Calling yourself an RN

An MD is a degree. In order to practice as a physician, I'm sure there are some sort of boards they have to pass in addition to completing a residency. But as long as they've completed medical school, they are an MD.

I say confront this person and call them out on their lie. Don't get into a feud with them on Facebook or any other social media. Some classmates I gradutaed with have yet to pass NCLEX to become a licensed registered nurse, BUT they get on Facebook and front like they passed and their now a RN. SMH.

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.

Even if that WERE true, she is still not employed as a nurse. Furthermore, she is not currently licensed, therefore she is not a registered nurse.

That offends me. I worked VERY hard to be able to call myself an RN. Ours is the most trusted profession in the United States and she is undermining it by lying.

See, that's the rub. Working as a nurse when you're aren't one is one thing, and as annoying as it is for non-nurses to claim to be nurses, they're not actually harming anyone by just saying they're a nurse.

They are harming the entire profession by making that false claim.

It probably is a cultural thing in Puerto Rico. Hispanic cultures tend to be more protective and respectful of earned titles.

I am voicing this from experience, lived in several latin american countries.

Having lived in Florida, and now in Texas...we have a lot of spanish speaking patients and I dont think any of the nurses know that enfermera graduada is something different from just enfermera. Specifically in Florda, we had a lot of Puerto Rican patients and I, like klone, now wonder what they thought!

An MD is a degree. In order to practice as a physician, I'm sure there are some sort of boards they have to pass in addition to completing a residency. But as long as they've completed medical school, they are an MD.

Oh ok, wasn't sure the distinction was that.

Wait, doesn't the physician has to pass the USME (or something like that) in order to obtain licensure too? Isn't the MD the RN equivalent for them?

In order to be able to get a license as a physician, an individual must pass all 3 parts of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). Usually medical students will take Steps 1 and 2 during med school--if I am not mistaken some (all?) schools require passage of Steps 1 and 2 to graduate. Step 3 is then taken during an individual's residency. If a person graduates from medical school, they are a Doctor of Medicine (MD), but they do not have a license and they cannot practice medicine independently, they have to pass Step 3. MDs are not required to complete a residency (only to do, I believe 1 year), but no decent hospital will grant a physician privileges with completing a residency.

I apologize if I got any of the details wrong--please feel free to correct me. One thing I don't know--does the PVT work for USML? (sorry, couldn't resist)

The BON in the state where I reside (Texas) has a list of nurse impostors in their quarterly newsletter. In many of the cases, local prosecutors have filed charges against persons who have fraudulently secured employment as LVNs or RNs when they lacked the education and licensure to legally work as nurses.

Those, I have heard of ...but I'm looking for social examples where the person never actually worked as a nurse, just bragged to their friends/acquaintances.

Do you personally know of anyone who has actually been fined for calling themselves a nurse? I'm genuinely curious...

There is someone on this list that I USED to know....

Board of Registered Nursing - Unlicensed Practice

I feel the need to give props to my team. I work in a clinic and have MAs (our facility calls them something different but they have the MA scope of practice). I have NEVER heard our physicians or midwives ever call them nurses, and I have never heard the MAs call themselves nurses.

When I was pregnant with my son, the "nurse" at her office routinely gave medical advice, told patients what meds to take/not to take, and never once was I able to actually speak with the doctor. Come to find out, she was a MA (never wore her badge in the office, I happened to see it one day on the counter) and I was FUMING. Everyone referred to her as the nurse.

How is the board of nursing going to fine someone who is not a nurse? Send them a bill in the mail? they have no legal authority over someone who is not a nurse.

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.

In my state, you will be Fined by the Board of Registered Nurses for even Alluding to being a nurse if you are not.

There's a whole long list of people on the board website who found that out the hard way.

There's even one or two that I might have put there........ Really bugs me to go to the Drs office and find out that the "Nurse" is really a MA.