CNA impersonating RN

Nurses General Nursing

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I'm not really sure where this goes, but I ran into an old friend the other day and asked how his family was doing. My friend's sister has worked as a CNA for years, but never went to nursing school as she became a stay at home wife as soon as she got married and quit school (prereqs) and her job.

My friend told me that his sister is currently working at a local middle school as the school nurse. I replied that I thought his sister never attended nursing school, so if he was sure if that was really her job title. He replied that she had her CNA and that since their grandma works for the school system was able to pull a few strings and get her hired.

I asked if maybe she was assisting the school nurse and he told me that the previous nurse either quit or was let go. (Can't remember.) I questioned him on what would happen if there was an emergency, as CNA training doesn't prepare you to handle those type of situations. He told me that all she does is call the parents if the kids get sick, and other than that give them Band-Aids or juice/snacks if they feel weak and allow the kids to lay down. He said her job was pretty laid back, and she really enjoys it and the salary increase that comes along with being a nurse.

I thought maybe he was lying about her working as a nurse having never attended nursing school of any kind, and asked another friend's little sister who attends that middle school (in 8th grade) who their new school nurse was. The little girl described her and even said my friends sisters name, so I pulled up a picture of her and asked the little girl if that was her and she replied that it was.

I'm a little shocked how this is even legal and honestly quite annoyed as I am busting my butt in school while others can claim and even get hired as a "nurse" without working for that title. Her name badge even has RN on it. Am I over reacting?

The local CNA school in our town that me and his sister went to is 1 week of training (ADL's, BP, simple tasks) and then we are allowed to test to become certified for the state of FL. All I can think of is that this situation would be a disaster if one of those children had a major health problem and that our 1 week CNA training clearly doesn't cut out to handle those situations.

We live in a very small town, and who you know does pull more weight than what you know. This same family got their cousin hired on as a paralegal without ever attending school, although I know nothing if on the job training is offered in place of schooling for that.

Any insights on this?

The only thing is Brandon and Rose is that there are so many more medically fragile kids in schools now.

I moved all over California when I was growing up - from North to South. I never met a child with a colostomy or a feeding tube, a Type 1 diabetic with an insulin pump, or someone having seizures every day and on Lorazepam prn or Diazepam PR. (Try to get a teacher to volunteer to give the Diazepam PR). Also, the meds for psych issues that kids are on nowadays - Strattera, Risperdal, Tenex, Adderall, Catapres, Concerta, etc.

We have to write care plans. We have to get physicians to fill out health plans.

A new law passed in CA last January. Mandating epi-pens on every campus; mandating that superintendents ask for two volunteers from each campus to be trained (you cannot make them do it); training them to recognize anaphylaxis and give epi. Of course the is nothing in the bill relating to HOW we are supposed to get a physician to write us an order for the epi. And so far in CA, school nurses are having a terrible time getting that done. The AMA was not crazy about this law.

It is very complicated now and the liability is huge.

One of the reasons I'm getting out of school nursing and focusing on my hospice job.

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Specializes in Cardio-Pulmonary; Med-Surg; Private Duty.
The only thing is Brandon and Rose is that there are so many more medically fragile kids in schools now.

I moved all over California when I was growing up - from North to South. I never met a child with a colostomy or a feeding tube, a Type 1 diabetic with an insulin pump, or someone having seizures every day and on Lorazepam prn or Diazepam PR. (Try to get a teacher to volunteer to give the Diazepam PR).

In my area, the kids who are truly medically fragile either have a Private Duty Nurse who accompanies them to / from school, or else they are in a special education room that has its own nurse for the kids in that room, separate from a school nurse who is assigned to the general student body.

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In my area, the kids who are truly medically fragile either have a Private Duty Nurse who accompanies them to / from school, or else they are in a special education room that has its own nurse for the kids in that room, separate from a school nurse who is assigned to the general student body.

Your school district must have a lot of money. ;)

Our kids with special needs that can't be mainstreamed do have a campus with a large classroom and all the facilities needed to help them but there is no private duty nurse or school nurse. Only lots of aides (although they are called para-professionals now).

The kids on heavy-duty psych meds are almost all mainstreamed into the regular student body. My son's class has one autistic young man who has a terrible time with his temper and I've seen him physically shove his mother. He either goes from being over-medicated and sleepy all the time to having trouble with his temper.

School nursing isn't what it used to be.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.

I highly doubt any decent reputable institution would hire someone to work as a nurse without an RN or LPN license. The brother may be confused. Before I got my RN license, I worked as an aide. If I had a buck for every time a patient or family member (including my own grandmother) referred to me as a nurse, I wouldn't need to work.

Could be the same situation.

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I highly doubt any decent reputable institution would hire someone to work as a nurse without an RN or LPN license. The brother may be confused. Before I got my RN license, I worked as an aide. If I had a buck for every time a patient or family member (including my own grandmother) referred to me as a nurse, I wouldn't need to work.

Could be the same situation.

Yep.

Has the OP checked yet?

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Too bad that happened. In a nursing home where I worked, when they are understaff of cnas, or a cna calls off a nurse (lpn or rn) can work as a cna and still get paid the nurses wage. Is a program called Angels program in that facility.

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Specializes in IMCU.

If she really has RN on her name tag that is something that needs reported. How that came to be can be investigated by someone else.

Thinking out loud...why do we seem to question the motives of posters so frequently here? Even if the OP disliked this person intensely it doesn't mean there isn't merit to what she is saying.

Maybe I'm a bit Pollyanna ������

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Specializes in ED; Med Surg.
It seems a little odd that you just happened to "run into" an old friend and all this followed--i.e. interrogating him on his sister

Sounds JUST like something that would happen in my small town...or any other small town. I miss the anonymity of a big city sometimes.

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Thinking out loud...why do we seem to question the motives of posters so frequently here? Even if the OP disliked this person intensely it doesn't mean there isn't merit to what she is saying.

By her own admission the OP has done the following:

  1. Interrogated the brother of the person in question.
  2. After this, she sought ought the younger sister of another friend and interrogated her, going so far as to state that she pulled up a picture of her and asked the little girl if that was her and she replied that it was.”
  3. She further stated that The only way to know for sure would be to go into the middle school and see her.”

Don't you think that this is all a little extreme? Particularly, since she is basing all of this on second hand information?

If she is truly concerned with this situation, she needs to report it to the appropriate agency, either her state's board of nursing or the local school board, rather than interrogating members of the community.

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I think the issue is that if she is portraying herself as a registered nurse. A lot of schools have floating nurses with health aides and I don't really see a problem with this. However, I do think schools should employ someone with a little more medical education and knowledge.

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I think the issue is that if she is portraying herself as a registered nurse...

What do you base this on? The OP has no first hand knowledge that the person in question is identifying herself as an RN.

My friend told me that his sister is currently working at a local middle school as the school nurse. I replied that I thought his sister never attended nursing school, so if he was sure if that was really her job title. He replied that she had her CNA and that since their grandma works for the school system was able to pull a few strings and get her hired.
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In Georgia, they use the term "school nurse" ; however, the staff in the school clinics are not licensed professionals. Licensed professional RN's that are also qualified to teach Cpr are hired as pod managers (a pod is anywhere from 4-6 schools). The RN oversees each school clinic to see that the staff are able to address specific needs of the students as well overseeing the documentation supporting provided care. I would get first hand information before jumping to conclusions.

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