SNOTTY MA claiming to be a nurse!!!!

Nurses General Nursing

Published

:angryfire i had to take my 11 month old to the immediate care. he has chicken pox. the ma is talking and my 4 year old asks if her brother is going to get a shot. the ma says, "no, he won't get a shot." my 4 year old (who can read) says, "how do you know?" the ma says because "i'm the nurse and i know." my daughter looks at her name tag and says "m.a., that doesn't spell nurse. my mom is a nurse and her name tag says l.p.n. your name tag has to say l.p.n or r.n. to be a nurse." ( i about died laughing(inside) but i was also embarrassed by my precocious 4 year old.) then the ma says to my daughter, "if you're mom is such a great nurse, she wouldn't have to be here with me taking care of your brother."

ok. w** t the h**l did you just say? fire starts rolling out of my ears. i stated to her, "that is your opinion. i am here to receive treatment from a dr., for my son, not treatment from you. i am sorry if my daughter offended you, but she is correct. you cannot represent yourself as a nurse, you do not have a nursing license. a medical assistant is not the same as a nurse. your attitude is very rude and i feel that you need a better bedside manner. please do not ever speak to me or to any other patient in that manner."

she slams down her equipment and states, "i cannot work with all these know-it-all mothers that are nurses." she then storms out of the room. the dr. who had been in the hallway about to come in the door, states to me,"i apologize for her behaviour. that was uncalled for" ummm, yeah, do you think so?

A lot of BON prosecute someone claiming to be a nurse, I hope the doctor realizes the seriousness of what the MA is claiming and doesn't just sluff it off.

http://kbn.ky.gov/conprotect/investdiscp/imposter.htm

I'm still trying to pick my jaw up from the floor... I can not believe she even said that!!!!! Yay for your daughter though- she is a smart one...

Specializes in Family Practice, Mental Health.
i agree, that particular ma was way out of line.

however, i am going to defend the ma's in general here. they go to school for more than 6 months and have just as much training as an lpn, it is just more clinic based than hospital. they are trained for x-rays, lab, as well as obtaining vitals, giving injections, drawing blood, administering medications, and a multitude of other things. i would know, i spent 11 years working as a ma before i went back for my rn. one of the surgeons i worked for referred to me as his "nurse" for 6 years. i wasn't about to correct him each time in front of patients. i referred to myself as his assistant and would happily explain my title to anyone who asked.

i am at an almost total loss of words to politely explain how saddened and totally powerless i feel about people who allow that kind of transgression to continue. ma's know they are not nurses.

Specializes in CARDIAC.

Did you speak to the office manager or office adminstrator? The MD heard the conversation and aplogized for her but he should also call her into his office for a lecture if not termination papers. There are to many MA's that are good to put up with that sloppy, jealous, insolent behaviour. Imagine how she treats patients behind closed doors or those who are afraid to speak up or that knows the difference in an RN or MA or LPN. Your daughter deserves an icecream or dessert of her choosing.:yeah:She is going to make an excellent nurse one day.

I am at an almost total loss of words to politely explain how saddened and totally powerless I feel about people who allow that kind of transgression to continue. MA's KNOW they are not nurses.

And did you read what else I wrote??? I did not identify myself as a "nurse" and was well aware that I was not a nurse. You go ahead and correct a surgeon in front of patients and see where that gets you. I'm not doing it.

Specializes in Family Practice, Mental Health.
And did you read what else I wrote??? I did not identify myself as a "nurse" and was well aware that I was not a nurse. You go ahead and correct a surgeon in front of patients and see where that gets you. I'm not doing it.

Still speechless................

Still speechless................

Apparently not.

Specializes in 5 yrs Med/Surg. 2yr-ICU/ER.
I agree, that particular MA was way out of line.

However, I am going to defend the MA's in general here. They go to school for MORE than 6 months and have just as much training as an LPN, it is just more clinic based than hospital. They are trained for x-rays, lab, as well as obtaining vitals, giving injections, drawing blood, administering medications, and a multitude of other things. I would know, I spent 11 years working as a MA before I went back for my RN. One of the surgeons I worked for referred to me as his "nurse" for 6 years. I wasn't about to correct him each time in front of patients. I referred to myself as his assistant and would happily explain my title to anyone who asked.

No offense here but, MAs don't have the same amount of training as LPNs. Most LPN schools you have to do insane amounts of clinical time and hands on training. Also most new-grad LPN students are way more prepared to be on the floor nurses than new-grad RN students.

I agree this MA was out of line extremely. And you should totally give your daughter a treat! That's very smart that she knows the difference.

Specializes in Operating Room.
And did you read what else I wrote??? I did not identify myself as a "nurse" and was well aware that I was not a nurse. You go ahead and correct a surgeon in front of patients and see where that gets you. I'm not doing it.

Just because someone is a surgeon doesn't make them perfect, or incapable of doing the wrong thing. You certainly don't have to correct them in front of patients, but I've confronted them in private. That's what being a nurse is, advocating for patients and yourself and not allowing yourself to be cowed by someone's title. A real nurse knows this.

I swear, that's why doctors like to have MAs in the office, they're cheap and apparently, they throw in ego stroking as well. Cold hard fact is, an MA is nowhere near the same thing as an LPN or RN and when they are referred to as "nurse" by themselves or anyone else, it's wrong and it's fraudulent.:angryfire

OP, your kid is the coolest 4 year old EVER..:yeah:

Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.
And did you read what else I wrote??? I did not identify myself as a "nurse" and was well aware that I was not a nurse. You go ahead and correct a surgeon in front of patients and see where that gets you. I'm not doing it.

Then you should have asked him in private not to call you his nurse as it sets both of you up for all sorts of legal problems and/or expectations. If he called you a nurse, his patients had the right to expect a level of care that an MA cannot legally provide.

But this thread is about an out-of-line MA, and a totally terrific 4 year old.

KY LPN to RN-

Thank you for sticking up for yourself- and for all of us!

And please give your daughter a big "thank you" from all of us!

Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

"If you're mom is such a great nurse, she wouldn't have to be here with me taking care of your brother."

This comment right here ****** me off and I'm not even a mother. Kids get sick. What are you suppose to do? Turn your kid into bubble boy? I can't believe she said that too you. I would report her to the proper authorities that deal with people impersonating nurses.

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