I know a CNA who's name badge says nurse!

[RNFROMTHEHILL]

Okay, my relative by marraige is a CNA II. She works for a Dr's office that is owned by a larger hospital coorporation. Since she has worked for this office she has called herself a "nurse" and she does get to administer IM injections and do lab draws, EKG'S, immunizations, and she says she even does patient teaching. Her husband told all the parents on our ball team that if any emergency arose not to worry because his wife is a nurse. This truely irritaes me to no end because I worked my butt off to get through nursing school and sacrificed so much to get my RN. I hate the fact that she has no idea what nursing is all about. Well, the other day she got off work and I saw that her badge said nurse, not LPN or RN just nurse. Not only am I offended that she uses this title but I feel like it is very misleading to patients who see Dr's at this practice. I know there are some good unlicensed health care workers but they still do not have the background, education or right to call themselves nurses. I have not confronted her about calling herself a nurse but I see this happening in the future. Makes me wonder if the "nurses" in the office that I go to are really nurses. I think from now on I will ask, "Where did you go to nursing school," just to be safe.

[ICRN2008, BSN, RN]

I would recommend checking the Board of Nursing website for your state or contacting them directly. In many states it is illegal to present yourself as a nurse if you are not a LPN or an RN. In the meantime, I would (privately) gently remind your relative and her husband that referring to her(self) as a nurse could have serious legal repercussions.

If there was ever an emergency and your cousin provided care under the guise of being a nurse only for someone to find out later that she is not, that may give them ammunition to sue her.

If her employer is allowing her to put "Nurse" on her name badge, then they also may have to be referred to the BON. In addition to not complying with state statutes, they are likely putting themselves at risk for a lawsuit from an unsatisfied client.

[sailordave]

Oooooohhhhh! Where I work, clear job title is required on our ID cards for patient benefit. It may even be a state requirement.

[redranger]

In your state is a nurse required to carry a plastic type card with his/her license information on it.

And are they required to carry it on anytime while working, and are required to be able to show it to a patient if asked by the patient?

[nghtfltguy, BSN, RN]

wow... all i have to say is that is just wrong... plain and simple!!!

WRONG!!! and i am sure illegal as well.....

[JBudd, MSN]

Couple of years ago, I asked the "nursing staff" at my PCPs office what kind of nurse they were. Turns out, they don't use nurses. I pointed out that it is illegal to call someone a nurse who is not, and that "nursing staff" with no other title is misleading. Now their badges only have a name, when they are wearing one of course.

[TazziRN, RN]

The fact that her badge says "Nurse" would ring klaxons to most people. Badges have titles on them but not one will say "Nancy, Nurse." It would say "Nancy, RN/LVN"

[rnboysmom]

Don't agree with that one. The general public is very niave about general titles unless they apply to them. After all, to the general public, who in the world would want to represent themseves as a nurse, when they aren't one? We, as professionals, know the answer to that one--lower levels of staffing saves money, but we wouldn't want to alarm our patients by letting them know that we are actually using a lesser knowledge base, would we now?? Might lower their level of trust. Most states are very, very clear in their BON or licensing bylaws that it is illegal to represent yourself as something you are not---and she is NOT a nurse of any sort--she needs to be reported--for all of our sakes. When she misrepresents nursing by doing something uneducated, irresponsible or illegal, you can bet a pretty penny that the ONLY thing that victim will remember about her was that her nametag said she was a NURSE--and it will be the one :nono:story they are telling at the ballfield to everyone on the bleachers that will listen----PLEASE, if you don't report her directly, please report the office in general.

[zimsaint]

I am not sure what a CNA II entails but I think it is illegal to give injections. I know that Medical Assistances are alllowed to give injections. But EKGs and lab draws are performed by CNAs in GA hospitals all the time. They are given additional training by the hospitals and are allowed to perform these duties. They are covered under the hospitals license and Liability Insurance. Yet I have NEVER known them to give any type of medication. And although they do veni-puncture all day long, they are not allowed to insert IVs.

I think a sure way you can put an end to this is to report the Doctor that allows her to do this, they should know that it is unethical. But if by some remote chance that they have given her additional training and "certified" her to do these additional tasks, and they have absorbed all the legal responsibility then they will be spared. But I really don't think so with her giving injections and doing patient teaching. I think the Drs. is trying to be cheap (pay her less than real nurse) and you should report them to hit them where it really hurts....IN THE POCKET!! :angryfire

[Absolutely13]

Wrong, wrong, doubledare wrong. I am a CNA taking classes to become an RN. Becoming a nurse is darn hard, and anyone calling themselves a nurse better back it up with education. Furious.

[caliotter3]

In an ER setting my minor daughter was seen by a person whose nametag had "PA" on it. That didn't bother me at the time. However, when I received a bill for the services she received and it listed this person's name along with a notation clearly indicating that "doctor" services were rendered, I became incensed. I didn't mind my daughter being treated by a PA, but certainly took note of the deception and the MD billing rate. If they were going to deceive, they should never have let the caregiver put "PA" on the name tag. The invoice should not have indicated that J. Doe was a doctor either. Unfortunately I never followed up on this.

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

A couple of notes: I'm in NY, and there's a technical loophole that, while stating it is illegal for anyone who is unlicensed to call him or herself an RN or LPN, the actual word "nurse" is not included. It's been a bit of a snag here, as the popularity of "baby nurses" (ie: nannies who people think are somehow more educated in infant care--as a nurse would be) keeps the issue popping up from time to time. As of last year, it wasn't yet resolved; hoping it gets that way sometime soon.

However, and it's a big HOWEVER, in NY anyone who works in a medical or healthcare setting is required to wear a namebadge that states not only their name, but professional title. I would think that if you are in NY, having Janet Jones, Nurse on her badge would not be allowed, as it is NOT a professional title for the healthcare setting.

We're not required to carry a card of any type, with licensure information. When working in a healthcare setting, the facility is required to keep a copy of our licensure on file, so that it CAN be presented to a patient in the unlikely event that someone actually wanted to see a nurse's particulars.

Also, I'm guessing you're NOT in NY, as even Medical Assistants are prohibited from administering any medication of any type whatsoever. They cannot do this under the supervision of an LPN, an RN, or an MD, period. If I find an MA attempting to stick my child with anything, there's gonna be h*ll to pay.