Calling yourself an RN

[MadpeysRN]

I am Facebook friends with someone i work with. She lists herself as an RN where we work and she is not. She is housekeeping staff. This makes me crazy!

[klone, MSN, RN]

Are you going to do anything about it?

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

Have you confronted her about it? Is it illegal in your state?

[MadpeysRN]

that is why I posted because I not sure what can be done. Is it only illegal in certain states??

[klone, MSN, RN]

Well, you could post on her wall "Hey Sally, it bothers me that you are calling yourself an RN when you are actually housekeeping staff. That might actually be illegal. " or you could post it on your wall and tag her, so she can see the comment but not delete it. Or you could report her to your HR department. Particularly if she has her employer listed in her profile, they would be interested in knowing she's misrepresenting her role at your facility.

[EmergencyRN22]

I'd send her a private message first before blasting it all over both walls. Give her the benefit of the doubt -perhaps she didn't know the possible repercussions.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Why aren't some people happy in their own skins? Why do some people feel the compulsive need to lie about their credentials, educational attainment, and occupations? I'll never fully understand these impostors.

The office manager at Dr. Heart's cardiology practice wouldn't be able to get away with calling herself a cardiologist.

The factory worker at the electronics plant wouldn't be able to get away with calling himself an electrical engineer.

The legal secretary at the patent law firm wouldn't be able to get away with calling herself a patent attorney.

The fisherman on the lobster trapping crew in Maine wouldn't be able to get away with calling himself a marine biologist.

However, it seems that everyone and their mommas can claim to be nurses with little or no repercussions. Members of these other professions will call impostors out on the carpet for faking and shaking. It is time for nursing to get with the program.

[klone, MSN, RN]

I'd send her a private message first before blasting it all over both walls. Give her the benefit of the doubt -perhaps she didn't know the possible repercussions.

Certainly that would be the nice thing to do.

[proud nurse, BSN, RN]

However, it seems that everyone and their mommas can claim to be nurses with little or no repercussions. Members of these other professions will call impostors out on the carpet for faking and shaking. It is time for nursing to get with the program.

Great post, Commuter. Lol @ "faking and shaking". That's exactly what it is.

[Eru Ilúvatar]

It is illegal to claim to be a nurse unless you have a license. LPN, RN and NP are the only ones allowed to call themselves Nurses, any other person would be infringing the law under "Fraud", is just like you cant call yourself lawyer, engineer, physician , CIA agent, etc.

People need to start calling out those that misrepresent themselves and end up causing confusion on the public. As a professional it is our duty to watch out for the reputation of our profession, and to make sure only members can identify themselves as such, or next time claim to be an Architect to a group in an Architect Office and let me know how that goes.

[MadpeysRN]

I haven't spoken to her personally about it but others have said she tells people she just let her license expire. I checked nursys for our state and their is no license not even inactive.

[BrandonLPN, LPN]

I'd almost feel sorry for her. That's just flat-out delusional. Of course, she should be called out on it, but I'd try to do so kindly... at least at first.