Calling yourself an RN

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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!

To the OP: what you condone, you own.

It would really bother me if someone came to me and said "so and so calls herself a nurse. It's been going on for a year like that".

If I know that YOU know it is wrong, I'm going to hold you just as accountable for allowing it to continue.

And now you know, too. I'm still deciding your punishment, though.

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The poster checked and did not find one. Per the OP others have said that this housekeeper claims her license expired.

Maybe she lost her license for some embarrassing reason, and this is an incredibly misguided attempt at saving face. (of course, if I lost my license, the last place I'd want to work would be a hospital. But who knows)

Personally, I'd only be motivated to report this person if I had reason to believe she was practicing nursing without a license. A housekeeper trying to convince her Facebook entourage that she's a RN is more sad than dangerous, IMO.

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Specializes in Nephrology.

Is she an immigrant or a US citizen? Well she might be an RN in her country or something.

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Specializes in Neonatal Nurse Practitioner.
I doubt it.

Probably illegal to do this in a professional setting. Drafting a will after claiming to be a lawyer is illegal. Bragging in a bar, or on a Facebook page, that you are a rocket scientist probably is not illegal.

A house keeper claiming to be a nurse is sad, but not illegal. And really, what does it matter? People lie about all kind of stuff on Facebook.

From my state's nursing practice act (which is law just like any other):

"925. Violations; penalty

A. No person shall engage in any of the following activities:

...

(4) Use in connection with his name any designation tending to imply that he is a registered nurse or and advanced practice registered nurse unless duly licensed to practic under the provisions of this Part.

...

B. Whoever violates any provision of the Part shall, upon conviction, be fined not more than five thousand dollars or imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than five years, or both."

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OP, how about just posting on your own wall that it is illegal to call yourself a RN if you don't hold a license? She will see it, and you won't have to confront her.

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OP, how about just posting on your own wall that it is illegal to call yourself a RN if you don't hold a license? She will see it, and you won't have to confront her.

That's really passive aggressive.

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Specializes in Management, Med/Surg, Clinical Trainer.

This kind of stuff makes me a little crazy. There are MAs in doctors offices around the country who do the same thing. It is not right and it is illegal. And it also confuses patients.

If she is proclaiming to be a nurse ask her point blank if she is licensed. If she says no clue her in about the legality.

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Specializes in critical care.
Whoa! Housekeeping is hardly light duty. :wacky:

Forgive me - poor wording! Perhaps "less pressure"? Not saying housekeeping is NO pressure, but less, or different.

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Specializes in critical care.
That's really passive aggressive.

Plus, no knowing if she'd even see it.

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Specializes in OB.

I have a close friend that calls herself a surgical technologist, and it drives me CRAZY. She does work with scopes and GI patients and that's about it. She doesn't have any schooling, any knowledge on any other instruments other than a scopes, sterile technique, nothing. I went to school for a whole year and studied my butt off to become one so I would be mad as well. Now that I'm about to graduate with my BSN in 8 months, I would probably call

Someone out if I knew they're calling themselves nurses when they're not after all the trouble, sacrifice and heartache it has cost me to become one.

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From my state's nursing practice act (which is law just like any other):

"925. Violations; penalty

A. No person shall engage in any of the following activities:

...

(4) Use in connection with his name any designation tending to imply that he is a registered nurse or and advanced practice registered nurse unless duly licensed to practic under the provisions of this Part.

...

B. Whoever violates any provision of the Part shall, upon conviction, be fined not more than five thousand dollars or imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than five years, or both."

That's tough talk, but has it ever actually happened? ...when it's only a claim and not practicing?

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OP, how about just posting on your own wall that it is illegal to call yourself a RN if you don't hold a license? She will see it, and you won't have to confront her.

I'm 99.9% sure she's gotten lots of hints and even been confronted directly, on occasion. They all have. They don't care.

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