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?

I DON"T think the term "nurse" is protected, but obviously the term "registered nurse" is.

I could be wrong on this, but believe I've heard this. Change your pamphs to read "registered nurse diane" OR Diane, Registered Nurse.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Rewrite the brochure as Registered Nurse Diane and Nurses Aide Judy.

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Life is too complicated as it is... Don't start something if you won't be able to handle all the bickering and resentment that MIGHT come with it...

Nurse Judy-CNA and Nurse Diane-RN

Or Registered Nurse Diane sounds great to me and it will certainly not ruffle anybody's feathers...

Furthermore people will always refer to her as Nurse Judy anyway...

I fully understand that you have to earn the RN title (I'm a nursing student) but you have to understand that you will be the one frowned upon (even if you are right- and yes, you are right IMHO)... People have been calling her Nurse Judy for YEARS, brochures have been printed for YEARS with her listed as a nurse and she will also be personally offended (even if she doesn't let it show). Don't start something that can go way overboard over a title... And yes as someone already stated the word nurse is not protected... But Registrered nurse (RN) is! : )

Keep us posted on your final decision!

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

So we can call them NURSES, then I should NOT correct my patient's kids when they call me "Dr. Debbie"? Come on, this title is EARNED and you PAY DUES BIG TIME to be a NURSE. sorry, aides, CNA's, MA's and UAPs are NOT entitled to be called "nurse anything". JMO!

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Specializes in LTC, ER, ICU,.

what about patient care tech? have you talked to the nursing assistant? if not, you may find that she really does understand. however, the approach is the key.

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So what if her feelings get hurt. She is NOT a nurse. It is one thing for a pt to mistake her as one(pts assume everyone is a nurse...perhaps cuz NO ONE WEARS ID and all wear the same thing?) but quite another for her to PROMOTE herself as one. Pts have the right to know who is taking care of them and what their title is, don't you think? I am a legal secretary...POOF-I'm a lawyer?!Should a pharmacy assistant call herself a pharmacist?Come on. So what if she has worked there for 15 years...if she wants to be a nurse so bad then she should go to school and become one. Some people want the respect associated with a given title but don't want to do the work required to EARN it. It's not about being elitist or pompous...it's about the reality of the situation. Nurse Judy is not a nurse so she shouldn't call herself one. So there.

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I am going to school to become an RN, when I do I will become a nurse. Not before... but I have to tell you I have impersonated a nurse on occasion. Yep I admit it, i have done the unthinkable...if you don't believe me ask my husband...lol:rotfl:

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I may agree with the fact that its annoying for aides etc to call themselves nurses but in this particular case I cant see it ending well if nurse judy is approached.....

this is a person we are speaking about , Judy has been where you are for 15 years, and that is significant in itself, I dont think that just starting at a place and trying to change the way Judy is addressed by people is going to help your working relationships with your co workers.

maybe after a little while you can talk to it with Judy herself, and only Judy, no one else in the workplace cuz I guarantee you it will get back to Judy, twisted and with a negative spin to it for sure....

All the wonderful things you said about Judy and how you love working with her could change if you start throwing around the idea that she is some how less than, mind you you seem like you would approach this in a very nice way , from your posts you seem like a good person.

I worked in a clinic where everyone there had been working together for years and years, and some of my new, bright ideas for more effective running of the clinic were met with disdain just based on the fact I was the "new kid on the block" I got responses like "well we've done that for 10 years now, were not gonna change now" etc...

I do see your concern and annoyance

I'm just trying to put it in perspective and mention that Judy is a person, some people forget that in reading some of these responses ......

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*Nurse Judy*.............Diane, Registered Nurse

pays her the honour and respect she deserves for the time in and love and loyalty of the doc and patients.......

shows that you understand it.....

but also with difference in your designations.........pays you the respect and 'liability' that comes from being the supervisor and the professional RN.........

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Nurse Judy may be the greatest thing since sliced bread but does that mean if a person is nice, that they can assume any title they want, even if they haven't earned it? I do agree however that the issue should be approached in as subtle a manner as possible, however it should be addressed.

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Specializes in LTC, ER, ICU,.
originally posted by flo1216

so what if her feelings get hurt. she is not a nurse. it is one thing for a pt to mistake her as one(pts assume everyone is a nurse...perhaps cuz no one wears id and all wear the same thing?) but quite another for her to promote herself as one. pts have the right to know who is taking care of them and what their title is, don't you think? i am a legal secretary...poof-i'm a lawyer?!should a pharmacy assistant call herself a pharmacist?come on. so what if she has worked there for 15 years...if she wants to be a nurse so bad then she should go to school and become one. some people want the respect associated with a given title but don't want to do the work required to earn it. it's not about being elitist or pompous...it's about the reality of the situation. nurse judy is not a nurse so she shouldn't call herself one. so there.

flo, the thing is, the nurse stated that there is a good rapport at work. so, therefore, you tell her why she should not be calling herself a nurse but it is a way to tell someone without making matters worse.

tactic is the issue not a single thing more. judy knows who the nurse is and the rn knows she doesn't have to tell judy something with a "chip" on her shoulder.

your attitidue about it flo, would tear down a good working place. this is exactly why everone can not and should not be leaders. you have to way the pros and cons and then go with what is good/best for all concerned.

a person can be firm without being belittling.

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This is an interesting dilemma...I can see both sides of it. So many patients obviously care about and respect "Nurse" Judy and she's been at the clinic for eons. After all that time change would be difficult. BUT, the practice of calling someone by a title that they did not earn would be inexcusable in any other profession. Nursing should be no different. As alluded to in other posts, the fuzzy boundaries between who is a nurse and who isn't does a disservice to nursing (and the MA field) as a whole. No wonder the public is confused. Maybe you could approach Judy from a liability standpoint (i.e., it's not you, it's the lawyers and patients who are sue-happy) AND play up the fact that as an MA, she has an important sphere of responsibility all her own and she deserves to have the appropriate title that she earned. Good luck in resolving this.

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