8 Weeks of training does NOT make you a nurse!!

Nurses General Nursing

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I have seen this covered on here long ago and now it has happened to me and I know EXACTLY how much it can bother people!!

I ran into an ex-coworker who left to do the LNA program. Evidently she is all done now despite only leaving in late Oct. The program was 6 or 8 weeks. She has not even taken the state test yet.

So new years, we are at this party together (at our former boss/friends house) and she tells me and others there a BUNCH OF LIES! She says she is a NURSE now! Imagine that! THEN she even lied about where she was attending which I totally do not understand!

I let her lies and stories of being a NURSE go, as well as her fake job offers, I did not say anything, I just walked away when she got really deep into it, as did several others who knew the truth and also knew how very, very hard I have worked to get where I am which is graduating with my RN in May! THEY were all shocked I did not lay into her butt and set her straight! Not like I go around claiming to be a NP or anything I am not. I have spent the last 3 years working my little butt off and sacrificing a lot of things to be here. Something this woman has no idea about. Funny, it wasnt hard to keep my mouth shut and smile! I must finally be maturing, lol!

I kind of felt bad for her- because she had to lie to make herself feel better and appear something she is not in front of people and then to be lying so blatantly in front of so many who knew it, which means she is not comfortable or happy where she is in life, and also because after that she had a miserable time the rest of the night because many ppl knew she was lying and avoided her and were whispering about it once she left the room and caught that at least once. It was kind of sad really. I bet she feels pretty awful inside. If she had continued later on, or something, I was prepared to mention it is illegal in this state to claim you are a nurse when you are not!

Anyhow, NOW I really know how you all have felt in the same kind of situations!

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

How sad. She sounds like someone with such a poor sense of self esteem that she has to make things up to make herself feel better. But really, it probably doesn't make her feel any better. She probably feels even worse after all the lies, which feeds into the vicious cycle. She sounds like someone who might benefit from therapy.

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hi ....am not aware of this 8 weeks course then tell ppl that u are a nurse. in my country where i came from, there is a nursing course probably known to you as auxillary nurse or nurse assistant. it has been abolished several years ago but my country is lacking of local nurses, so, we are in desperate need for a nurse!! i am now undergoing A&E course as a post graduate student in our local college. i have been in the service for about 4 years specializing in out-patient clinic. some of the nurses need to take A&E course as out-patient clinics sometime handle emergency cases as well....it might be a bit awkward in other country but it quite common in my place...my most greatest challenge now is to enable me to manage cases like cardiac problem which i used to hate when i was a student nurse...but after 4 yrs working, am in desperate need to learn!! do reply me guys, i'd like to know what u have in your country....

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I live in Kentucky and it is against the law to claim to be a nurse and not be, even when you are not falsely employed as a nurse. I was reading on the BON website and you have to at least hold a valid license or a retired license to even call yourself a nurse. I am currently not licensed in the state of Kentucky but I have a license in the state of Indiana and it is really not lawful for me to tell anyone I am a nurse here until I get my license trasferred.

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Terribly sad. Good for you (OP) not entering the fray. This is a ticking time bomb, since people WILL find out what a liar this chick is.

Not worth your time or trouble.

Interesting side note--- the RN program you are in (or just maturity in general) has changed the way you respond in situations of stress. Sounds like you are going to be a calm, even-tempered nurse!!

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Specializes in LTC/ rehab/ dialysis.

Hi. Just curious. What does LNA stand for? That's a title I've not heard of. Thanks!!

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
I live in Kentucky and it is against the law to claim to be a nurse and not be, even when you are not falsely employed as a nurse. I was reading on the BON website and you have to at least hold a valid license or a retired license to even call yourself a nurse. I am currently not licensed in the state of Kentucky but I have a license in the state of Indiana and it is really not lawful for me to tell anyone I am a nurse here until I get my license trasferred.

It is the same way in Alabama, where I am. On of our local doctors got a slap on the wrist because he called all his office workers "nurses". He wasn't really trying to fool anyone or anything, he would just tell the patients to go up front and a nurse would help them...things like that.

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I'm thinking "Licensed Nursing Assistant"? lol I have no idea though .....

It sounds like you handled the situation with grace and patience and that is awesome! I feel I have to bite my tongue at times too. A slightly different situation involves some friends of mine whose daughter-in-law recently graduated as a licensed practical nurse after 15 month's training. I am in a 4-year bachelor of nursing program and EVERY SINGLE TIME they see me, whether I comment on my busy-ness or not, they consistently say "imagine doing the exact same training and courses in 1 year, as opposed to 4" ...... The d-i-l is a fully qualified nurse, in a super-intense course, but the courses could not have all been identical!

Oh well, I suppose I just have to be humbled every time I talk to these people and it's kind of funny but still irritating for it to be implied I am inferior each time I see them!! At last conversation, the m-i-l told me the d-i-l wants to get "into medicine" when I asked what specialty area she wanted to get into (after they mentioned it). I'm not exactly sure what that meant -- did she want to work on a medical floor or become a doctor, I dunno ......

But I digress ..... I hope this woman gets her head set straight eventually. That would be really annoying for real! I'm glad you handled it so professionally!!

P.S. Maybe the fact that some patients call all the staff "nurse" will either give her fuel for her fire or satisfy her need to feel like a nurse! haha

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Specializes in Home Health, Case Management, OR.

Why can't people just be proud of what they HAVE accomplished? I had coworkers that would advertise themselves as nurses on their myspace pages while they were CNAs or HHAs. My goodness it is not disgraceful to say yes I just received my ______ and I plan on continuing on to get my ______. Why so many people find it necessary to sugar coat their lives is beyond me. Guess I am just a blunt and honest person!!

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Specializes in Home Health, PDN, LTC, subacute.
Why can't people just be proud of what they HAVE accomplished? I had coworkers that would advertise themselves as nurses on their myspace pages while they were CNAs or HHAs. My goodness it is not disgraceful to say yes I just received my ______ and I plan on continuing on to get my ______. Why so many people find it necessary to sugar coat their lives is beyond me. Guess I am just a blunt and honest person!!

Yes! I agree. What is wrong with saying I will be a certified nurse's aide when asked what you are going to school for? BTW: I run into this problem ALL THE TIME! People are always telling me that so and so is finished nursing school and then I ask about them later and find out they went to dental assisting, vet tech or HHA classes! :trout:I'm proud to be an LPN taking classes for my RN someday and I don't misrepresent myself, if people ask me what an LPN is, I explain it.

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Some people need to stretch the truth to feel better around others. Its a shame but unlikely you will be able to change her. Next time just shrug off whatever she is saying.

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Specializes in Med Surg, ER, OR.
I'm thinking "Licensed Nursing Assistant"? lol I have no idea though .....

Thats exactly what I am thinking. NA, CNA, or LNA all mean the same thing...you are not a nurse! I have seen aides claim to be nurses because they feel they are doing his/her job, but 8wks of a CNA course does not equal 2yrs of an RN degreee or even an LPN course!

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