Non-Nurses calling themselves a Nurse

Circl8r · Mar 25, 2007

We all wear name badges with our titles. I bet he is glad you hugged him. I guess Medical Assistants around the globe are supposed to feel gratitude because you approve.

Must be really hard to walk around with that huge chip on your shoulder. NO one was taking shots at CMAs...only at those professing to be nurses who are not. Time to get over yourself...jeesh

Agnus · Mar 25, 2007

The school district my child goes to has a CNA in the school clinic, who refers to herself as "The school Nurse". I thought she was either an LVN or RN until last week when she had me come pick up my child from school. She had a little nausea but, she said she needed to stay out for two days due to a small rash on her face that she diagnosed as "Wingworm"! She told me to get an over-the-counter anti-fungal and treat for two days when she would be allowed to return to school! (I think that is practicing medicine w/o a license?!) I asked did she mean ringworm-she said no, wingworm...so, I had her write that down on the standard form they use when children are sent hm. Maybe the school board is exempt from following the law?!
Well, I took her to our family Doctor who said, she doesn't have ringworm-it's impetigo and prescribed bactriban.
My beef is that the teachers even refer to her as the school nurse-I wonder if
they even know the difference between an LVN or RN and a CNA? I sent a letter to the Assistant Superintendant for the district but, have not heard a reply. I think I am no different than most of you who have worked hard for your RN or LVN license and earn the respect of being called a "Nurse". I was a CNA before I was an LPN and have now been an RN over 20 yrs. As a CNA, I knew my place and my limits of practice. Any other parent or Nurse concerned about this?

I would report this to the State Board of Nursing. THey WILL follow through and prosacute if needed.

She is not only practicing nursing without a license she is practicing medicine without one as well. As you know Nurse is a protectied title. The State Board will persue this issue.

The school does not nessairly have to employ a nurse. (unless local and state laws require it) However, they can not employ an non nurse and assign her the title.

The School likely does not know this and many physicians do not know that they can not refer to thier unlicensed MAs as "Nurse"

Report to the BON at once. If you are feeling generous you might educate the school superintendent and school board. Personally I would not. The politics gets too sticky. You might be seen as vying for her job and they hired her because they do not want to pay professional wages.

Do report to the BON she is dangerous in more ways than not.

I am editing this because since posting I went back and noticed a few feel that MAs are being slighted here. This has nothing to do with your skill or knowledge as an MA. This has to do with the LAW. In every state of the United States the title Nurse is protected. That means if you are not LICENSED (certifications and registrations as a MA do not count) by the state to practice nursing either as an RN or LPN/LVN you may not use that title. It is protected the same way other professional titles are protected such as Attorney, Doctor, Chiropractor, CPA, and Registed Diatition.

It is the LAW not what someone tells you you can do or what you think you should be able to do.

End this for yourself. Go to the board of nursing in your state or anyother and ask them if you may call yourself a nurse.

donsterRN, ASN, BSN · Mar 25, 2007

Must be really hard to walk around with that huge chip on your shoulder. NO one was taking shots at CMAs...only at those professing to be nurses who are not. Time to get over yourself...jeesh

I know! I can't find one post that denigrates the education or the position of CMA's. Not one. This thread started because someone had a CNA (not a CMA) posing as a nurse in her school district. The point is that anyone who is not a nurse is legally prohibited to referring to him/herself as a nurse. That's it. If you're not, you're not, and you cannot say you are. Obviously, by the number of posts from people who have had experiences (like me), this issue is very widespread. NOBODY here has an issue with any unlicensed person functioning in the role to which they are educated. No one. But we've tried to engage in intelligent, thoughtful debate about this very thing, and in response I've seen snotty sarcasm, name calling and adolescent one-upmanship.

The bottom line is that no one here has a problem with CMA's who know their job responsibilities and perform them well. Further, no one here has a problem with licensed nurses who know their job responsibilities and perform them well. That's it. There's room in this industry for both, and for the life of me, I do not know why we're arguing about it.

So. Lose the chip, OK?

Cattitude · Mar 25, 2007

i know! i can't find one post that denigrates the education or the position of cma's. not one. this thread started because someone had a cna (not a cma) posing as a nurse in her school district. the point is that anyone who is not a nurse is legally prohibited to referring to him/herself as a nurse. that's it. if you're not, you're not, and you cannot say you are. obviously, by the number of posts from people who have had experiences (like me), this issue is very widespread. nobody here has an issue with any unlicensed person functioning in the role to which they are educated. no one. but we've tried to engage in intelligent, thoughtful debate about this very thing, and in response i've seen snotty sarcasm, name calling and adolescent one-upmanship.
the bottom line is that no one here has a problem with cma's who know their job responsibilities and perform them well. further, no one here has a problem with licensed nurses who know their job responsibilities and perform them well. that's it. there's room in this industry for both, and for the life of me, i do not know why we're arguing about it.
so. lose the chip, ok?

well said don. i am just catching up on this thread and am sitting here surprised at the animosity in some of the posts:confused: . i'm wondering where the miscommunication is? i too don't see where anyone is denigrating cma's. this thread isn't even about cma's. it's still about non nurses calling themselves nurses which in ny is illegal. you can be charged with a crime here.

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[color=#483d8b]when i read about your (don) experience at your dr's office, i felt angry. touchy feely? what a load! i just honestly don't get it sometimes. i guess we should all feel very flattered in a way that others want to be in our profession so badly they are willing to lie about it.

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DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Mar 25, 2007

[color=#483d8b]i guess we should all feel very flattered in a way that others want to be in our profession so badly they are willing to lie about it.

alittle off subject here, forgive me....just reminds me of something humorous.

several years ago i was at the mall and a man fainted dead away in front of the information booth. i went over to him and started the "are you ok routine", a woman security guard came over to me and said loudly "step away from him, leave him alone, i'm calling 911". i said "i'm a nurse, he's breathing, he's got a medi-alert bracelet on that says diabetic i need to assess him quickly". she repeated "step away from him, everyone says they're a nurse". "i am a nurse, really, i need to help him". "step away from him, i've called 911, now get away". i pulled my hospital name badge out of my purse the security guard threw her hands up and said "go ahead mame, everyone else go on about their business, we've got this taken care of." later i was just flabbergasted about her saying "everyone says they're a nurse". the guy had taken his insulin and not eaten anything. a lump of sugar did the trick until the paramedics got there. :lol2:

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Mar 25, 2007

To the CMA's who are defending their postion: no one is disparaging you personally. The point of this thread is that anyone who is NOT a nurse is not to represent themselves as such. The ethics of any person who either calls themselves or someone who works for them a nurse surely needs to be called into question.
In the big picture, we are all part of a team. In the OR, the surgeon, anesthesiologist, RN and tech are all team-members. They work in concert to provide the safest patient care they can in order to achieve optimal outcomes. However, no member of the team represents themselves as any other, and no one oversteps their bounds.
As it should be in every area of healthcare.
Period.

:yeahthat:

Cattitude · Mar 25, 2007

Later I was just flabbergasted about her saying "everyone says they're a nurse".

How strange. You know, I would just love it if one person that had misrepresented themselves as a nurse would post and explain why. Just one. I know that no one will ever have the nerve to do it but I would love to hear their explanation.

Circl8r · Mar 25, 2007

How strange. You know, I would just love it if one person that had misrepresented themselves as a nurse would post and explain why. Just one. I know that no one will ever have the nerve to do it but I would love to hear their explanation?

I haven't got a brain.. Only straw.How can you talk if you haven't got a brain? I don't know.But some people without brains do an awful lot of talking,don't they

Your quote says it all....

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Mar 25, 2007

Hey Leslie! I meant to mention earlier that I love your quote from the very wise strawman, he had no brains, or so he thought, he had quite a heart and courage too!

I agree with you, I'd love to hear from just one honest soul who would fess up to calling themselves a nurse when they are not. (I promise not to chastise you if you post, I just want to ask why?) I'm like you though, it ain't happenin. As a matter of fact, the other side, has seemed to disappear all together. Possibly finally realizing...Nurses are not against MA's or CMA's, they have important jobs and are to be respected. We just want our title protected.

Cattitude · Mar 25, 2007

Hey Leslie! I meant to mention earlier that I love your quote from the very wise strawman, he had no brains, or so he thought, he had quite a heart and courage too!
I agree with you, I'd love to hear from just one honest soul who would fess up to calling themselves a nurse when they are not. (I promise not to chastise you if you post, I just want to ask why?) I'm like you though, it ain't happenin. As a matter of fact, the other side, has seemed to disappear all together. Possibly finally realizing...Nurses are not against MA's or CMA's, they have important jobs and are to be respected. We just want our title protected.

Well I'm not Leslie but that is my siggy/quote and I did post that about wanting to hear from someone who is calling themselves a nurse.

Maybe you are referring to the person who posted after me and quoted my post?

pagandeva2000, LPN · Mar 25, 2007

I would like to hear someone who calls themselves a nurse as well, but I can see some of the confusion because just last night, I pulled out my old, old, old (telling my age, now) medical assisting book, and reviewed it for old time's sake, and I did see a (small) chapter on the administration of medications. It basically said many of the same things that I learned in nursing school...you know, the right dose, right med, etc... and documenting it. It went over patient teaching and communication techniques as well. While I will most certainly say that the medical assistant is not a nurse, after experiencing both sides of the spectrum, I can see how a medical assistant can be sort of fooled to think this way. The line was even thinner than it would be for the nursing assistant.

I do think that the bashing needs to stop as well. I have seen nurses do the dumbest things, and I am a nurse. I have seen medical assistants do dumb things as well. What we should do is to be a team. But, it goes further than that,to me. I see posts all the time where it has been said that "only LPNs and RNs can be called nurses", yet, there are nurses that SINCERELY believe that we (LPNs) are not nurses either...or maybe, we may not be 'nurse enough'. I really think that first, we need to admit how we function in the health care setting (meaning...I am an LPN), appreciate the talents that our co-worker is trained to do, then, for those who wish to move up the ladder to become an LPN, RN, or whatever, reach out our hands and share how to get there.

CarrieH · Mar 25, 2007

I had a rude awakening when I moved to Florida from NJ. In NJ school nurses are required to be RN's. Apparently in other states, they aren't... and in Florida, they don't even have to be a nurse. I just hope my children never actually need medical treatment in school.