I'm sure this has been said.. MA's calling themselves Nurses

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So Monday I was in a system-wide orientation for my new job as an LPN. I just graduated (so technically until i take my boards and pass.. I'm a GPN). Anyway- there was a girl in our orientation that was an MA, and said she was a nurse at her Dr's office. I was a little taken a-back by this! Call me a brat but I went through a lot to get IN to nursing school, make the grades and graduate to be able to call myself a NURSE! Does this bother anyone else??

Specializes in Oncology/Critical care.

lylenrn,

I have experienced that too.

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I hear what you are saying, but I must respectfully disagree. An LPN is perfectly right to call herself a Nurse. It's in the title. She worked for it, earned it. Attorneys and Pharmacists also earn those doctoral degrees and while most choose not to use it in their titles, they did earn it and rightfully could use it. Medical Assistants did not earn a Nursing degree and when they represent themselves to the public/patients as a Nurse, that is fraud. Simple as that.

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It is illegal in my state of NC as well for anyone to use the title or credentials of a nurse including the general title Nurse, Registered Nurse (RN), Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), APN, NP, CNM, etc.....

If this is the case, then I know tons of people who are committing crimes here in NC. As I've mentioned before, we have a large multi-physician practice in our town that employs CNA's only. Everyone, the doctors, the office employees, the patients, the CNA's and the residents of the town all call them NURSES.

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Yes. I know you are right about that. Still, just because tons of people are doing it doesn't mean it's right. There are certainly more important things in our profession, such as giving great quality care, and showing compassion to the sick, than duking it out over this. But I know that patients look to Nurses for sound health care advise, and I know that MA's just aren't qualified to give it at all times. I don't offer medical advise because I am not qualified to do so. Neither do I pass myself off as a Doctor.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
Just my 2 cents worth--don't start getting into the whole territorial thing. As someone who's been a CNA, LPN and have had an RN license for 18 years, it makes me sad whenever those in the health care field start trying to exclude others (e.g., ONLY RNs can become members of the ANA, etc.) and "put them in their place", so to speak. I know you worked hard to become an LPN, but just know that some RNs may also bristle at you calling yourself a "nurse". On a side note, all attorneys also receive doctorates (J.D.=Juris Doctor), but I know of no attorney who goes around calling him/herself a "doctor". Just all a matter of self confidence...

That, I can identify with. Some RNs introduce themselves as "I am the nurse, she is the LPN", and that implies that I am not a nurse at all. I am, just not a registered nurse. However, I practice as safely as I can, educate with reliable resources and don't volunteer information I don't know about until I clarify it with someone else.

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Specializes in Care Management.

Medical Assistants are specifically trained to work in physician's offices. That's why they are preferred for that role. They learn things like basic lab testing, phlebotomy, how to set up procedure trays, how to assist with routine procedures, sterilization of instruments, etc. that I know I didn't get in nursing school. They probably don't get paid as well because they don't work pm's, nights, weekends, or holidays like nurses do. They also never need to make independent nursing decisions because there is always a doctor present.

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Specializes in surgical,psych,office.

This is a real pet peeve of mine too. MA's saying they are nurses and PA's and NP's that don't correct the patients when they are referred to as doctors!

I worked hard for my RN and I don't pretend I am a doctor or NP.

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I am a Certified Medical Assistant. I have a 2 yr. degree, AS/Medical Assisting. I TOO had to take a certification test, and have to be licensed through the state. I have as much training/schooling as any of the LPN's that work in our office, in fact, it turns out that as a medical assistant, I was trained to do even more then most LPN's. That being said, I wanted to go further, so I went back to school to get my RN. I am currently half way through the program, (which would be equivalent to an LPN), and I am amazed by how much more I know from my MA schooling and working in the field then the other students in the program with me.

I don't call myself a nurse, but when a patient calls and asks to speak to a nurse, the office staff transfers them to either an LPN or CMA, depending on what doctor patient sees. The staff all knows the difference, but most patients do not, and when they ask for a nurse, they want to talk to person who works with the doctor they see.

CMA's are extensively trained to work in doctors offices, LPN's are trained to work in hospitals etc., that is the biggest differences I have noticed.

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Specializes in geriatrics, orthopedic rehab.

Yes this bothers me too. It honestly comes down to the fact that the person is ashamed of what they really do for a living and would truly love to own the Nurse title. Nurses like myself (LPN/RN/LVN interchangebly and respectively) have EARNED that title. And actually- it is ILLEGAL to use the Nurse title unless you are duly licensed as such.

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I forgot to add to my above post, that those of us that are CMA's, know that is what we are, and I went to school for 2 yrs. to get my degree, and am proud to be one. I also know that I wanted more, which is why I went back to school to become an RN.

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Technically, anyone who takes care of people in a medically-related way can call herself a nurse. She cannot, however, call herself an LVN or an RN. Those are protected identifiers, just like M.D. And falsely identifying yourself as a registered or licensed caregiver is illegal. That MA is walking a thin line!

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I used to be a pharma rep and we were instructed by our manager to refer to anyone that was an M.A., LPN or RN as "nurse" due to some real attitudes within the offices. It is usually the MA's wanting to be given the same level of respect as the RN's...they definitely deserve respect for their care of patients but RN's have put in the additional training/time and I think it is only right to acknowledge that in my greeting. I did what my manager said, in his presence, but I know the difference it makes to know the level of responsibility each member of the healthcare team has based on their training. IMHO

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