claiming to be what she isn't

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Has anyone ever had someone claim to be a nurse when they weren't? Last night at my hubby's ballgame one of the other players girlfriend claimed she was a R.N. and when I asked her what school she graduated from she named a local facility. I remembered the name but gave her the benefit of the doubt thinking "diploma program" but had my doubts because I have heard her lie before about trivial stuff and I haven't lived in this area for that long to really know much about the schools. Anyway, so came home looked it up on the internet and it is a Medical Asst. school. That is cool and I get along with everyone regardless of what title, job, or position in life they hold that goes for most nurses. I'm not her friend, enemy, or anything in between so why lie? Anyway, I'm not going to rat her out to her face but just wondered if many people have had the same experience at some time?:uhoh3:

So the answer is she's either a sociopath, doesn't know the difference or doesn't think about it, or has low self-esteem. I kind of agree with Angio O'Plasty that she needs to be made aware that saying she is an RN is not a legally acceptable thing to do if she is really not an RN. Should you tell her? I don't know. Should you report her anonymously to the Board? It's an option.

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You are a Graduate Nurse and have every right to introduce yourself as such. The degree doesn't make you a nurse. It provides the education for you to be licensed.

Good luck on the NCLEX! :yelclap:

:) thanks!

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
The scrub tech on my floor is always called a "nurse", and so are the nursing assistants.

I've heard a few techs at work do this, and i've always said "Thought you had to be an RN or an LPN to be able to call yourself 'nurse'". Have YET to get a worded reply, i just get the evil stare. Our supervisor has announce in report every now and then that Virginia has a law concerning who is a "nurse".

It really does cheese me off when someone's refering to themselves as a nurse when they are, or allows someone to think they are a nurse, because THAT doesn't help the confusion of who is really what. I mean, heck, why don't i just call myself Doctor, after all, i have a fancy stethescope. :stone

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Specializes in Med/Surg, ER and ICU!!!.

I mean, heck, why don't i just call myself Doctor, after all, i have a fancy stethescope. :stone

Marie, you are sooooo funny. I always look forward to your added bonuses! Texas

P.S. We had a beautiful Hog rally here in Texas this past weekend. It was wonderful to see all those hogs everywhere!

Edit, Duuuh I forgot how to spell.

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A mom at my daughters' school was telling me she was a "nurse". Oh yeah, I said RN or LPN? I told her I work at the local hospital, etc... and I am a nurse in OB. She said she worked at a family practice office and that she used to work for Dr... an Ob here in town. She never said RN or LPN. I thought nothing of it. I asked Dr. ... a few days later if she knew Mrs. X. Oh she rolls her eyes "what a Kook! She was one of the worst MA's we ever had, and a huge gossip." Whew, I was kind of surprised. This Dr. usually doesn't have anything to say about people like that. Several years later, she was kind enough to visit a pt. on our unit and tell them their behind hurt because the nurse who gave them their pain med injection "was incompetent". I was lucky enough to walk in on the conversation and encounter my pal. Oh, I asked do YOU give injections? Of course, I am a nurse. Wow, I said. I know you used to be an MA when did you back to school? She shut right up. I hear she dispenses all sorts of medical advice. What a giant PIA she is. Many people I know realize she is not really a nurse, but is a giant annoyance.

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Specializes in ICU, ER, HH, NICU, now FNP.
Originally Posted by JessicRN

My friend ex wife said she was an RN even produced a licence and went to work for the district attorney reviewin and testifying in rape cases. When my friend found out he reported her.She was not an RN nor did she ever go to any college. She forged her licence. Now that is what I call a serious lie.

In Texas she'd have criminal charges filed against her for that!

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Where I work as a PSW we are all called nurses, regardless if we are or not. Now I don't go around telling everybody I am a nurse when I am a PSW. Now I an studying to become and RN and feel that the title is a privalege, but try to explain to a resident that you are a PSW and they will not know what on earth that is. We call ourselves nurses when we deal with residents to simplify it for them. If I callled myself anything else the residents would not let us touch them.

I enjoy my job as a PSW, in fact I love it; I know I am not a nurse but to the residents all the people who deal with there care are nurses regardless if they have the education or not. Like I said before I see being an RN as a privalege and do not think I am a nurse, but in a nursing home we would end up arguing with the residents if we tried to tell them the difference between licenced staff and unlicenced staff.

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Specializes in Infusion, Med/Surg/Tele, Outpatient.

People like this should be reported....or if that is too much work you can anonymously mail a copy of the law/act with pertanent sections highlighted to the offending person.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

maybe people who arent in the medical field have refered to her as "nurse" and she just gave up explaining to them and just went along with it

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Yup in Texas - even using the word NURSE when you are not is illegal - let alone the term REGISTERED nurse.

Under section 301.251(d)(1) of the (Texas) Nurse Practice Act...

(d) Unless the person holds a license under this chapter, a person may not use, in connection with the person's name:

(1) the title "nurse"; or

(2) any other designation tending to imply that the person is licensed to provide nursing care.

It is on page 23 at this link:

ftp://www.bne.state.tx.us/npa2005.pdf

"Nurse" is a protected occupational title in Texas.

And "RN" is too.

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Had an MA tell me once that she was an RN. What she didn't realize was that I used to go to the doctor whose office she (did) work at. Yup. Set her straight - and the doctor. Funny - but now all his MA's are called "medical assistants" not nurses, and she wasn't working there the next time I went...go figure.

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She could find herself in a bit of trouble is she wanted to press the issue.

I asked the wonderful MA at my physicians office if she was a nurse.

She said, "No, I'm only a medical assistant."

I told her her work is valuable and she is very special to me and other patients. Then told my doctor that although very common it is not legal to refer to her as a nurse unless she is an RN or LVN.

I'm glad Texas has the same requirement.

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Specializes in Float.

Pre-nursing is a legit major...and that is what I was and what I told people my major was before I got into the program. Just like if you plan to go to med school you are pre-med. Someone going for a bachelors and taking organic chem isn't a med student yet lol..they are PRE-med..same thing with PRE nursing.

Anyway, yea a family friend works at a docs office and calls himself a 'nurse' but he isn't... bugs me! lol

I agree, it's not in the same league as saying you are a nurse and you aren't. It just hit me funny, and I wouldn't say that myself.
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OK, here's a borderline issue that actually doesn't make me angry. I have a 70-ish relative who says she was a nurse. She worked in a nursing home for about 30 years. She never took one nursing class, not even a diploma or hospital-type training. She says it didn't work that way back then? She says she was a practical nurse in Canada. I asked her tactfully and gently once if she was a nurse's aid (I do like and respect her). She said no, that she was a practical nurse. She just says back then 'practical nurses' didn't need any official training, just on the job.

It does have me curious though, were there 'practical nurses' 50 years ago that had zero official training...not even a diploma or hospital-based type training? Or is my sweet relative just confused and she was a nurse's assitant for all those years. Hmm.

My grandmother was granted a Practical Nurse certificate in Texas in 1917. A local doctor had trained her. She did ADLs as well as oral, SC, and IM medications.

Years later in Oklahoma she was allowed to take the exam to be an LPN and passed. She never finished third grade but was very smart.

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