maybe its just me, but i get very bothered when someone says "i'm a nurse," and their not, their a cna, or nurse aid, or have no schooling at all and just worked their way up in a clinic. i work at a local emergency clinic 30 hours a week to gain experience in my field, and i just got accepted in ns, and i'v worked darn hard to get here! and i find it bothersome when one of the girls at work say "i'm the nurse" or something along those lines...i feel that when i graduate and pass my nclex that, only then, will i be able to say "i'm a nurse." the other day my doctor said "jamie, will you get a nurse?" i said "im sorry doc, i dont think we have any of those working here." he actually laughed and said "you know what i mean"......but is this just me?????
Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
Actually you are wrong. Here in Florida, we have the Division of Professional Regulation. Anyone who represents themselves as someone who is licensed or certified, in this state, can be prosecuted if they are not licensed or certified. And their employer be it a doctor's office or a clinic, can also be sanctioned, suspended or have their license revoked. Back in the 80's I reported someone to them who was representing himself as a P.A., as well as the doctor who allowed him to. After an investigation, the doctor received a suspension and the individual was prosecuted for fraud. I also gave testimony, in NYS, against a gentleman who represented himself as a doctor when he was not. His brother was and had suffered a stroke. The doctor lost his license and his brother received a five year prison term and was deported, after he had served his time. Most states have such departments. They are just as concerned about misrepresentation as we are.
If you would like to know how I investigated this doctor, I was a fraud and abuse investigator for the Department of Health, New York State, in NYC. We had received a letter of complaint by a member of his community that was concerned. He was also charged with billing fraud because he had billed Medicaid.
People misrepresenting themselves can be called to task for their misrepresentations. You just have to do a little exploring to find out which department in your state covers this area.
Woody:balloons:
I am surprized to see that your reports went as far as they did. And, you live in New York? So do I!! Who or what department did you actually file the complaint with? I may need this information one day. Thanks.
what a fascinating stream, tiffany you deserve much credit for your hard work and commitment to your chosen employment field... i am sure you do a fantastic job and serve both your employer and clients very well.
:nono:however...nobody, regardless of their dedication and hard work has the right to assume a professional title i earned by passing exams set by a state licensing body. the same body which charges me money to remain on a register and insists i demonstrate a high level of professional competence which may be tested in a court of law.:angryfire
anyway thats my little rant for the day, (and i'm only new to this site too.)
sorry to sound so aggressive but thats the way i feel about the rights and responsibilities which go with the title "nurse"
life was easier when i wore a white uniform and veil and every one called me "sister"
princenina from australia .... where we fight the same battles.
Specializes in icu, er, transplant, case management, ps.
I am surprized to see that your reports went as far as they did. And, you live in New York? So do I!! Who or what department did you actually file the complaint with? I may need this information one day. Thanks.
When I lived in NYS and did my fraud and abuse investigation, I was an employee of the Department of Health. My unit was a pet project of the Deputy Commissioner. If it connected to Medicaid, you can report your suspicions do the Department of Health, Medicaid Devision. Since most of these people bill Medicaid, it is safe to assume that you can report it to the DOH. If it is faud connected to a hospital or clinic you can report it to the Attorney General's office, who should investigate it. If it is insurance fraud, the Department of Insurance. If it connects in any way to Medicaid, you can call them and/or the FBI. I reported a deliberate wrong billing of my Medicaid to the FBI. I had to give them a recorded, sworn statement and copies of my bills. It was an HCA facility and they were prosecuted.
I lived in NYS from 1964 to 1980. I returned to go to Sage College, in 2003. I had to drop out of school because I developed blood clots, while visiting my grandchildren down here in Florida. I lived in Guilderland, was born in Troy and my daughter was born in Schenectady.
Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
When I lived in NYS and did my fraud and abuse investigation, I was an employee of the Department of Health. My unit was a pet project of the Deputy Commissioner. If it connected to Medicaid, you can report your suspicions do the Department of Health, Medicaid Devision. Since most of these people bill Medicaid, it is safe to assume that you can report it to the DOH. If it is faud connected to a hospital or clinic you can report it to the Attorney General's office, who should investigate it. If it is insurance fraud, the Department of Insurance. If it connects in any way to Medicaid, you can call them and/or the FBI. I reported a deliberate wrong billing of my Medicaid to the FBI. I had to give them a recorded, sworn statement and copies of my bills. It was an HCA facility and they were prosecuted.
I lived in NYS from 1964 to 1980. I returned to go to Sage College, in 2003. I had to drop out of school because I developed blood clots, while visiting my grandchildren down here in Florida. I lived in Guilderland, was born in Troy and my daughter was born in Schenectady.
When I was a nurse tech, I would get called a nurse by some of my pts, and didn't always correct them. Sometimes the pts were confused just by the number of people that they saw daily, and we all looked the same. But I never walked in and called myself the nurse, even when I took a pt load. I usually told them I was working with the nurses and would be taking care of them. We also had boards that we put our names and titles (Nurse or aid) to help the pts.
In Calderdale West Yorkshire where I worked as a district nurse until my untimely end( see Sairy Gamp thread!)
The Powers that Be decided on the brilliant idea of dressing nurses and auxiliaries exactly alike so that the general public were fooled into thinking there were laods of nurses swarming around. They did the dame in the hospital, designing a ghastly pale blue top so that you looked like a supermarket check-out operator, ice cream sellar,postman, schoolgirl whatever........for soem reason the men were left in mufti!
Despite the name badge which is always difficult to read--especailly for the elderly! when I worked on nights, where there were always two of us visiting, this meant that no-one knew who was trained, whether we were both untrained, or whether we were both trained!
Marie Curie nurses, you might observe, are always called just that, but many of them, with all due respect, are not trained nurses. They allwear the same uniform and all are referred to as nurses.
Our auxiliaries also are doing more and more what were once nursing tasks also, these days. But I think the uniform deception is a real farce,and although I am not one for standing on ceremony, I feel it was better in the past when we wore out blue dresses and hats and everyone knew that you were a "proper" nurse!
When I worked on the community in Calderdale West Yorkshire the Powers that Be hit on the bright idea to dress nurses and auxiliaries exactly alike so that the public were fooled into thinking the place was swarming with nurses. They did the same in the hospital, the design was a ghastly pale blue tunic top(though they did have expaulettes, not that anyone would notice!) In the community there was no distinction other than a name badge which I am sure no-one could read in the middle of a nursing crisis--especially the elderly! This meant that when we worked in twos overnight no one knew who the qualified was, or whether we were both qualified or both unqualified. Of course we introduced ourselves, but it is all first names over here these days. When I started in the 1980s it was a blue dress and hat and I was called Sister. With all due respect to the Marie Curie service which does a wonderful job with staff who receive a lot of training, still many of these "nurses" are not qualified, again they all wear the same--as far as I know, they certainly used to, and the service known as Marie Curie nurses.
So its against the law. But does it threaten who you are. Does it cause you to be hurt. Does it really bother you and if so why. Yes it may well be illegal. Fraudulent, even. But how does it affect you. A lot of things are illegal. Occasionally I hunt out of season. Doesnt hurt anybody except the deer I shoot. Presidents pardon people who obstruct justice, doesnt hurt anyone.
Oh Yes it hurts someone ! I worked in a doctors office with 2 CMA's and one of the CMA'S took a Nurse call and of course told the patient she was "The Nurse" and gave medical advice and when the patient complained, the doctor came at me first,because I was the only "nurse " in the office. It was very uncomfortable for me until one of the CMA's told the doctor that it was actually the other CMA. I could have lost my job over that.:angryfire
Well, Tom, it IS a problem, and a rather big one from where I'm standing (or sitting, at the moment).
Who is hurt? Well, when someone who can't buy a clue about nursing is convincing others that she IS a nurse, well, whatever she says then becomes FACT. To the people who are being deceived (and they ARE deceived, since they have been lied to), the medical information or advice they are receiving is bonafide. Legitimate. And those people will tell others about what "the nurse" told them, and potentially they or someone else will be hurt. Pretty good potential for that, from what I've seen. So who is hurt? The people who fall prey to this fraud.
What else is hurt? The credibility of ALL nurses, once the information or advice is at some point recognized to be horse pucky. Because it won't be "a Wannabe told me bad information under false pretenses". Nope. It will be "a NURSE didn't know what she was talking about when she told me to do XYZ". THAT'S what they will remember. "Hey, Bob: Nurses can't be trusted to give even simple medical information, it seems; remember what that idiot from Doc Baker's office told me?"
Lets see if I got you right. You are saying that someone who lies about being a nurses, tells a lie. Then that lie becomes a "FACT"
As I said, both of us on nights were called "the nurses" but only one was qualified. Both wore exactly the same uniform--who is going to scrutinize tiny name badges?All the Marie Curie "carers" are called "nurses" whether qualified or not.Their leaflet staes "nurses" and how many of them there are--I guess they lump the whole work force in one overall number?????? No doubt the Social Service carers who put patients to bed--and these days do all sorts that in the past was decreed as nursing--are seen by their grateful "clients/patients/new fangled term--are called "nurses".
People generally assume whoever is visiting them in the community wearing some kind of generic garb is a nurse. I am not sure how this applies in hospital but I guess any patient calling out for a bedpan--or whatever--calls "Nurse!"
This has always irked me. It is true as the other nurses said, It's against the law to call yourself a nurse, if you arn't one.
If I could make a suggestion. NAME TAGS! Nurses are also required by law to wear a name tag that identifies them and their degree of education..ie: RN, LPN, BSN etc. We wear these with pride, it lets patients know we have been educated. It does sadden me when I see alot of nurses that wear their's backwards. That sends the wrong message, at least to me, as I am hospitalized frequently, and see alot of doc's, and specialists.
pagandeva2000, LPN
7,984 Posts
I am surprized to see that your reports went as far as they did. And, you live in New York? So do I!! Who or what department did you actually file the complaint with? I may need this information one day. Thanks.