CNA claiming to be a nurse

[jjdcn_5]

I am an LPN I work a dementia unit all cnas are awesome except one when I try to tell her she is beyond her scope she blatantly says I am a nurse and I am best friends with the unit manager. Also she states when I tell her I need something she will argue with me. She refuses to listen and is best friends with unit manager so thinks she can get away with everything . She answers calls to me and says she will relay the message, she gives information. over the phone to I don't know who she also argues with me constantly. She went into a dying patients room and told the daughter that sometimes people breathe like that and told the hospice nurse about her vitals. I am fed up what should I do. I talked to unit manager (her best friend) and she just blows it off and all the other CNA'S are having to pick up her slack because she is too busy trying to play nurse.

[andreasmom02]

I'm an LPN. I worked with a person like this once. They came in off the street and "claimed" to be a medical assistant. The private practice doctors I worked with actually hired them. That person tried to boss us other nurses constantly. They were a brown noser & had became good friends with the doctors that owned the practice. It got to the point that I quit my job there, & the other nurses did as well. It's hard to work with somebody like that. Last I heard, this person went back to school and had actually some how made it through LPN school (I honestly for the life of me don't know how. They were about as bright as a cinder block.) All I can say is I feel sorry for their future co-workers & patients. Best wishes, I hope you get this resolved, and don't have to work with her much longer!

[payitforward]

I DEFINETLY would report her AND the unit manager to the DON. YOU should not have to live in a hostile environment like that! Don't feel bad about it either.

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

If it really bugs you you could report her as an imposter Nurse to the BON in your state. It's criminal offense and for sure she will never hold a license after that.

Hppy

[payitforward]

I hope everything goes well with your DON. Surely she must see that this person is doing. Maybe she is just looking for a reason to fire her?

[Rockstar81]

If she's there a long time NOTHING will be done and they will set up, make your life miserable or even force you to resign! Do your job. Go around her. That is nursing for you.

[OCNRN63, RN]

If she is disclosing patient information when she shouldn't, I would let the DON know that. You might get more traction if you say "HIPAA violation." No facility wants to have to pay the fine for that.

Do you have a Corporate Compliance line? That may be another option.

[lcalhoun]

I think a lot of places have CNAs who pretend to be nurses. The problem is with the CNA but also the upper management who allows this behavior to go on.

[LessValuableNinja]

What state? I can't speak for all states, but I can speak for the ones I've worked in. In Texas and Washington, it's a CRIME to use the word "nurse" in relation to yourself if you are not, in fact, a licensed nurse. It also has major tort implication. Incidentally, while you'll see "LVN" next to my name, it's a third career. I've spent a whole lot of time in the business world. Not only is what she's doing most likely very illegal, it's probably something that could (very easily) get her CNA CERTIFICATION (not license) suspended or revoked, and the unit manager's LICENSE (not certification) put under supervision, or suspended (It's very rare for a nursing board to actually revoke on a first offense). Again, I can't speak for every state, but the two I've worked in make you culpable for knowing there are violations of NPA and not reporting it, even if they aren't your acts, if you are a licensed nurse.

I'm only hearing one side to the story, but if what you're saying is accurate: (1) The CNA is probably committing a crime. (2) The CNA is probably being generally douchey. That is a technical term. (3) The unit manager may be committing a crime. (4) The unit manager is probably violating the state's NPA. (5) The unit manager is probably opening up the company to MAJOR liability if that CNA screws up, someone has issues, and then the judge hears the words from a witness, "Oh, I thought she was a nurse. She always tells us she's the nurse. One time her boss was there, the lady that sits in the office, she told us she was the nurse and the boss didn't say anything, so we always figured she was a nurse." (6) The unit manager and nurse aide are probably both violating various company policies.

I'm sure you can take it from there.

[LessValuableNinja]

If the "upper management" are licensed nurses, they're most likely violating their state's NPA. That is not good for their personal nursing license, or the company's liability exposure. I just did a mock state inspection of a nursing home, to prepare the home for the state. If this had happened during our inspection, at the company I was inspecting, knowing the policies, both the CNA and the unit manager would have been fired that day, and the nurse manager most likely would have received a complaint to the nursing board from the company. This isn't a minor issue. It's the sort of thing that costs companies millions of dollars, gets people fired, facilities put under supervision, restriction, observation, shut down.

[LessValuableNinja]

If you let me know the state, I'll let you know how many things this violates. My rate is $250 an hour. I'm joking about the rate, and also joking about looking deeply into it. But I'll take a casual look and give you my ten minute overview.