CNA work - no certificate

[MendedHeart]

Is it illegal for a person to be hired private duty to do CNA and Nurse duties but not actually be a CNA or RN? It seems crazy that it wouldn't be.

[Alex Egan, LPN, EMT-B]

If a privet person is paying the individual (not billing Medicare or insurance) and they are not misrepresenting themselves as a CNA. Then I wouldn't see the issue.

I use my phone, to type, I work at night, and I'm a bad speller. Pick any reason you want for my misspellings

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

Someone hired to do a nurse's job must be licensed.

Someone hired to do CNA work is not licensed. They may be a certified aide but do not HAVE to be in many situations. Some are trained by their employer. The best source would be the state's Board of Nursing for nurses and Health Dept for aides. They probably have a website for your state rules.

[applewhitern, BSN, RN]

If the person isn't certified or licensed in any way, then they basically are just a "sitter" I would think. "Sitters" can do basic stuff like cleaning a patient, assisting with ADL's, but as long as the sitter doesn't present herself as having credentials she doesn't have, I doubt there would be a problem. Of course that person could not do anything that only a licensed individual could do, like IV meds.

[RunBabyRN]

There's a difference between CNA and RN. RNs must be RNs. If you have experience that is comparable to a CNA, you can potentially get a CNA job. For example, I'm a former hospital corpsman, and did what CNAs do plus more, and was offered several CNA jobs (actually an LVN position as well). The phlebotomy job just paid better. :) However, THAT one actually DID require certification.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

You can no more claim you're a CNA (CERTIFIED nursing assistant) without the certification than you can call yourself an RN unless you're registered, i.e., were issued a license by the BoN after passing the licensure exam.

So in answer to your question, anyone can call him/herself a nursing assistant, but only certified ones are CNAs.

As to "nurse duties," that person cannot hold him/herself out as a nurse and is not qualified to do activities that are reserved to nurses by the state nurse practice act. There's a lot of home care that doesn't require RN or LPN licensure, though. Can you be more specific?