Working as a nurse without a license

lpnga · Mar 12, 2003

JENAC,

I went to keyword and typed in what does a pct do? and i found a website and this is what i pulled up...I am not sure what state this is for but here it is

Patient Care Assistant Training: This 12 week program was designed with the cooperation and collaboration of the health care industry to prepare participants for entry-level, patient-care work in the acute care hospital setting. The students learn basic patient-care skills, human anatomy and physiology, basic system disease processes, medical terminology and AHA Basic Life Support training for healthcare providers. Areas covered in addition to the CNA program include: Identification of essential and critical observations to report to an RN, Pre-op and Post-operative care of surgical patients, maintenance of tubes (i.e. NG tubes, foleys, drainage tubes, etc.), bedside glucose monitoring, care of the pediatric population, and critical thinking exercises. A comprehensive skills competency checklist is completed during the program. Each participant completes 2 weeks full-time clinical internship at a local acute care hospital. Instructional methods focus on the cognitive, psychomotor, which encourages an affective domain of competent patient care.

Moving from Care Assistant to Clinical Technician: This program is developed in cooperation with the regional health care industry to provide persons working as entry-level unlicensed assistive personnel in the hospital setting to obtain the skills necessary to advance to clinical technician. These advanced clinical skills do not require licensure by state or federal organizations. These skills include: Neurological: determine level of consciousness, management of seizures; Cardiac: performing 12 lead EKG's, application of anti-embolism measures, care of central lines; Respiratory: application of O2 therapy, airway management, suctioning, tracheostomy tube care, chest tube setup; Gastrointestinal: tube feeding maintenance; Urinary: Foley catheter insertion; Advance clinical procedures: sterile technique, wound care, specimen collection, phlebotomy, IV insertion and IV monitoring. Program includes 88 hours of classroom and laboratory practice. Participants in this program must have at least 3 months working experience as a care assistant and letter of recommendation from their supervisor prior to acceptance in to the program.

where i live it is not called Clinical Technician it is called pct 1 2 or 3....Hope this helps

lpnga · Mar 12, 2003

Where it says "competency checklist is completed during the program." I did one of these while in CNA training. Where I live a CNA is the same thing as a PCT 1..the girl I told you about has gone through all of the training and now is listed as a Medical Assistant......not trying to argue don't get mad...

Teshiee · Mar 13, 2003

no, you didn't upset anyone. We are just sick of fakers trying to pull off calling themselves nurses when they know d**** well they lack the credentials. You will also find some threads stirs ones insides at times with no meaness towards the one who writes it. :-)

RN2B2005 · Mar 13, 2003

If she's not calling herself a nurse, and isn't practising as a nurse, why does it matter if she's working in a medical office as a medical assistant?

I don't even see how this is a nursing issue. She's working as a medical assistant, on a physician's license, under his or her supervision. She doesn't have a nursing licence and she isn't trying to defraud anyone by claiming to have a nursing licence...in fact, she's done just the opposite. I don't even see how the Board of Nursing would have any input in this situation unless she represented herself as a licensed practical nurse, which she didn't.

In Washington state, medical assistants are classified as assistive personnel under a specific physician's license. There are various categories of medical assistants ("health care assistants" under WA law), labelled category A-E. To obtain different certification levels, I believe you must past a competency exam or take classroom hours. Medical assistants who complete a one-year programme at a community college are eligible to take a national certification exam.

The Department of Health Professions Quality Assurance Commission is the umbrella licensing department in this state, and medical assistants fall under the authority of the medical board, not the nursing board.

I'll save my self-righteous huffing and puffing for real deceptions--people calling themselves nurses without having the license to back it up. A failed LPN candidate trying to scratch (legitimately) by on the periphery of the medical field doesn't hit me as much of a threat. :rolleyes:

dawngloves, BSN, RN · Mar 13, 2003

Holy cow! You just reminded me my license expires at the end of the month!!!!

MishlB · Mar 13, 2003

I was under the impression a medical assistant is a graduate of a medical assisting course, not an NCLEX flunkee.

Nurse Ratched, RN · Mar 13, 2003

Originally posted by RN2B2005
I'll save my self-righteous huffing and puffing for real deceptions--people calling themselves nurses without having the license to back it up.

I think the original post states this person IS calling herself an "office nurse and medical assistant." But despite having graduated an LPN program, she does not have the licensure to call herself a nurse if she did not graduate the NCLEX-PN.

Personally, I feel that calling a person a nurse who is not a nurse is wrong. It's a deceptive practice whether or not the deception is intentional or not. It further muddies the waters for the general public, many of whom are already clueless about what nurses are, what we do (and cannot do), and how we get to be nurses.

I'm not going to get my undies in a twist about it either, tho, as long as the person is not overstepping the boundaries of their role (and as long as she's not working under MY license - in which case you bet your sweet patootie that I will know what exactly she is and what she can legally do.) There was a lengthy thread on this in the past (search for "nurse judy" if you missed it.)

opalmRN · Mar 13, 2003

Originally posted by Mint Julip
She states she has been employed as an office nurse and medical assistant since then.

Another case for Patient beware.

Whatever happened to going to the doctor and knowing that the nurse on duty, was really a nurse.

CCL"Babe", BSN, RN · Mar 13, 2003

I have to say that this is something that really bothers me. The medical assistants at my doctors office call themselves "nurses" and they are not. They give out advice, not always correct, and patients who don't know better believe them. I know this happens elsewhere. Not sure how to prevent it, but it remains a pet peeve of mine.

P_RN, ADN, RN · Mar 13, 2003

https://allnurses.com/forums/search.php?s=&action=showresults&searchid=393487&sortby=lastpost&sortorder=descending&pagenumber=1

Doing a search here in allnurses.com there are 8 pages of this very discussion. The lady is a medical assistant. She is not a nurse. She may not call herself a nurse. Her employer may very well be calling her a nurse, but that is also wrong. Whatever she does or doesn't do is under the physician's license. Her malpractice is HIS problem.

"Just because you call a thistle a rose does NOT make it so."

RN auditor · Mar 13, 2003

I worked side by side with a medical assistant. Although she never actually called herself a nurse she never clarified it with patients either. The physician I worked for treated us the same and it infuriated me. I lasted only a year there. I think giving someone the impression you are a nurse, even if you don't actually call yourself that, is wrong.

tonchitoRN · Mar 13, 2003

in Texas anyone can call themselves a nurse. the only terms that are legally protected are registered nurse and licenced practical nurse. food for thought.