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.

[justme1972]

I agree that you should report it to the BON.

That is SEROIUSLY misleading to the public and the public has a right to know of the LEGAL job title of the person that is treating them.

To me, that makes a major difference in how "to heart" I am going to take advice that I am given.

It's also scary that she is even touching EKG's. I don't think that a CNA can be trained sufficiently to do that.

I personally don't think they should be giving injections either...there is more to it than "pick a needle" and "pick a site...a CNA doesn't have sufficient training to know what each drug can do during an IM injection, adverse affects, etc.

Makes you want to question everyone that touches you, doesn't it?

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

I

It's also scary that she is even touching EKG's. I don't think that a CNA can be trained sufficiently to do that.

Actually, our CNAs do it all the time. We have different levels of patient care techs, and most are CNAs, but not all. But the ones that are CNAs, do our EKGs when we need them to. It's not a difficult task, and doesn't require them to interpret anything...and it's not invasive, certainly not like an injection!

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

Not sure what state you live in but I would bet that under the BOM regulations there is a portion on the delegation of services by non-licensed providers. This is the authorization that MAs traditionally have fallen under. While the BON may state that a LPN may not supervise MAs administering medication, the BOM may state that physicians may delegate the practice of medicine (including medication administration) to a properly trained and supervised un-licensed provider (traditionally referred to as unlicensed assistive personell or UAP). ) It could have easily have had the CNA's name and nursing with nothing else.

I'm in NY, and I figured since the wording was "Medical assistants are non-licensed personnel who may not legally administer medications to patients, by any route" (emphasis mine) it pretty much said that MAs could not give these injections or ANY medication, no matter who was watching them. It just happened to be part of the FAQ question, asking if an LPN could supervise them, that it caught my eye. I don't know any MAs who are permitted to give medications, but then again, I'm not watching them all, you know? But seeing as how there's someone running around with a tag that says "nurse" on her chest and she's clearly not one, it wouldn't surprise me to find an MA who is NOT legally allowed to give meds, giving them.

Just means we have to be ever vigilant when it comes to our OWN families!

[PinkFuzz]

I just can't see how the risks of doing that out-weigh the benefits. Its just not worth it to be decitful like that.

I know as an Nurse Tech/Aid, I can do EKGs and some labs (sputum, urine) but definitely not IMs or Teaching.

[caliotter3]

Tab RN

In the case I described, the billing called the PA a doctor. Misrepresentation. That is what angered me.

[lvnandmomx3]

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.

I worked in an Er admiting dept. before my nursing time. The PA's that we used had to review with the ER Dr. with every pt. they saw, even had to get an OK for any meds that were being given. The Dr.'s were not employed my the hospital so they had their own billing. I did QA and had to keep track of the ER folders the ER Dr. was the one that used to sign off on the chart after the PA was finished. This may be the reason they bill for ER Dr. charges.....

It infuriates me when some one that is not licensed calls them self a nurse. While I know that CNA plays a vital role in pt. care they have not earned the right to call themselves a NURSE. They did not have to go through extensive cirriculum or stress over nclex.

[rnboysmom]

I totally agree, we work too long, too hard for licensure to allow this type of thing to go un-checked. The punishment for this type of misrepresentation is severe--loss of her licensure is just a start, better yet, just put her in a room with a group of seasoned nurses. Hard to believe that anybody in that office allows that type of misrepresentation, there must not be ANY nurses in that office, as I cannot imagine anybody who has the education allowing anybody working beside them to wear a "nurse" nametag erroneously (willfully). The office doc should lose his licensure as well if she is not qualified to perform to this capacity.

-B-

[Nurse Salt]

As for carrying your license on you or not, I was told on one of my first days of orientation that our RN license is similar to our drivers license. If you are driving you need to have your DL on you (eventhough DMV has it on file and a cop could pull it up); similarly you should have your RN license physically on you when you plan to be practicing under it (eventhough HR has it on file).

[BinkieRN, BSN, RN]

I was told on one of my first days of orientation that our RN license is similar to our drivers license. you should have your RN license physically on you when you plan to be practicing under it (eventhough HR has it on file).

I can't imagine anyone at work asking to see my license

[CritterLover, BSN, RN]

i'm in ny, and i figured since the wording was "medical assistants are non-licensed personnel who may not legally administer medications to patients, by any route" (emphasis mine) it pretty much said that mas could not give these injections or any medication, no matter who was watching them. it just happened to be part of the faq question, asking if an lpn could supervise them, that it caught my eye. i don't know any mas who are permitted to give medications, but then again, i'm not watching them all, you know? but seeing as how there's someone running around with a tag that says "nurse" on her chest and she's clearly not one, it wouldn't surprise me to find an ma who is not legally allowed to give meds, giving them.

just means we have to be ever vigilant when it comes to our own families!

the bon can state that mas are not allowed to give injections all they want; however, they do not have the jurisdiction to regulate them (mas).

mas are regulated under the medical boards, not the nursing boards.

clearly, the bon in new york does not believe mas have any business giving injections.

the only way the nursing board can regulate the ma is by stating that nurses (who they do regulate) cannot supervise mas in certain tasks. it is a roundabout way of regulating mas, and i doubt it works very well. (the office will just say they physician is doing the supervision, and have the mas do the injections anyway).

it would be similar to the board of medicine saying that rns can't remove stitches. (silly example, but all i can come up with at the moment). it lets their feelings be known, but since the medical board doesn't license rns, they can't discipline them, and they don't have much of a direct say about what an rn can do. if the nurisng board states that rns can remove stitches, then an rn can remove stitches. that doesn't mean that the medical board can't collaborate with the bon and try to influance policy, but it doesn't have any direct regualtory ability.

[wrennightwind]

I worked as an LNA in a the skilled nursing (nursing home) wing of a local hospital. Our badges said LNA and there were very clear guidelines as to what we could and couldn't do for the residents. However, we WERE accepted as part of the "nursing staff" as we were direct care providers. I am just finishing up my studies for my LPN now and I can see where situations like the one mentioned can really grate on the nerves (not to mention probably break laws). However, I don't think LNA's should be shut out of the nursing "click". As the ones washing, feeding, toileting etc. the patients they are in a unique position to notice any change in a patients health/behavior. This is vital to good patient care.

[Nurse Salt]

Binkie,

Mostly we were told if JACHO or the state comes in they may ask us to see it... Something for them to ding you for if nothing else is wrong, kinda like a cop!