Can a RN...

Yes but be careful; you will be held to the standards of your license.

I would be careful. I don't have any experience in the area, but I'm thinking if you're asked to do something as an RN but you were hired under the scope of practice of an MA there could be a problem. You could probably be easily taken advantage of (getting an RN's scope of practice and skills for half the pay type of thing).

Appreciate your frustration and desire to work, I'd suggest you don't do it. But since my suggestion wont pay your bills, make sure you get a written job description for the MA job, either from your employer, state regulating body, or both if possible. Read it and adhere to it carefully to protect yourself and your license.

FYI job shortages are geographical. One area is begging for RN's, another area has no jobs at all.

i would call your state board of nursing, some states do not allow you to work a job that is "under" your license.

I would be careful. I don't have any experience in the area, but I'm thinking if you're asked to do something as an RN but you were hired under the scope of practice of an MA there could be a problem. You could probably be easily taken advantage of (getting an RN's scope of practice and skills for half the pay type of thing).

Exactly "taken advantage of" is what exactly is happening to me. And now they want me to become a manager at the same meanial MA rate with more resposibility....no way! Be very careful. If you do it, get liability insurance and document everything you do there very well.

dont do it.

Maybe I'm dense, maybe I haven't been exposed to the intricacies of RN licensing, but....

How would "being held to the standards of you license" ever end up being an issue? Your scope can be restricted down as far as the job description wants, so working unless you took it upon yourself to work out of job description scope, then I really don't see what the issue is. Can anyone give an example? Can anyone actually name a case where this has been an issue (and not my mother's brother's cousin)?

I don't know, this just sounds suspiciously like BS....

Maybe I'm dense, maybe I haven't been exposed to the intricacies of RN licensing, but....

How would "being held to the standards of you license" ever end up being an issue? Your scope can be restricted down as far as the job description wants, so working unless you took it upon yourself to work out of job description scope, then I really don't see what the issue is. Can anyone give an example? Can anyone actually name a case where this has been an issue (and not my mother's brother's cousin)?

I don't know, this just sounds suspiciously like BS....

I've asked that question EVERY SINGLE TIME this subject comes up, and nobody has been able to answer me. So yes, I do suspect it's a BS response that "sounds good" but has no teeth. As long as your state allows you to work as an MA when you have an RN. I know lots of people who work in positions "beneath" their certification - RNs working as CNAs, APNs working as RNs. It's never caused a problem for any of these people.

OP, my only concern is that most places aren't going to want to hire an RN in an MA role because they would only pay you an MA's salary, and they know as soon as you get a job offer for an RN position, you'd be gone in a hot second. I suspect clinics and other facilities that are looking for an MA would just want to avoid that altogether. But beyond that, I'd say go for it. Making $10/hour as an MA is better than making $0/hour as an unemployed RN, plus you'll probably gain some valuable experience.

BS response??? Ouch.

In an effort to help the OP, I was merely stating what we had learned in school about scope of practice. Sorry it offended you. I won't do that again.

Geesh.

Didn't offend me, I just don't see where this would ever be an issue. Scope of practice can be restricted as far down as your job description wants. Granted, you might be held to the knowledge standards of an RN. But would you fail to alert a physician of something because another MA might not be knowledgable about it? It just sounds like the kind of asinine legal mumbo-jumbo made up by instructors who don't really know what they're talking about to scare students into realizing "how serious" the job is.