Nurse Imposters

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Hey there! I'm a nurse from Mississippi. I recently called a doctors office from the nursing home I work at and asked his receptionist to speak with the nurse to relay a message to the doctor in regards to the patient's care. Instead of letting me speak to the nurse she transferred me to the phlebotomist who answered "this is Doctor Bolder's nurse Jamie. Can I help you? I know her personally and am aware she is not the nurse and requested again to speak to the nurse. She replied "this is the nurse" i just ignored it and said ok well can you let the doctor know about this concern. She called me back a minute later a third time identifying herself as the nurse with a new medication order. She sounded confused as she was giving said order bc she said the medications name and gave no further details. I asked what dose? how often? How long? She sounded as if she was making it up as she went. This whole thing has made me uncomfortable. I was wondering your thoughts on this issue. I find it very disrespectful to claim you are a nurse when you have not underwent the amount of training, passed a licensure exam, and all the many other things it takes to be able to call oneself a nurse.

Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.
I think this part of the story is what you should have LEFT out. Suddenly, your whole concern seems to be more about messing with your husband's ex than about a very real need to get accurate medication orders from a licensed provider.

Ruby beat me to it. With that additional information:

She legally should not be referring to herself as a nurse (as has been validated here);

This is an issue for her employer;

It could now be perceived that you have an unrelated axe to grind so tread super-carefully there.

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Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.
. I put my heart into it and I feel there's a chain of command between medical professionals. I don't get why she lied either when she knows I know the truth.

You're not wrong and you have a right to be concerned. :yes:

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Ruby beat me to it. With that additional information:

She legally should not be referring to herself as a nurse (as has been validated here);

This is an issue for her employer;

It could now be perceived that you have an unrelated axe to grind so tread super-carefully there.

As I was saying before. Initially I wanted to report this but after talking to supervisor and nurse practitioner if they all don't care she calls herself his nurse then I guess I shouldn't either. I just feel I put the time in to become nurse and she didn't so it's wrong to call herself one. Especially with as ignorant as she is. She hurt my step daughter by denying her a visit to the clinic for a minor issue that got really bad.

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You're not wrong and you have a right to be concerned. :yes:

Thank you! I'm glad some understand where I'm coming from. The whole part about how we know each other makes it seem as If i want to get her in trouble. I don't. I just don't want her calling herself a nurse when she ain't close.

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Specializes in Critical care.
I did accepted the order after speaking to my supervisor. Her response was "I didn't know Jamie wasn't his nurse. She gives orders from him all the time." I spoke with our nurse practitioner also and she said it's ok to accept orders from medical assistants and other non licensed clinic workers but it was wrong of her to identify as a nurse.

I am not sure how to put the word idiot nicely when applied to your supervisor, and NP, I guess I will stick with mistaken, or wrong, or uninformed. I think you are right in being concerned, and wrong in accepting that order. Let's say your hubbies ex decides to screw you, all she has to say is you, a licensed professional, took a prescription order from someone you knew who wasn't licensed to your BON. All of a sudden the fact that your supervisor, and NP, both of whom rode the short bus to work, told you it was OK is meaningless and your license is on the line. Be careful, accept orders only from the person licensed to give such an order, I think prescriptive authority isn't even allowed to NPs in all states yet. Muno will probably fact check me here lol

Cheers

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It was wrong to call her self a nurse, but she could have been train by that office to handle orders and certain call that a nurse will normal do. I know of hospital that train CNA to do certain skills like simple sterile wound care dressing , phlebotomy , but in certain orders (after nurse takes it)etc. but it ok because they have the proper training by that company and it's only for there company. But even with that training they never address themselves as a nurse.

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Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.
fraud is illegal in any state. what state are you in?

It isn't fraud to call yourself a nurse when you aren't unless you are doing it for financial gain. This would not be a case of fraud. Not all lies are fraud.

In several states the term "nurse" is not protected by law.

I live in one of those. 😉

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Specializes in MDS/ UR.

You are airing your dirty laundry on an internet forum.

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I wouldn't accept a verbal order from her, and would make her document it on the order sheet. To my knowledge, it isn't an arrestable offence if you report her, often what happens is a fine is posed to the individual and a notice on the BONs website says "x" is calling herself an RN and she isn't.

Honestly, I think you'd be doing her a favour; she is setting herself up for litigation if she makes a mistake, and she won't be covered under any insurance as she is practicing outside her scope.

Interesting that this happens often.

Do you have some examples?

I ask because I don't understand who would impose the fines, and under what authority they would be collected.

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No need to apologize but I'm concerned that you don't understand you are putting your license on the line accepting orders from a phlebotomist. It doesn't matter that your supervisor is "okay" with it. The BON and the law isn't.

I question this.

Not saying it's wrong, but would love some clarification.

If the employee in question is accurately representing communication from the prescriber, what its the risk?

And, are there examples of licenses lost for this sort of thing?

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She is misrepresenting herself. This could be dangerous especially if she gives wrong "nurse advice." I'd be contacting my BON.

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She is misrepresenting herself. This could be dangerous especially if she gives wrong "nurse advice." I'd be contacting my BON.

So, back to an earlier question:

BON has jurisdiction over nurses. The person in question is not a nurse.

What can they do?

The practice of non-nurses misrepresenting themselves is endemic, and legal in a bunch of states. What can a BON actually do about it?

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