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?????
All the "Nurse" title confusion is exactly why when people ask me what I'm in school for I say that when I graduate in May I"ll be a RN after I take boards. In fact, come to think of it, I never use the term "Nurse". Always RN, LPN, CNA etc. I saw a thread some time ago about RN's going back to all white, but scrubs, and to have it this way everywhere, in every hospital, so patients would know that those in white are the RN's. I'm not sure I think all white is the greatest idea, but I think any color would work.
The misrepresentation came from the "nurse" deliberately presenting herself as such. In this state, to say "I am a nurse" when you are not, is a crime.
Specializes in LTC, CPR instructor, First aid instructor..
When I was a school bus driver, it identified who I was, and I wore the company jacket. It made me feel good to get children to their distinations safely.
When I was an EMT, a CPR, and a first aid instructor, it also made me feel good. I had the training to help people, and I often wore my ambulance corps, and my name tags that identified me as a CPR instructor, EMT, etc, it also made me feel good, and they identified me by the training I had. I was all volunteer then for many many years, and I loved it.
Now that I'm a nurse, and always will be, I let people know it, because it makes me feel good that I have that knowledge.
All of these things identify our accomplishments, and give us self actualization. And that makes us all feel good. It's not about bragging or showing off, but it is about our accomplishments:up:
It's not about getting along and working together. It's about those persons who insist on calling themselves nurses and deceiving the public.
It's about being proud of who you are and saying I am an LPN, RN, CNA or MA whatever the case may be.
Lets say you take your sick child to the pediatrician. After leaving you go to the pharmacy find out that actually this doctor is a veternarian, wouldn't you feel duped? Wouldn't you be just alittle upset? Would you have let this veternarian care for your child had you known he was not in fact a medical doctor?
Maybe he stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night!
hmmmm - well we would know if they were a vet or doc cause the costs would trigger the truth.. when i take my kid to doc it costs 100 bucks and 30 bucks for antibiotics- i take my dog it costs 30 bucks and the abx costs 6 bucks ( same stuff by the way ) perhaps i shoudl take my monkeys to the vet LOLOL - :w00t:
I get enough admiration from the patients I take care of. People do respect Nurses as a whole and I'm very proud to be one. I'm not ashamed to tell people I'm a nurse, but life comes with balances. When I'm with my family at a party and such, if people ask what I do for a living, I say "mommy" so that I can focus on being mom instead of Nurse. It is a stressful job, and private time away from the job is important.
hmmmm - well we would know if they were a vet or doc cause the costs would trigger the truth.. when i take my kid to doc it costs 100 bucks and 30 bucks for antibiotics- i take my dog it costs 30 bucks and the abx costs 6 bucks ( same stuff by the way ) perhaps i shoudl take my monkeys to the vet LOLOL -
:pntrghi:You missed the point completely. Take the child to a pediatrician, pay the peds regular fee, take RX to drug store, find out that ped that you just saw and paid was really a vet. Would you feel the doctor had misrepresented himself? Would you feel dupped?
:pntrghi:You missed the point completely. Take the child to a pediatrician, pay the peds regular fee, take RX to drug store, find out that ped that you just saw and paid was really a vet. Would you feel the doctor had misrepresented himself? Would you feel dupped?
man some people can be so serious- i was joking for heavens sakes, to lighten the mood . i didnt miss any point - i ignored the point cause its an unbelievable scenario, at least in my area - i am sure in other areas there are vets masquerading as doctors in clinics and hospitals all over.........:icon_roll
perhaps others are missing the real point - in your scenario yes that is gross misrepresentation - that would be illegal as all get out. those of us who are advocating that it isn't such a big deal to have people call others a nurse or let the people we work on call a part of our team say a cna a nurse - as long as they are not practicing out of thier scope there is no reason to get uptight with what the patient wishes to classify them. as for any nurses who may be saying they are a nurse and are not and are working under that pretense as a nurse in a nurses scope in a hospital or nursing home etc. under false pretenses - well then they can be arrested and should be and dealt with. just the word nurse is what the argument is about and its silly to argue about the word vs the actual action of portraying one. people "nurse" thier family and friends in this country every day, they are taught by US nurses to do dressings , give meds, even hadt he joy of teaching afamily member to give chemo IV once in home health - perhaps we should get mad cause they are taking away our job by taking care of thier families and friends. sheesh -
by the way my 92 yr old grandma calls her home health aide her " nurse" , her "nurse" her nurse - she is quite aware of what the persons can and can not do its just easier for her that way - she has a nice little nurse who comes and bathes her, another who comes and sets up her meds, yada yada- it in no way makes me mad matter of fact i am glad she is able to be at home at 92 and not in a nursing home.
in your scenario yes that is gross misrepresentation - that would be illegal as all get out.
So is calling oneself a nurse when in fact they are not
it isn't such a big deal to have people call others a nurse or let the people we work on call a part of our team say a cna a nurse - as long as they are not practicing out of thier scope
If a CNA allows a patient to think they are a nurse then they are practicing out of their scope. MA's are not allowed to call orders in, we as nurses are not allowed to take orders from an unlicensed person. Many call orders to me and when I ask for their title they say "I'm the nurse", ok LPN? or RN? ummmm......MA. The same one's call trying to get away with it again and again. They give false information to patients. I wish I had a dime for every false piece of information that has been given to one of my HH patients that they were informed came from the "nurse". I had one patient who nearly died because the MA told them to take Plavix, Aspirin and Coumadin. The patient had called to ask the nurse what they should do and the MA took it upon herself to tell the patient to take all 3 meds. She was in the hosp in ICU that very night. Because "I" the nurse knew the patient had taken way too much anticoagulant, checked her PT/INR, her INR was 37+ and I called 911. The doctor said the MA didn't even know what Plavix or Coumadin were. Did he fire her? No.
I have no problem with an MA who practices within their scope. We are discussing those who do not and who insist that they are a nurse in every sense of the word when they are not a nurse.
just the word nurse is what the argument is about and its silly to argue about the word vs the actual action of portraying one.
people "nurse" thier family and friends in this country every day, they are taught by nurses to do dressings, give meds, even hadt he joy of teaching afamily member to give chemo IV once in home health - perhaps we should get mad cause they are taking away our job by taking care of thier families and friends.
Family members do drsg changes and injections and such in their homes but they do not call themselves nurses. I certainly don't fear for them taking my job.
Calling yourself a nurse when you're not is not against the law. Practicing nursing when you're not (except where the Good Samaritan Law kicks in) is against the law. Calling yourself a nurse when you're not is lying, but unless you act as a nurse, you are not committing a crime. That doesn't mean you can't get into trouble if you do it in the wrong setting.
You have every right to take offense at this and you are not alone. None of us would refer to the receptionist, CNA or MA as the "doc" so why would we accept someone with little or no education being classified as a nurse. I really think that,when this occurs, it is important that we engage in a side conversation with the person using the term inappropriately.Point out that it is misleading, especially to patients. But rather than be resentful, we do need to speak up. Especially to management. It is only when we value our profession enough to use our voices in a professional and direct manner that we will truly effect change.
Calling yourself a nurse when you're not is not against the law. Practicing nursing when you're not (except where the Good Samaritan Law kicks in) is against the law. Calling yourself a nurse when you're not is lying, but unless you act as a nurse, you are not committing a crime. That doesn't mean you can't get into trouble if you do it in the wrong setting.
Q. Can an unlicensed person call themselves a nurse?
A. No. K.S.A. 65-1114 makes it unlawful for any individual to practice as, hold oneself out as, use any sign/card/device or words to the effect they are licensed as an RN, LPN or ARNP unless they are duly licensed or authorized. K.S.A. 65-1122 imposes a criminal penalty for such actions.
Referring to an unlicensedperson as “the nurse” or representing such a person to patients as a nurse, leading a patient to believe the person is a registered nurse, is a very unwise practice. Under 54.1-3008, it is a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person to: “knowingly employ an unlicensedperson as a professional or practical nurse or knowingly permit an unlicensedperson to represent himself as a professional or practical nurse; use in connection with his name any designation tending to imply
that he is a professional nurse or a practical nurse unless duly licensed to practice”.
when i take my kid to doc it costs 100 bucks and 30 bucks for antibiotics- i take my dog it costs 30 bucks and the abx costs 6 bucks ( same stuff by the way ) perhaps i shoudl take my monkeys to the vet LOLOL - :w00t:
beachbum3
341 Posts
All the "Nurse" title confusion is exactly why when people ask me what I'm in school for I say that when I graduate in May I"ll be a RN after I take boards. In fact, come to think of it, I never use the term "Nurse". Always RN, LPN, CNA etc. I saw a thread some time ago about RN's going back to all white, but scrubs, and to have it this way everywhere, in every hospital, so patients would know that those in white are the RN's. I'm not sure I think all white is the greatest idea, but I think any color would work.