a RN when position is questioned and the Rn in question must state her quailifications all the way down to how many butts she has wipped in his / her career to a fellow employee.

ie: to inflame a Registered Nurse

zoe

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I have to agree with devils advocate, why are you upset about it???? She's not taking away from you, looks like you are getting your recognition. I worked with a "nurse" who had been with the same physicians office for over 30 years(longer than the present doc's), She was referred to as nurse. The CNA's do perform nursing care that we delegate to them, it's not like a surg tech performing a surgery, they only do what is allowed. Which is more important here, that she is called a nurse or that the pts get comprehensive care???:rolleyes:

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Specializes in LDRP; Education.
Originally posted by norinradd

I know several PAs who are called Doc all of the time. When corrected they say they are fully aware he is not an MD but use the term as a matter of respect.

Maybe I don't get it here but why wouldn't being a PA have enough respect in it's own right? Just as, why is not being a CNA enough respect in it's own right? So...to afford respect to the CNA or MA, we call them nurse. I am a nurse, yet I get ZERO respect as a result of the title. In fact, the more titles I have, the lessrespect I have gotten...the more removed I am from the bedside, the less of a nurse I am...yadda yadda.

Respect or not, I believe it is HIGHLY unethical to mislead the public and or patients. They might fully believe she is a "nurse," and whatever that definition entails to them, if it's a nurse that defines someone with a license, then she should not be called a nurse!

It has nothing to do with recognition of the RN at the clinic, it has to do with informing patients and being forthright about who is taking care of them.

In some states they are demanding nurses wear their last name on their ID badges because "patients want to know who is taking care of them." Yet, we allow a CNA to call herself a nurse?

One word: ass-backwards.

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In answer to your post I will probably cop a lot of flak here but I have broad shoulders :)

I have a problem with unqualified carers-practitioners-employees, what ever the position is... using the title "nurse" with so little enlightenment for which I so strenuously trained for and achieved. The nursing boards of Australia also take this view and impose a 12 month jail sentence or $2000 fine for any person making themselves out to be a nurse.

The fact is our colleagues are certainly an asset to us (in their positions of employment) but nursing is nursing and if they want to be acknowledged as nurses there is a career pathway available and god knows we need them all if they choose to become qualified.

In ending I worked as an Assistant in Nursing for 5 years before I trained... then I got off my backside and created a career I love.

Thanks for the post on a topic I have endured for years.

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Just a second piece of thought... I think it is really scary to think of CNA's giving injections and high tech "qualified nursing" job descriptions... makes me wonder where nursing is going in the 21st century... do we give away our roles ????

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Originally posted by Aussienurse2

I don't know how this might be applicable but where I work we call RN's "sister" and enrolled nurses "nurse" . This way the clients and their families can differentiate between us.

I come from aussie too and we call a nurse a nurse.... sister is rather outdated isnt it sister??? but at least I am an EN (nurse)

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Specializes in CVOR,CNOR,NEURO,TRAUMA,TRANSPLANTS.

There are many countries that call their Senior Nurses Sisters and their undergraduate Nurses , Nurses. I found it to be the case when the British Schooling system is in place. In South Africa Im a licensed Sister, and in Egypt Im a Sister as well, But when Im in the states , My brother calls me sister........lol

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I just have to wonder if out there somewhere there is a "alldoctors.com" web site and the message board reads something like "but he's not a doctor".

and some whiney-ass md is going on and on about "I worked my everliving tushy off for that stink'n degree and he's just a lowly pa, it's not fair blah blah blah, boo hoo hoo"

people have way too much spare time nowadays dont they?:roll

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Specializes in LDRP; Education.
Originally posted by reddgott

I just have to wonder if out there somewhere there is a "alldoctors.com" web site and the message board reads something like "but he's not a doctor".

and some whiney-ass md is going on and on about "I worked my everliving tushy off for that stink'n degree and he's just a lowly pa, it's not fair blah blah blah, boo hoo hoo"

people have way too much spare time nowadays dont they?:roll

You're right, I guess we DO have too much spare time.

I guess I simply don't believe in misleading or LYING to patients AT ALL, especially about who is taking care of them, and, neither would this "whiney-ass md."

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