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Greetings all. I have a weird question for ya'll. I work in Home Healthcare as a CNA and often my clients call me a Nurse. I have no idea why, but it irks me. I don't even remotely consider myself a Nurse. I may have begun that journey, but chickened out and haven't pursued it. So my question; when did you consider yourself a Nurse? Were you in school, working as a Nurse or even working as a CNA or the like? Just curious. S
Ok, I was wondering whether the term nurse rather than lpn, lvn, or RN had some legal basis. Again not that I'd ever call myself nurse or want to.Guess we better stop calling Clara Barton and Florence Nightengale nurses, they never even took the nclex!
In some states, yes. In WI, an LPN may not call themselves a NURSE. They HAVE to call themselves a LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSE. Don't ask me why. Go ahead and ask me how many LPN's say "I'm the nurse" though, LOL
In some states, yes. In WI, an LPN may not call themselves a NURSE. They HAVE to call themselves a LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSE. Don't ask me why. Go ahead and ask me how many LPN's say "I'm the nurse" though, LOL
Wait so it's illegal for the LPN to call themselves a nurse even though it's in their title. I do believe there should be some distinction between the LPN and RN title so that the public can understand the roles a little better. It's misleading if two different people with varying titles care for a patient and introduce themselves as, "The nurse."
Wait so it's illegal for the LPN to call themselves a nurse even though it's in their title. I do believe there should be some distinction between the LPN and RN title so that the public can understand the roles a little better. It's misleading if two different people with varying titles care for a patient and introduce themselves as, "The nurse."
By that logic, RNs shouldn't be able to call themselves simply "nurse" either, if LPNs have to qualify that they're a practical nurse every time, then RNs have to qualify they're a registered nurse. All of which is pretty nonsensical. There already is a clear distinction between the two roles.
I maintain that this stipulation in WI is simply an oversight. If I were a LPN in WI, I'd not hesitate to call myself a nurse regardless. I doubt any LPN in that state has ever been disciplined for doing so. If anyone knows differently, please share. But I doubt anyone has, because I doubt it's ever happened.
Wow, I had no idea that this would bring so many responses; but I am glad that it did. Rest assured that I do not work outside of my scope of practice nor do I even remotely consider myself a Nurse. I have corrected my client many times on it; but he still insists he understands but that he calls me that; because he sees me more than his real Nurse. I hope that my asking didn't cause hard feelings on the board; I was just curious.
CamillusRN, BSN
434 Posts
To echo the other posters, I considered myself a nurse when the state board of nursing considered me a nurse. I have a similar problem now as an RN - my patients like to call me ("doctor"). Maybe it's the stereotype the Boomer generation holds male healthcare staff to? In any regards, I'm quick to gently, but definitively, correct the patients. I knew it was going to be an issue when my nursing preceptor thought I was the new resident physician :)