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

Published

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.

In my state, CNA's are not under the BON. They are regulated by the Department of Health. Also, I've transitioned from MA to nurse tech without any extra training. Just orientation to new department.

Also, was just taught in NS recently, that the term "nurse" is not protected. Only the titles RN/LPN are protected. Was told that it's not illegal for MA to say they are the nurse. They just can't claim to be a LPN or RN w/o the license.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in US Army.

Sad to say, but we nurses fumbled that ball long time ago. We should have made the min. requirement to be a nurse the BSN. End of story.

Right now the profession is being eroded due to the shortage of nurses in the field and myriads of "others" eager to take our jobs. The Nurse has become an endangered species.

Look at the other professions that originally came from nursing. They set their own educational requirements and stuck to them. Both PT and OT are now better educated and higher paid than the average nurse.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med Surg, LTC, Home Health.
Also, was just taught in NS recently, that the term "nurse" is not protected. Only the titles RN/LPN are protected. Was told that it's not illegal for MA to say they are the nurse.

Any MA that says they are a nurse is misrepresenting themselves as something they are not. It would seem they should have a bit more pride than to mislead people to think they are a nurse. If they are going to pretend, why not go a step further and call themselves an astronaut or something? I can even make them a badge to show around....

People should not be allowed to call themselves a nurse when they are not, no more than calling themselves a doctor when they are not! Anyone that says otherwise has obviously been misled. Get some pride MA's! Nobody ever said your program was easy.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Tsk tsk tsk, since when is an RN delegating to a CMA not allowed? I am happy that you have an Associate Degree but what can you do with it and when or where? I beleive you can only work in the office ,is that correct or not?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Sad to say, but we nurses fumbled that ball long time ago. We should have made the min. requirement to be a nurse the BSN.

Seen quite a few uneducated 'educated' BSNs. There is a reason the richest men in the world aren't college graduates. :yeah:

Ultimately your 4 year degree means absolutely squat. What do you learn in your 4 year degree that I am not learning in my 2 year degree? And please don't say extra prereqs lol. Lower level classes are worth diddly.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in US Army.

I'm speaking about the big picture. The problem is that we do not have a set standard for the entry into practice. This dilutes our profession. It is sad that we have to debate something in 2008 that should have been settled back in 1965 by the ANA.

Today nursing is the largest healthcare profession, but also the least educated. We collaborate with doctors, speech pathologists, OT, PT, pharmacists, dieticians, etc., etc. All of which have much higher educational requirements than nurses. To truly be viewed as a peer, we need to have the degree to be on an equal playing field. If not, we'll always be viewed as "just a nurse".

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg.
Sad to say, but we nurses fumbled that ball long time ago. We should have made the min. requirement to be a nurse the BSN. End of story.

Right now the profession is being eroded due to the shortage of nurses in the field and myriads of "others" eager to take our jobs. The Nurse has become an endangered species.

Look at the other professions that originally came from nursing. They set their own educational requirements and stuck to them. Both PT and OT are now better educated and higher paid than the average nurse.

I don't see how requiring a nurse to have their BSN helps the MA issue? Our profession is not being eroded due to a shortage of nurses and the myriads of those eager to take our jobs. The problem is the doctors are too cheap to pay for a "real" nurse. If they won't pay for an LPN, less likely they'll ever pay for an RN and if they're paying any higher than that forget the BSN they'll be hiring a NP :twocents:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.

if they say they are a nurse then they are claiming to either be a registered nurse or a licensed vocational/practical nurse. not all states have protected title but most do. if you say you are a nurse then you darn well better have the credentials to back that up. medical assistants are far from being nurses but it takes nursing school to prove that. be proud of being a ma.

also, was just taught in ns recently, that the term "nurse" is not protected. only the titles rn/lpn are protected. was told that it's not illegal for ma to say they are the nurse. they just can't claim to be a lpn or rn w/o the license.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.

there are plenty of other threads that discuss the issue of bsn for entry why are we discussing it here. me personally i think it is ridiculous. do you think our shortage will be helped with a bsn entry level requirment? i wish people would stop comparing nursing to other profession such as ot and pt we are a whole differnt profession , different dynamics and different degrees...

sad to say, but we nurses fumbled that ball long time ago. we should have made the min. requirement to be a nurse the bsn. end of story.

right now the profession is being eroded due to the shortage of nurses in the field and myriads of "others" eager to take our jobs. the nurse has become an endangered species.

look at the other professions that originally came from nursing. they set their own educational requirements and stuck to them. both pt and ot are now better educated and higher paid than the average nurse.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in US Army.

The nursing profession has gotten so watered down, the average lay person has no idea of what it takes to be one. This is why you have the situation we are discussing right now- where anybody and everybody can call themselves a nurse!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

If you haven't gone to nursing school and you aren't licensed as a nurse don't call yourself one. It's a lie and misleads patients. Period.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Where is the DR'S office? I could use the exta cash. Where is the hospital I could use a lot more cash? The good Samaritan act might save her out in the commuinty but not in the office. It's state law here in IL if you say your a nurse you better be one and have the paper work to back it up or you go to jail for a long time.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion